MIAMI - It's true that the college football world is still hours away from crowning Indiana or Miami the 2025 national champion, but in this day and age of instant gratification and even quicker results, is it too early to identify what every fan base in America wants to know? Who's next? Who's the next Indiana on the horizon?

They remain in the middle of the swirl, the hype and the pressure, the glory and the expectations, being ranked No. 1 in the nation, being on the cusp of challenging for a national title, being the objects of applause in a lovefest.

Ask Indiana football quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer about the similarities between Fernando and Alberto Mendoza, and he'll rattle off qualities. "They're both very talented," Whitmer said Oct. 23 on the Inside IU Football radio show. "They're both ...