QB Fernando Mendoza is the 2025 Chicago Tribune Silver Football winner — Indiana’s 1st winner in 24 years

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Fernando Mendoza was yelling straight into the Fox Sports camera Saturday night, tears in his eyes, voice cracking.

Indiana had won the Big Ten football championship for the first time in 58 years, and the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis roared in the background for the home-state team.

“We were never supposed to be in this position, but by the glory of God, the great coaches, great teammates, everyone we have around us, we were able to pull this off,” Mendoza yelled in the postgame interview. “Whoever thought the Hoosiers would be here? But now the Hoosiers are flipping champs! Let’s go!”

Mendoza was a major reason Indiana got there, both in Saturday’s 13-10 victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State and in the undefeated march to the conference championship. The redshirt junior quarterback, who transferred in this season after three years at California, has completed 72% of his passes for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns with just six interceptions in 13 games to help the Hoosiers claim the top seed in the upcoming College Football Playoff.

Mendoza has been one of the key forces in helping Indiana revive its football program under second-year coach Curt Cignetti. For his play, Big Ten coaches voted Mendoza the winner of the 2025 Chicago Tribune Silver Football, given for 101 years to the conference’s best player.

Mendoza received 10 first-place and three second-place votes for 23 points to finish ahead of Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, who had 17 points (six first-place and five second-place votes). Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith finished third with six points and the other two first-place votes.

The Tribune presents the Silver Football in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago to the Big Ten’s best player. The inaugural trophy was awarded to Illinois’ Red Grange in 1924 — 11 years before the first Heisman Trophy. Each Big Ten head coach votes for two players and cannot vote for his own. A first-place vote is worth two points and a second-place vote worth one.

Chicago Tribune Silver Football: What to know about the Big Ten’s highest honor

Mendoza was announced as the winner Tuesday morning on Big Ten Network. It’s the eighth time an Indiana player has won the Silver Football and the first time since quarterback Antwaan Randle El in 2001.

Last week Mendoza was named the Big Ten’s offensive player and quarterback of the year, and he was the championship game MVP on Saturday. Now he awaits word on whether he also will win the Heisman Trophy, for which he was named a finalist Monday night. Those results will be revealed Saturday night in New York.

The coaches voted on the Silver Football even before Mendoza made crucial throws in the Big Ten title game — despite playing most of it without star wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who suffered a leg injury in the first quarter.

With Indiana trailing in the third quarter, Mendoza hit Charlie Becker for a 51-yard pass on third-and-2 and later Elijah Sarratt for a 17-yard touchdown to give the Hoosiers the lead.

Then with Indiana trying to hold off Ohio State in the final minutes, he made a huge 33-yard throw to Becker on third-and-6, allowing the Hoosiers to run the clock down to 18 seconds before the final Buckeyes possession.

Mendoza completed 15 of 23 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown with one interception on a tipped pass.

“Throughout spring ball and fall camp, we practiced a lot of two-minute drills and one-minute drills,” Mendoza said in the postgame news conference. “Especially against a great defense, it primed us for the season. Whenever we got in high-adversity situations, we’re always able to go out there and efficiently execute. And also the glue we had with our brotherhood, how much we care about the man beside us, really makes us unshakable.

“So whenever we’re in any adversity, we’re always there sticking by each other and not finger-pointing. I think that’s what elevates us to our competition and exceeds expectations in those high-adversity moments.”

Saturday night wasn’t the first time Mendoza came through in the clutch this season.

He threw winning touchdown passes in the fourth quarter against Iowa, Oregon and Penn State as Indiana finished the regular season 12-0. Mendoza’s 33 touchdown passes lead the nation and set a program record, while his 181.4 passing efficiency rating ranks second to Sayin’s 182.1. He has had three games with a completion percentage better than 91% — the top three marks in program history.

After throwing for 3,004 yards in his second season starting at Cal in 2024, Mendoza opted to transfer to Indiana, where his brother, Alberto, is also a quarterback.

Cignetti said when Mendoza arrived, he needed some work in the pocket with his footwork, processing and patience. Hoosiers coaches saw him make leaps at the end of spring and fall camps, but Cignetti thought he really started to get comfortable in the pocket after the second or third game.

“And since the Illinois game (a 63-10 rout Sept. 20), he’s been outstanding,” Cignetti said before the conference championship game. “Now there’s still some times you could make a cut-up and say, ‘You got a little too antsy here or there.’ And I think the cold weather bothered him a little bit against Purdue, to be quite honest with you. He’s from Miami. He’s never played in that kind of weather before.

“But he’s a great leader. He’s a great person, highly intelligent. He wants to be a great player. And Tom Brady’s his idol. And I’ve never seen a guy put the time in and prepare like he does.”

Now Mendoza will look to help Indiana make more history. The Hoosiers have a first-round playoff bye before playing the Alabama-Oklahoma winner in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

2025 Silver Football voting

First-place votes worth two points, second-place votes worth one. Coaches cannot vote for their own players.

  • Fernando Mendoza, Indiana QB: 10-3—23
  • Julian Sayin, Ohio State QB: 6-5—17
  • Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR: 2-2—6
  • Emmett Johnson, Nebraska RB: 0-2—2
  • Makai Lemon, USC WR: 0-2—2
  • Kaytron Allen, Penn State RB: 0-1—1
  • Caleb Downs, Ohio State S: 0-1—1
  • Arvell Reese, Ohio State LB: 0-1—1
  • Kaden Wetjen, Iowa PR/KR: 0-1—1

What to know about the Silver Football

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