10 Must-See Moments From The Hoosiers’ Historic College Football Championship Win

Here are the top 10 best moments from Monday night’s matchup.

Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza gives 'all the glory to God' ahead of national championship



When it comes to his role in Indiana's unlikely rise to the top of college football, Hoosier quarterback Fernando Mendoza knows just who to thank: "the man upstairs."

"I really give a lot that I have accomplished this season in my life to the Lord and really give thanks to God. ... Give all the glory to God," Mendoza told reporters ahead of tonight's 2026 National Championship against the University of Miami.

'I really give a lot that I have accomplished this season in my life to the Lord.'

Team effort

At the press conference Saturday, the recent Indiana University transfer stressed that his success was a team effort — a team that includes the priests at his Catholic parish in Bloomington.

"I'm a Catholic man," Mendonza told reporters. "And they've done so much to help me, whether it's confession or just [being] able to talk or just Mass every Sunday."

This is not the first time Mendoza has credited the men of the St. Paul Catholic Center.

Christmas gift

On Christmas Eve, the 22-year-old brought them his 2025 Heisman Trophy. Mendoza won the award — which honors the nation's top college football player — on December 15, thanks in part to the 41 touchdown passes he threw for the Hoosiers this season.

Recalling the moment, Mendoza said, "I think it was really important to take it over [to] those guys, especially those guys who have been great religious mentors to myself."

RELATED: Charity, miracles, and high tech — here's how these monks built a massive Gothic monastery

Chasing a dream

In his Heisman acceptance speech, Mendoza thanked God for giving him "the opportunity to chase a dream that once felt the world away" and vowed to live up to the honor.

Mendoza, who attends Mass weekly and says he prays before every game, also thanked his younger brother Alberto, currently Indiana's backup quarterback. Calling Alberto his "lifelong teammate," Mendoza described him as the one person he could trust to "get through a tough day, tough play, [or] tough game."

"I love you, bro. I love you and thank you for always giving it to me straight no matter the circumstance."

The NCAA national football championship airs from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Michigan fires football coach Sherrone Moore amid sex scandal



University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore was in custody Wednesday night as a suspect in an alleged assault, only hours after his “inappropriate relationship with a staff member” was exposed and he was fired.

“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” the school said in a statement. “Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

“Sherrone Moore got fired yesterday and ended up in police custody because he melted down and crashed out. This is one of the most incredible crash-outs we’ve ever seen,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock says on “Fearless.”


“What happened to Sherrone Moore? Absolutely amazing, breathtaking. You feel sorry for him. You want to laugh at him. You wonder, ‘How can you be this stupid?’ Well, men have been being this stupid for a long, long time,” Whitlock continues.

“Getting promoted to a position of power, authority, and wealth, and using that power, authority, and wealth to have extramarital affairs or to participate in illicit sexual activity. Here’s the thing, though: If he had not lost to Ohio State on Thanksgiving weekend, Sherrone Moore would likely still be the head coach at the University of Michigan,” he adds.

And Whitlock isn’t just saying that to say it, but rather explains that Michigan knew about the affair with the staffer.

“He’s banging his assistant and traveling around with her, obviously under the auspices of ‘football business.’ There have been pictures floating around on Twitter of Sherrone Moore and her walking around the campus together in Ann Arbor, Michigan,” Whitlock says.

“This scandal has been covered up for at least a month, if not a year,” he continues. “The rumors are — and it’s circulated all over social media, and people have been talking about this behind the scenes — that Sherrone Moore impregnated this woman ... talked her into ending the pregnancy, and then commissioned this pay raise for this woman, and now that he’s lost to Ohio State, now it all comes out, and Michigan has their excuse.”

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

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If You Care About The Future Of College Football, Cheer For Texas Tech In The Playoff

Texas Tech’s 2025 team turned the blue blood college football hierarchy on its head. That’s a feat worth celebrating.

Lane Kiffin’s Coaching Controversy Epitomizes College Football’s Decline

Lane Kiffin is one of many villains in a sport that's completely lost touch with what made it great in the first place.

Beloved ‘Last Chance U’ coach John Beam shot and killed on Oakland campus



Former football coach John Beam was known for giving players who most coaches wouldn’t gamble on a chance after being featured in the Netflix series “Last Chance U" — which focuses on junior college athletes attempting to turn their lives around.

Now, Beam, 66, has been tragically shot and killed on the Laney College campus where he worked in Oakland, California.

The suspect is believed by police to have known and targeted Beam.

“That was the second shooting this week in Oakland on a college campus, by the way, and very unfortunate,” BlazeTV contributor Jason Brown, also known as Coach JB, tells BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock on “Fearless.”


