MIAMI — When Indiana rolled past Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl, it wasn’t Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza or dynamic receiver Elijah Sarratt who was named MVP.

Instead, it was center Pat Coogan — one of the five men on the offensive line Mendoza affectionately calls his “Hoggies.” They are responsible for keeping the QB upright and maximizing opportunities for Indiana’s skill players.

It was the first time since 1944 that an offensive lineman — typically overlooked and underappreciated — won MVP at the Granddaddy of Them All, and Mendoza was overjoyed when he heard the news.

With Indiana hoping to make more history in Monday night’s College Football Playoff title game against Miami, Mendoza and his teammates believe the secret to the Hoosiers’ success can be found in the trenches — even though only one player, left tackle Carter Smith, gets much buzz as an NFL prospect.

“I would die for those guys,” Mendoza said Saturday. “Those guys put their bodies on the line to protect myself or the running backs every single play, and it means so much to not only have great skill and talent but also great character. … It’s just such a special connection that we have with each other.”

Mendoza has thrown for 3,349 yards, 41 touchdowns and only six interceptions while completing 73% of his passes. He’s been praised for his accuracy and decision-making, but he says it’s the protection that makes his success possible.

“Without those guys, I wouldn’t be able to do it. With them, I’m able to get through my entire progression,” Mendoza said. “I think that’s why my completion percentage has been so high, because I haven’t really had to throw the ball away much, just because they’ve been efficient up front. Also, I have such great teammates, such great receivers, tight ends, running backs … the offensive line, I just get to be a point guard.”

Roman Hemby, who leads the Hoosiers with 1,060 rushing yards, came to a similar conclusion.

“The offensive line is really great,” Hemby said. “I feel like we wouldn’t be in this position without them, without them protecting Fernando, without them opening up holes to kind of make it easy for myself and Kaelon Black to run. Without them, I don’t think I would have the success that I’m having.”

Indiana (15-0) is seeking the program’s first national title, having dominated its two CFP opponents by a combined score of 94-25. Meanwhile, Miami (13-2) squeaked into the playoff and knocked off Texas A&M, defending champ Ohio State and Mississippi en route to the championship game — and the Hurricanes can thank a standout defense for their improbable run.

Miami has an FBS-high 47 sacks, two more than Indiana. Ahkeem Mesidor leads the team with 15 1/2 tackles for loss, 10 1/2 sacks and four forced fumbles. Rueben Bain Jr. has 13 tackles for loss, 8 1/2 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.

Coogan acknowledged the challenge ahead.

“It’s an elite front. Across the board, their front four is just extremely explosive,” Coogan said. “Certainly, you know, just the caliber of players on the outside and the inside — just across the board, just extremely violent, twitchy, explosive, long, great with their hands, great at working an edge.”

For Indiana, finishing its season with a championship will mean doing what it’s done all year, even against traditional powers like Alabama: winning the battle in the trenches.

“It all starts up front with those guys,” offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan said, “and we’re going to need them to have a big game for us on Monday night.”

Chris McKeon, the athletic director at Columbus High School (Florida) — home of the Explorers — understands the magnitude of having seven people representing the school when Miami and Indiana square off in the CFP National Championship game Monday.

What he didn’t anticipate was that those connections would prompt others to assume game tickets would magically appear on his desk.

“Oh man, they’re coming from everywhere thinking I have ’em,” McKeon said. “I’ve got no better chance at getting a ticket to that game than anyone else. We’re just proud to be so well represented on such a big stage.”

The school is 5 miles from the University of Miami and 20 miles from Hard Rock Stadium.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is among the five players who once patrolled the gridiron for the Explorers, in addition to Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and Miami assistant head coach Alex Mirabal.

All five players won a state title at Columbus, including the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and his brother, Hoosiers backup quarterback Alberto Mendoza. Miami rounds out the quintet of ex-Explorers with defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald, offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez and backup quarterback Vinny Gonzalez.

