Ohio State's Star Caleb Downs Reacts to Fernando Mendoza's Big Ten Championship Performance
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Indiana Hoosiers' quarterback Fernando Mendoza came up huge for the his squad on Saturday night in Indianapolis. The Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes played in what might have been a national championship preview, and Mendoza's star shone bright.
Indiana stunned the Buckeyes with a 13-10 victory and did it in large part thanks to Mendoza's second half magic. He showed toughness, physicality, accuracy, arm strength, and impeccable decision making.
On Wednesday, Ohio State superdstar safety Caleb Downs reacted to Mendoza's performance on his podcast, Downs 2 Business.
"We have got to knock the ball down at the end of the day, that's what it is, that's part of being a DB. They did a good job of winning the 50/50 balls. He was patient and took what we gave him, he did a great job. He also showed a lot of toughness, taking that first hit and coming back into the game.
–
What did Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana offense do well against Ohio State's defense? š
Caleb Downs breaks down the QB's performance in the Big Ten Championship Game. šÆ pic.twitter.com/f8OkymfZxz
ā Downs 2 Business (@downs2business) December 10, 2025
Downs didn't mince words. He was very complimentary of the opposing quarterback that the Buckeyes might see again, but only in the National Championship.
The Buckeyes' loss that the program suffered on Saturday might be a blessing in disguise. Similar to last season, they enter the College Football Playoff coming off of a loss. This year, the feeling around the program is much different, but the fact still remains that Ohio State was humbled on Saturday, and they have a lot to correct.
While Ohio State lost and Downs commented that the defensive backs (DBs) need to be better at knocking the football down, they still only gave up 13 points. They forced one turnover, albeit a lucky bounce; they still did more than enough to win the game.
The real learning curve will come on the offensive side of the football, where the Buckeyes need to take a ton away from their lackluster performance. They looked like a confused group and played like a bunch that didn't have a real identity, and when the chips were down, the players and playcallers didn't step up to the challenge.
Looking into the playoffs, the Buckeyes will use a lot of what they learned from the loss to the Hoosiers. The defense needs to be more opportunistic with the ball in the air, the pass rush needs to be more consistent, and they need to play a full 60 minutes.
On offense, they need to capitalize in the red zone, keep their two receivers on the field at all time,s and Julian Sayin needs to be significantly better than what he was on Saturday.
They have five weeks to get it figured out and coming off of a loss is the perfect place to start.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos