Mark Ingram II picks Big Ten QB as favorite to win the Heisman Trophy

The Fox Sports analyst, who also won the award in 2009, predicts a Big Ten quarterback will be this year's recipient of the Heisman Trophy on Saturday.

Fox Sports college football analyst Mark Ingram II believes Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza deserves to be this year's Heisman Trophy winner. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College football analyst Mark Ingram II knows exactly what is required to lift the most prestigious individual award in sports. The 2009 Heisman Trophy winner recently took to his The Triple Option podcast to share his prediction for the upcoming ceremony in New York City.

The field of finalists features elite talent, including a record-setting passer from the Ohio State Buckeyes and a dynamic rusher from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. With the voting deadline passing shortly after conference championship weekend, the race remained tight until the final snap of the season.

Ingram believes one signal-caller separated himself from the pack by delivering a victory on the season's grandest stage. He argued that performing under pressure against a top-ranked opponent defines a true winner, and one Big Ten standout did exactly that to secure a historic conference title.

Mark Ingram Backs Indiana's Fernando Mendoza For Heisman Trophy

Ingram pointed to Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the clear choice to win the award. Mendoza led his program to a perfect 13-0 record and a Big Ten Championship victory against Ohio State.

"That's why I lead with Fernando Mendoza," Ingram said. "Fernando Mendoza had the biggest platform of his career, of Indiana's career. Number one versus number two. All eyes on this Big Ten Championship, the two best teams in the country."

Mendoza finished the season with 2,980 passing yards and 33 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He saved his most critical performances for the toughest stretches of the schedule.

Fernando Mendoza and #2 Indiana’s game winning drive vs. Penn State 🧊 pic.twitter.com/I7uSmIvL9B

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) November 8, 2025

"Fernando Mendoza continuously, persistently makes off-platform plays, makes big throws in clutch moments," Ingram said. "He gets hit, he gets back up, and he delivers a victory to the Hoosier Nation. And that in itself is a Heisman moment."

The analyst noted that Mendoza excelled even when the box score did not look perfect. He specifically highlighted a road victory against the Penn State Nittany Lions where the quarterback engineered a late scoring drive.

"Talk about the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions," Ingram said. "Yeah, he didn't play great in that game, but when it mattered the most. Two-minute drill, no timeouts. Goes down and gets the touchdown."

NEW: Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza gives all glory to God after defeating Ohio State to become the Big Ten champions.

The Hoosiers entered the 2025 season as the losingest college football program in D1 history.

“I wanna give all the glory to God. We were never… pic.twitter.com/nLdgcZ9B96

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 7, 2025

Ingram sees a parallel between Mendoza's path and his own Heisman campaign at Alabama. Both players solidified their resumes with high-stakes wins over legendary programs immediately before the voting closed.

"Listen, you go to the Big Ten Championship," Ingram said. "I won my Heisman in the SEC conference championship game versus head coach Urban Meyer. I think Fernando Mendoza did the same thing for himself Saturday night in the Big Ten Championship."

While other finalists like Julian Sayin and Diego Pavia had impressive statistical years, Ingram believes the debate is effectively finished. He argued that the head-to-head victory over the Buckeyes ended the conversation.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) led the Hoosiers to their first outright Big Ten conference championship since 1945. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"But right now, I got Fernando Mendoza winning," Ingram said. "I think it's over. I think he solidified it. It doesn't even matter who No. 2 and No. 3 is. Fernando Mendoza won the trophy Saturday night."

The Hoosiers will face either the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide or No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal on Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.

This year's Heisman Trophy ceremony is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ABC. The other finalists for the award include Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.