Further strengthening the Explorers’ CFP title game connection, Cristobal and Mendoza’s father, Fernando Sr., were teammates at Columbus.

The web of south Florida connections doesn’t stop there.

Another Miami-area program is also tied to the CFP title game. Miami quarterback Carson Beck’s high school team, the Mandarin Mustangs, defeated Columbus in the 2018 Florida 8A state championship game — a matchup that included Mario Cristobal’s nephew Luis Cristobal Jr. on the field for the Explorers.

One year later, the Explorers reclaimed the title, winning the state championship with Indiana’s current quarterback on the roster.

Advertisement

“It’s pretty cool to have that many ties to the national title game,” Columbus football coach Dave Dunn said. “I coached all five of our players in the game. Coach Cristobal’s sons are on our team. I worked with Coach Mirabal at Columbus and Marshall, and I had three of his nephews play for me. It’s like a family. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

Dunn is not just saying that because he managed to score a ticket to the game. He has already committed to walking into Hard Rock Stadium decked out in Columbus gear.

“I was lucky enough through connections to get a ticket, so it’ll be a fun experience,” Dunn said. “Of course, that just makes more people ask for tickets, but we’re having a watch party, so that helps.”

Fans will be able to watch the Canes and the Hoosiers on the Explorers’ scoreboard at the football field with no concern about a potential late-night finish because Columbus will close for students in observance of the big game.

“They can stay up late and enjoy the game and not have to worry about coming to school the next day,” McKeon said. “The president and the principal thought it would be a nice thing to do for everybody because of our involvement.”

On the flip side, it’s because of Columbus’ involvement that McKeon and Dunn can’t — for the life of them — choose a side.

Advertisement

Dunn likened it to picking a favorite child, while McKeon said relationships alone “won’t even let me go down that road of rooting for a particular team.”

“Ties are too close, too deep,” McKeon said. “The best part is that at the end of the game, whether it’s the Canes or the Hoosiers, it’ll be the Explorers. This is the one game we here at Columbus can’t lose, and that’s a game we’re all excited about.”

CHICAGO – Bears fans are gearing up for this weekend’s NFC divisional playoff matchup with the Rams, but the battle off the field is intensifying.

Indiana lawmakers have entered the race to build a new stadium for the Bears across state lines. They unveiled their proposal Thursday night, and by Friday, officials in Arlington Heights were feeling the pressure.

Arlington Heights Mayor James Tinaglia, joined by a coalition of political and labor leaders, urged Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois lawmakers to finalize a deal or risk losing the Bears to Indiana.

What we know:

Tinaglia said the village supports allowing the Bears to negotiate property tax rates with Arlington Heights, a move that would require state approval.

Without such an agreement, he said, the Bears could face annual property tax bills totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and state Senate leaders on Thursday night unveiled their plan to lure the Bears out of Illinois. The team called the proposal a “significant development.”

The plan would create a new northwest Indiana stadium commission. That public body would own and finance the stadium and assume the construction risk, while the Bears would retain most of the revenue.

Under the proposal, the Bears would pay rent and take full ownership of the stadium once the debt is paid off. At that point, the team would owe no property taxes.

That contrasts with the Bears’ proposal in Arlington Heights, where the team would cover construction costs, own the stadium and pay property taxes.

Pritzker and Chicago-area lawmakers have rejected the Bears’ Arlington Heights plan, calling it an excessive tax break for a billion-dollar franchise. Still, the governor said Illinois remains the better option.

“I believe it’s best for the Bears to stay in the state of Illinois. I’ve always said that I don’t think the fans want the Bears to be anywhere else but the state of Illinois,” said Pritzker. 

Tinaglia warned Illinois could lose thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity if lawmakers fail to act. He said the team’s proposal does not include taxpayer funding for stadium construction.

“The Bears are not, not asking for taxpayer money to build their stadium in Arlington Heights. It’s a big important piece in this puzzle,” said Tinaglia.