The National Championship is officially upon us, and while Notre Dame didn't make a back-to-back appearance, the Fighting Irish haven't been entirely absent from the lead-up to the game of the year.
Head coach Marcus Freeman was invited to make an appearance on ESPN's College GameDay ahead of the matchup, and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza couldn't help but reach out to a Notre Dame player who had a little experience in this situation.
Mendoza reached out to none other than former Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, who led the Irish to the National Championship game just a year ago.
While the Irish weren't the undefeated No. 1 team in the nation heading into the biggest game of the year, Leonard would undeniably be one of the most relatable people in the world for Mendoza to speak to ahead of kick-off.
Fernando Mendoza finds an ally in Riley Leonard
With just a few hours until kick off, ESPN's cast and crew shared that Mendoza had reached out to Leonard for advice before he and the undefeated No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers took the field against the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes.
Leonard, of course, fell short in the National Championship last season, as the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Fighting Irish at the end of the day. However, the Notre Dame quarterback threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, as well as running for 40 yards and another touchdown in the game.
Per @sportsiren, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza asked former Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard how to deal with the emotions of the national championship game.
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) January 19, 2026
ND lost the natty in Leonard’s last college game, but he was 22/31 for 255 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT. He also ran for 40 yards and a TD. pic.twitter.com/bettshdSoO
Mendoza had a fantastic season leading into the College Football Playoff, and an even better hot streak in the CFP, throwing eight touchdowns and just five incompletions in Indiana's first two postseason games.
However, Mendoza could still only do his best to perform to the same level as Leonard did in the National Championship game. So, advice from the former Irish offensive star couldn't do anything but help as Mendoza faced down the barrel of the gun.
Mendoza and Indiana are scheduled to play the Canes at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 19, in this season's National Championship, which will be broadcast on ESPN.