The No. 9 seed Alabama Crimson Tide know they will have their hands full against the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in Thursday’s Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, Calif., and Fernando Mendoza is a big reason why.
Crimson Tide senior linebacker Deontae Lawson even offered high praise for Mendoza during Tuesday’s Rose Bowl media day.
“[Fernando Mendoza] is probably the most elite quarterback we’ve faced since coach [Kalen] DeBoer has been here,” Lawson told reporters, via Cover Crimson.
Considering that Alabama plays in the SEC and regularly deals with talented opposing quarterbacks, Lawson’s take on Mendoza speaks volumes about how much respect the Crimson Tide have for the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner.
On the season, the Hoosiers’ star quarterback and potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft has passed for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns against only 6 interceptions on a 71.5% completion rate.
Conversely, Mendoza must also be wary of the challenge that Alabama’s stout stop unit will present. The Crimson Tide are 13th nationally with just 17.9 points allowed per game and 10th with only 168.4 passing yards surrendered per contest.
Plus, Alabama has a solid quarterback itself, with Ty Simpson handling the duties for the team under center.
In Alabama’s 34-24 victory over the No. 8 seed Oklahoma Sooners in the first round of the CFP, Simpson went 18-of-29 for 232 passing yards and 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
