Fernando Mendoza heaps praise toward Ohio State DC Matt Patricia before Big Ten title game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza appears amped to play in the Big Ten title game this Saturday in Indianapolis against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
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In order for the Hoosiers to pull off the upset against the nation’s No. 1 team, they are going to have to not only stun the college football world but also take down highly-touted defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Mendoza met the media to discuss the game, sharing kudos toward Patricia dating to his NFL tenures.
“The Ohio State defense, Coach Patricia does a fantastic job,” Mendoza said. “That guy is a fantastic football mind.”
Mendoza wasn’t the only one associated with the Hoosiers to tip his cap to Ohio State, as coach Curt Cignetti did the same.
“We recognize the challenge,” Cignetti said. “We respect Ohio State. Not pleased with really the way we played last year. We went there, our first real big test on a national level. We’ve talked through that yesterday, the things that happened in that game. But this is a different team.”
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Cignetti said when it comes to the Buckeyes defensively, he trusts Mendoza to figure them out schematically.
“We know their personnel pretty well, and they know our personnel pretty well,” Cignetti said. “So we’ve got an idea how we think they’ll attack us. I’m sure they have an idea how they think we’ll attack them. You put your best plan together to put your guys in position to make plays, and then got to execute it.”
With the different flare the Hoosiers have going for them and last year’s game to review, Cignetti said Indiana’s body of work has proven it can hang with the best teams in the country. It just now has to prove it on a national stage this Saturday when no one is, again, really giving Indiana a fair shake.
“We’ve been in some close games and down to the wire games,” Cignetti said. “When you’re successful in those kind of situations, it can only add to your confidence and belief that the next time you’re in one, you’re going to make it happen because you have in the past.”
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Now, Saturday night is Indiana’s chance to prove it belongs in games such as the caliber Ohio State brings.
It also gives Cignetti and Mendoza a chance to translate their words into actions directly, alongside making sure the College Football Playoff 12-team field continues to maintain the best teams.
Come the night of the game, a lot of questions will be answered. For now, the countdown continues.