“I did get calls by buddies of mine that are up there, that are in that conference, and what I was told is very disturbing and unfortunate ... I haven’t seen the final report so it’ll all be allegedly at this point, but I heard it was a targeting situation where they walked into his office,” he explains.

“He had an office that butts up against the street, the neighborhood there in Oakland, and it’s very, very far from the facilities. It’s very, very far from anything, and it’s real easy to go do something and not be seen and then just escape,” he continues.

A suspect has been taken into custody and a gun has been recovered.

The suspect, as Brown understands, “walked in his office, did whatever happened, and then just went right into the hood behind it.”

Whitlock is shocked, asking Brown how “dangerous is it being a junior college coach in California?”

“As dangerous as it can be, because at the end of the day, you don’t have security walking around like a D1 coach. You don’t have resources,” Brown says. “You’re out there in the hood, at churches, trying to get food at food banks for your players, if you really care for your guys like I did.”

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Former Colorado star turns on Deion Sanders, calls for major overhaul of Buffaloes coaching staff



Matt McChesney, a former University of Colorado star and Deion Sanders defender, has changed his tune on Coach Prime — and wants major changes to the coaching staff for the Buffaloes.

“I’m shocked that Pat Shurmur still has his job. I don’t see anybody else giving him another opportunity in college or the NFL. I’m stunned that he still has a job, especially with how quick Coach Prime in year one was to get rid of Coach Lewis at San Diego State,” McChesney tells BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock.

“I don’t see how we can look at the staff and say that they’re helping Coach Prime. And I don't think Coach Prime is helping them necessarily. I think that when you put yourself in a situation where you’re surrounded by your friends, when it gets hard, are you going to fire them? And I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he continues.

“I think that the coaching staff needs to be extremely evaluated hard, and if they don’t make a bunch of changes, then they don’t want to get better because this is not acceptable,” he adds.


Whitlock agrees that there need to be changes, especially when it comes to their head coach and how they approach their next one.

“My concern, if I was a Colorado fan, would be, ‘Man, we went all-in on Deion. Will this administration, if Deion walks away or is fired, will this administration go all-in on the next coach?’” Whitlock says.

“Or will there be some hesitancy of, like, ‘Man, we just got burned. We owe Deion all this money.’ Any concern that there could be irrevocable or really serious damage done in the aftermath?” Whitlock asks.

“If Coach Prime were to walk away, selfishly, I hope if that were to happen, I hope that he would resign so they wouldn’t have to pay him. And that’s just, you know, that’s just the way it is,” McChesney says.

“Deion leaving without the money,” Whitlock laughs.

McChesney isn’t hopeful either.

“Usually, when nepotism and narcissism is involved at this level,” he says, “it’s really, really hard to get anybody to change doing anything.”

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Deion Sanders proves why racial idolatry destroys teams



In a shocking defeat that left Colorado coach Deion Sanders dumbfounded, his team suffered an embarrassing 53-7 loss to Utah — but unlike everyone else, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock isn’t surprised.

“Deion Sanders is who I thought he was and who I said he was. And the reason I’m celebratory of this is because Deion sets a bad example. He leads through racial idolatry. He leads through a victimhood mentality,” Whitlock says.

“Deion definitely loves to play the race card. Deion definitely sees himself as a victim. Deion definitely wants to be a race soldier,” he continues, likening Sanders to Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.


“They’re lathered in so much over-the-top praise. They’re lathered in so much idolatry and people rallying around them and people excusing any and everything about their coaching that it undermines their success,” he explains.

Whitlock also points out that after Sanders’ winning streak last year, people like Stephen A. Smith were ”running around pretending like Deion Sanders has set the world on fire.”

“He can get all the money without putting in the same level of effort as other coaches. They’ve been running around with Deion Sanders on these Aflac commercials with Nick Saban as if Deion Sanders is the second coming of Eddie Robinson. Deion skipped over everybody, and the next thing you know he’s right next to Nick Saban,” he says.

“He’s not on that level, but we gave him all the rewards as if he had,” he adds, pointing out that this is common in the black community.

“There’s a burden to being black in America that black people have participated in and helped create. The removing of standards, the lowering of standards is crippling black Americans. And you can see it in football,” he says.

“You can see what’s happening at Colorado with Deion Sanders where he was anointed and appointed and celebrated as this great coach even though it hadn’t been earned. And now we’re seeing the proof of it,” he adds.

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ESPN accused of removing host from network after interview about Charlie Kirk



ESPN and Disney have rejected the accusation that executives removed commentator Paul Finebaum from network shows after he spoke about Charlie Kirk in an interview that aired last week.

