Indiana makes history as its QB wins the Heisman and takes the nation’s worst team in college football history to its first national championship.
Indiana had the most losses in college football history coming into the 2025 season, but going undefeated in 2025 moved them from the bottom.
Currently, the all-time leader in college football losses is Northwestern, which has lost a total of 718 games in 138 years. However, it was very recently that the Wildcats became the all-time losses leader.
For years, Indiana held the mark for all-time college football losses. Coming into the 2025 season, even after going 11-2 in 2024, the Hoosiers’ 715 program losses were the most of any college football team — but then, Cignetti led his team to an undefeated regular season.
Because Indiana didn’t lose a single game in the 2025 regular season, going 13-0, including the Big Ten Championship, that allowed Northwestern to start crawling closer to the all-time losses mark. The Wildcats came into 2025 with 712 all-time losses, three behind Indiana, and proceeded to go 7-6.
When Northwestern lost to USC 38-17 then Indiana beat Penn State 27-24 in early November of the 2025 season, the Wildcats officially surpassed the Hoosiers in all-time losses.
This magical team was led by Heisman trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, who ran away with the Heisman and the national championship. Mendoza guided the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team College Football bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and a national-best 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores during the season.
Whenever he shares, this year’s Heisman winner starts by thanking God first thing. He remarks after winning the Heisman were special. He gave thanks to his teammates and his brothers, his parents, his coach, Indiana University, and many more.
When he thanked his mother, he got choked up. His mother, with a brilliant smile, burst with joy for her son. She was his reason for overcoming all his challenges.
Fernando Mendoza’s speech after winning the Heisman 👏 pic.twitter.com/l2xvqJzKju
— ESPN (@espn) December 14, 2025
Mendoza who grew up in Miami, won the National Championship in Miami last night. After the game he gave the campus priests from Indiana a moment.
Fernando Mendoza shares hugs with the priests from campus ministry who made the trip. pic.twitter.com/2hqpygfdg8
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 20, 2026
He then went and gave his parents a hug. Bending over to hug his mother, his “why”.
What a moment for the Mendoza family
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) January 20, 2026
You see, his Mami taught him about life and fighting for those he loves. She gets around despite having multiple sclerosis using a wheelchair. She was diagnosed about 18 years ago, and her condition worsened when she contracted COVID-19 in 2020. Mami’s trip to the Hard Rock Stadium wasn’t far and was her easiest yet, but it didn’t stopped her from seeing her son win the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Peach Bowl in Atlanta and, of course, the Heisman Trophy in New York.
