Indiana star opens up on team's mindset ahead of CFP game vs Alabama

The Indiana Hoosiers volition play the Alabama Crimson Tide successful the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff connected New Year’s Day successful what whitethorn beryllium the team’s biggest situation yet.

The Hoosiers solidified their spot successful the Playoff earlier this period with a Big Ten Championship triumph implicit the Ohio State Buckeyes. It volition lone get much hard from the squad led by Heisman Trophy victor Fernando Mendoza from present connected out.

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Indiana Hoosiers backmost Fernando Mendoza (15) and backmost Alberto Mendoza (16) locomotion connected tract for lukewarm ups earlier the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes astatine Lucas Oil Stadium connected Dec. 6, 2025. (Aaron Doster/Imagn Images)

Mendoza said helium volition clasp the situation that the Crimson Tide volition provide. His comments connected the Big Ten Network connected Tuesday suggested helium has the close mindset to propulsion disconnected a win.

"I deliberation a connection we telephone encompassed is, ‘Pressure is simply a privilege.’ Although we’re the No. 1 effect successful the College Football Playoff, we person each these precocious expectations, it’s the archetypal clip Indiana has ever done this. At the aforesaid time, we’re grateful and we privation this opportunity. This is what we’ve been moving for the full offseason.

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Indiana Hoosiers caput manager Curt Cignetti looks connected earlier the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes astatine Lucas Oil Stadium connected Dec. 6, 2025. (Robert Goddin/Imagn Images)

"It’s not similar we’re present to spell support something. We don’t person this triumph successful the Rose Bowl. We don’t person the nationalist championship. We don’t person a semifinal triumph yet. We don’t person the Rose Bowl trophy, oregon we don’t person roses successful our rima yet. We gotta spell get it. We gotta spell instrumentality it – particularly against specified a large squad similar Alabama, an SEC juggernaut. We gotta spell instrumentality it. We’re precise blessed and honored for the opportunity. Like (coach Curt Cignetti said), it’s thing we’re going to retrieve for the remainder of our lives, and though the New York boys travel was a blast, I would accidental we’ve each been moving precise diligently due to the fact that we each worked retired full lives for this infinitesimal and for this opportunity. As younger kids we dreamed astir this, arsenic older men, we’ll retrieve this."

The Hoosiers finished undefeated successful the regular play for the archetypal clip since 1945 erstwhile they were 9-0-1. The squad was ranked No. 1 successful the last Associated Press regular-season canvass for the archetypal clip ever.

A batch of it has to bash with however Cignetti coached his squad during the twelvemonth and however Mendoza stepped up successful games contempt costly turnovers.

Alabama Crimson Tide caput manager Kalen Deboer calls retired from the sidelines successful the archetypal fractional against the Oklahoma Sooners astatine Gaylord Family OK Memorial Stadium connected Dec. 19, 2025. (Nelson Chenault/Imagn Images)

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Now, Indiana volition surely get to beryllium whether they are existent nationalist rubric contenders successful going up against a behemoth successful Alabama.

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