This weekend brought an end to all the jockeying for positioning in the Heisman Trophy race, with balloting opening after Conference Championship weekend. This weekend, it seemed like any of Ty Simpson, Julian Sayin, or Fernando Mendoza could win the award with a standout performance, with all of the voters watching. Simpson and Sayin both struggled while Indiana won big, cementing a clear top candidate for the award.
As we're just days away from the Heisman Trophy being awarded, there's seemingly only two candidates with a chance to win the award in Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.
Debating the Cinderella runs of Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia
Coming into the season, everyone picked the likes of Garrett Nussmeier, Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, and others to win the Heisman Trophy. If you said before the season that this would be a debate between Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia, it would've seemed truly impossible.
Making the case for Fernando Mendoza
Saturday Night's Big Ten Championship may have sealed the Heisman Trophy race for Fernando Mendoza. The Indiana star capped off an incredible season for the Hoosiers by knocking off the Top-Ranked Ohio State Buckeyes making Indiana the best team in the Country while cementing a historic turnaround for the Hoosiers.
If Fernando Mendoza's game winner against Penn State wasn't a Heisman moment, he may have found one with an incredible deep ball to Charlie Becker to help the Hoosiers run the clock down.
FERNANDO MENDOZA ICE IN YOUR VEINS pic.twitter.com/kgLA5ccp1t
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 7, 2025
Mendoza finishes the season with 2,980 yards passing for 33 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions. As a rusher, Mendoza has found a way to give this team another element as he picked up 240 yards and another 6 touchdowns. Last year, Indiana was a scrappy underdog, but Fernando Mendoza has been the difference in the Hoosiers becoming a true contender which should put him over the top.
Making the case for Diego Pavia
The case for Diego Pavia is pretty simple, look at what Vanderbilt has done this season going from the doormat of the SEC to becoming a team with a serious College Football Playoff case. Pavia has been more important to his team's success than any other player, and doing it at Vanderbilt makes it even more impressive.
Pavia ranks 2nd in the Country in total yards with 4,018 total yards (3,192 passing and 826 rushing) while accounting for 36 touchdowns, leading the SEC with 27 passing touchdowns. Leading his team to a 10-2 record is worthy alone of landing in the Heisman Trophy race.
Why Fernando Mendoza will win the Heisman
While Diego Pavia has better stats, the Heisman Trophy will end up going to Fernando Mendoza. The Indiana Hoosiers are the bets team in America, and we've seen time and time again that the Heisman ends up going to the quarterback of the best team when it's even a close debate. Mendoza has been the driving force in one of the best stories this season and he's a deserving candidate.