Fernando Mendoza, Jacob Rodriguez highlight conference championship weekend

Conference titles aren’t the only prizes on the line for Fernando Mendoza, Jacob Rodriguez and other Latinos set to compete on College Football Championship weekend. Heisman-defining glory could be at stake.

College Football Playoff seedings and, perhaps berths, will be on the line. Valuable bowl bids and even an FCS third round is on the line this weekend for Jaxton Santiago and Yale. 

Mendoza, Indiana’s Heisman candidate, headlines the national spotlight this weekend. The star quarterback and his brother Alberto travel to Indianapolis to face the top ranked team in the nation, Ohio State, and freshman defensive back Devin Sanchez at Lucas Oil Stadium. 

Sanchez, a 5-star prospect who has starred on special teams and in limited snaps on defense, is a two-time Our Esquina High School Player of the Year. It’s been 37 years since Indiana has defeated the Buckeyes and 38 years since they’ve beaten them in Columbus. 

Fernando Mendoza is well aware of the challenge that lies ahead for the Hoosiers’ offense as they face a defense that ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten by Football Reference. 

“A lot of quarterbacks have struggled the entire season with them, and there is a reason for that,” Fernando Mendoza told Indiana reporters about Ohio State’s defense. “However, I think this is a great opportunity and challenge for the Indiana offense to play the Indiana brand of ball that we want to play in order to go against a great defense.”

Jacob Rodriguez aims to add title to Heisman resume

The Big 12 Championship features No. 4 Texas Tech against No. 11 BYU at AT&T Stadium. That game is another opportunity for Rodriguez, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, to bolster his Heisman candidacy.

Despite being the first FBS player since 2005 to have at least five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions in the same season, Rodriguez faces an uphill battle for Heisman recognition as a defensive player, a feat achieved only by two players in the award’s history. 

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Another dominant showing in the Big 12 Championship Game could help Rodriguez’s chances of competing with Mendoza and other top candidates up for the Heisman Trophy.

The SEC championship game will include a pair of Latino stars. If he’s healthy, Alabama tight end Josh Cuevas will likely see a lot of Georgia defensive back Joenel Aguero at the Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta.

Cuevas has missed the Crimson Tide’s last two games with a foot injury. The redshirt senior from Los Angeles is listed as questionable for the SEC Championship Game. Aguero, a 5-foot-11 junior from Lynn, Mass., has 39 tackles and one interception over 12 games this season.

The winner will  be crowned SEC champion and likely a first-round bye in the CFP.

Manny Diaz leads Duke to ACC Championship Game

The CFP’s expansion to 12 teams this year has opened the door for programs like Duke and James Madison to potentially compete for a national title.

Head coach Manny Diaz and Duke hope to capitalize on this expansion when they face Virginia in the ACC Championship. Though their chances are slim, a Duke victory would force the CFP selection committee to discuss a possible playoff berth for the Blue Devils. 

Wide receiver Jaylan Sanchez and the No. 25 James Madison Dukes are also set to try to earn a CFP berth against Troy in the Sun Belt Championship. A victory over the Trojans would open serious considerations for the Dukes to secure a spot in the expanded playoffs. 

UNLV and placekicker Ramon Villela will play Boise State in the Mountain West Championship game. Villela has been reliable all year for the Rebels. He has connected on 77.8 percent of his field goal kicks and all of his extra point kicks this season. 

A victory for UNLV would not only be important for bowl positioning but would also deliver the Rebels’ first Mountain West Conference title in program history. After a 104 receiving-yard performance helped secure Yale’s historic first FCS playoff victory, wide receiver Jaxton Santiago will look for a repeat performance in round two. The Bulldogs will meet Montana State on Saturday.