Finebaum, a legend in college football broadcasting, appeared in a sit-down interview with OutKick's Clay Travis to discuss a possible transition into federal politics.

'This is not true at all. The below is TOTALLY FALSE.'

Finebaum told Travis he was greatly affected by the death of Kirk, saying he was "numb" for hours after hearing about the assassination.

"I felt very empty doing what I was doing that day," Finebaum told Travis. "It's hard to describe, not being involved in politics ... how that affected me and affected tens of millions of people all over this country. And it was an awakening."

Finebaum then revealed that he was subsequently inspired by Kirk and may be exploring a run for Senate as a Republican in Alabama.

Since the interview was released on Sept. 30, Finebaum has reportedly been pulled from ESPN network shows.

"Disney/ESPN has removed [Finebaum] from appearing on ESPN since his [OutKick] interview expressing interest in running as a Republican for senate in Alabama," OutKick's Travis wrote on X. "ESPN has canceled all network appearances on all shows, including some that have occurred for a decade plus."

However, Travis was immediately confronted by one of ESPN's own.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk assassination inspires famed ESPN commentator to run for Senate — as a conservative

— (@)

About 25 minutes after Travis' post, ESPN's vice president of communications, Bill Hofheimer, responded to claims with a straight denial.

"This is not true at all. The below is TOTALLY FALSE," Hofheimer wrote on X.

Travis hit back, saying the decision was above Hofheimer's "pay grade" while asking the executive to cite appearances by Finebaum.

Travis' claims were followed by college sports site On3 confirming the story through reporter Pete Nakos.

Alabama's AL.com also said it had confirmed the story. However, ESPN is sticking to Hofheimer's statement.

— (@)

In comments to Blaze News, ESPN referred to Hofheimer's X post as its official public comment.

"Finebaum was never banned. Any reporting on this is totally false," ESPN's senior communications director, Amanda Brooks, explained.

She told Blaze News that not only is Finebaum scheduled to appear on ESPN's "First Take" on Tuesday, he is also "scheduled to do hits on SportsCenter this weekend."

The network stated that it is trying to find various college football analysts to step into different roles "in the event that Finebaum chooses to run for office" in order to be "prepared for his potential absence."

ESPN outright denied the claims made by On3, Outkick, and AL.com

Brooks said Finebaum will continue his "SEC Nation" appearances and his own ESPN show, "The Paul Finebaum Show."

Fans had noted that they saw Finebaum on SEC shows over the weekend.

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The REAL reason Crimson died: Why Alabama’s problems go way deeper than Kalen DeBoer’s poor performance against Florida State



On Saturday, August 30, the Florida State Seminoles, who finished last season with a dismal 2-10 record, pulled off a shocking victory against No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide. The underdogs dominated with a revamped offense led by new quarterback Tommy Castellanos, who accounted for 230 total yards and a touchdown, and a defense that stifled Alabama’s running game, limiting the team to 74 rushing yards.

The Seminoles’ triumph sent shock waves through college football, marking a stunning start to the season.

Furious Alabama fans are venting over head coach Kalen DeBoer’s performance, with some speculating about raising nearly $70 million to cover the buyout of his $87 million contract. Amid this unrest, rumors have swirled about legendary former coach Nick Saban returning to the sidelines or former NFL coach Jon Gruden being considered as a replacement.

“Kalen DeBoer may need to go. Nick Saban probably would be an upgrade. ... Josh Gruden would be a significant upgrade and an incredible story,” Jason Whitlock agrees.

But Alabama’s woes go way deeper than a “coaching problem,” he says.

The Crimson Tide’s biggest issue is something mainstream media would never dare address: Its obsession with LGBTQ+ activism overshadows winning football games.

“The BLM LGBTQIA+ silent P alphabet mafia is ruining sports,” Jason says.

Wide receiver Ryan Williams, the Tide’s best player, he says, is an “alphabet soldier” who’s driving the culture at Alabama.

Not only does Williams regularly don painted fingernails, but he entered the Seminoles’ Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday carrying a stuffed T. rex, which is some kind of “anxiety doll.”

“And you’re wondering why the team is soft,” Jason scoffs.

“When your sexual identity and your desire to show off your feminine side, your womanly side, your alternative lifestyle side becomes the agenda, you got a problem that will affect the entire locker room,” he says.

“The head coach has to walk around on eggshells. He can’t talk the way that he used to talk because the best player might be offended.”

“Feminine energy doesn’t win football games. ... Toxic masculinity and energy — that’s what wins football games,” he says.

As long as Alabama allows its “soft” culture to fester, its football will be subpar, he argues.

To hear more of his commentary, watch the video above.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.