Fernando Mendoza Dreamed of Being Heisman Finalist. Indiana Football Made It Reality.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Before he'd ever taken a regular season snap at Indiana, Fernando Mendoza let his mind wander to the bright lights and big stage of New York City in all its mid-December glory.

During the preseason, Mendoza saw the list of top 10 Heisman Trophy contenders. He wasn't included. Now, he has a flight booked Friday morning to New York City, and he's the odds-on favorite to bring home college football's most prestigious trophy.

"I prayed about, 'Imagine if I could just make the ceremony, how cool would that be? I'd be able to take that for the rest of my life,'" Mendoza said Tuesday. "And so, now that goal has come to fruition, and it's such a cool moment.

"I thought of it, but it was a little bit more of a dream and kind of a long-range goal or a goal that you reach a little farther than you think you could reach."

The seeds within Mendoza's Heisman garden began to blossom after Indiana's 63-10 win over Illinois on Sept. 20, during which he went 21-for-23 passing for 267 yards and five touchdowns. It was all-around dominance, Mendoza said, from the Hoosiers' offense, defense, special teas and coaching staff.

"After that, some of my friends said it to me like, 'Oh, you know, you're in the Heisman race,'" Mendoza said. "And I was like, ‘That's so cool. Maybe I can show my kids, 'Hey, I was in the Heisman race.''"

The Heisman Trophy has always mattered to Mendoza, who, during a high school recruiting visit to Yale, took a picture with one of the Heisman trophies the Bulldogs won in the 1930s.

"It was kind of more of a funny thing," Mendoza said. "Like, 'Wow, look how cool it is. I get to hold the Heisman.'"

Mendoza appears poised to have much more than a participation trophy or mere photos of his attendance. He led the FBS with 33 passing touchdowns this season, accounted for 39 total scores, and completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Mendoza became Indiana's first recipient of the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year award and the second to win Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. He's the Hoosiers' second-ever Heisman Trophy finalist, joining Anthony Thompson in 1989.

And he's spearheading the greatest season in Indiana football history.

The Hoosiers are 13-0, ranked No. 1 for the first time, freshly removed from their third Big Ten Championship and will play Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl, only their second ever appearance in the Tournament of Roses.

To Mendoza, no matter how great, how surreal, the moment of being a Heisman finalist felt, it pales in comparison to Indiana's accomplishments this fall.

"The Heisman's great," Mendoza said. "But the only reason I'm up for the Heisman is because we're 13-0 and we're Big Ten champs at the end of the day. So, I did get a couple of texts (after the Heisman announcement). However, nothing comparing to when we beat Ohio State."

Mendoza admitted he heard the buzz surrounding the Big Ten championship game, which featured two Heisman-contending quarterbacks in Mendoza and Ohio State's Julian Sayin. Mendoza won the Big Ten Championship Game MVP and solidified his spot as the Heisman favorite.

But he also left with a painful battle scar from Saturday night: A "pretty bad turf burn," he said, which prompted him to wear a black sleeve on his right arm while meeting with reporters Tuesday evening.

Be it from the pain or the excitement of this season of his life, Mendoza said he had trouble falling asleep a few nights back. So, instead of tossing and turning, he grabbed his phone and did what he does best: Prepare.

"I watched, like, around probably 10 Heisman speeches," Mendoza said. "And they're just all so great to hear, whether it's a Q and A or whether it's a speech itself to get research on it. It's always great to hear about great Heisman Trophy winners from the past, some of their great speeches, and just to really research the topic.

"Because it is a present moment at hand and I want to make the most of the weekend. I want to make the most of the opportunity, whether it's meeting people there, whether it's a potential speech or whether it's just enjoying the opportunity with my friends and family."

Mendoza said he's started preparing a speech in the event he wins Saturday night, which he feels is his duty as a finalist. His speech is "far from a final product," he joked. But he doesn't want to get too far ahead of himself.

Sayin, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love are all "fantastic players," Mendoza said. But the Hoosiers believe Mendoza deserves the crown.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti called it a "no-brainer." Senior linebacker Aiden Fisher feels Mendoza should be "America's Heisman." Senior center Pat Coogan said Mendoza should "absolutely" be the Heisman winner. Senior receiver Elijah Sarratt noted Mendoza's talent and work ethic warrants the honor.

It's only fitting Mendoza has an army of cream and crimson-clad soldiers behind him. Because in his eyes, without them — without Fisher's tackles, Coogan's blocks or Sarratt's catches — he never finds this spotlight.

"I'm shining now, but only because there's so many stars around me," Mendoza said. "There's an analogy like, ‘The only reason we're able to see stars in the sky is because the light reflects from all different types of stars.’ And I have so many stars around myself, whether it's my teammates, my coaches, my family, the support staff, that I'm able to shine now in this light.

"And I'm just so happy for everyone to be a part of this."

Mendoza noted it was a "huge challenge" handling the pressure that comes with being a Heisman contender. He relied heavily on a sports psychologist and committed himself to following Cignetti's core principles of avoiding outside noise and living one play, one game, at a time.

But there are no more snaps to take, no more throws to make, and no more games to play before Mendoza learns his Heisman fate Saturday night. It's the culmination of a season's worth of work, and a moment he's long thought would be "so cool."

To be a finalist, Mendoza said, is a surreal feeling. To be a winner? If he's called on stage to give a speech, his truest form, his rawest emotions, promise to make an appearance.

"I know that going to this ceremony means so much for everybody here in Bloomington," Mendoza said. "It means so much for my family. It means so much to the team, especially having the opportunity to hopefully bring home the first Heisman in Indiana history. It means so much to so many people."

And it may ultimately mean his suitcase will be a bit heavier on the plane ride back to Bloomington.