Heisman Watch: Ohio State's Julian Sayin isn't far behind Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson Nick Bromberg October 28, 2025 at 8:26 PM 0 Is Ohio State QB Julian Sayin somehow having a relatively quiet season? Sayin might be the most efficient quarterback in the country through the first nine weeks of t...
- - Heisman Watch: Ohio State's Julian Sayin isn't far behind Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson
Nick Bromberg October 28, 2025 at 8:26 PM
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Is Ohio State QB Julian Sayin somehow having a relatively quiet season?
Sayin might be the most efficient quarterback in the country through the first nine weeks of the season. His stats look straight out of a video game. Sayin is 156-of-195 passing — an 80% completion rate that would easily set an FBS record — for 1,872 yards and 19 TDs with just 3 interceptions. Two of those picks came against Ohio on Sept. 13 and the other came against Grambling.
In four Big Ten games since, Sayin has thrown 124 passes without an interception and tossed 11 touchdowns. Not bad.
Sayin is actually the No. 3 favorite for the Heisman at BetMGM behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Alabama's Ty Simpson at +325 each. Sayin is at +400, and ahead of Texas A&M's Marcel Reed at +550.
Sayin's ceiling is lifting the Heisman Trophy on the second Saturday of December. And barring injury, his floor could be getting to go to New York as a finalist.
Yet how could the stellar starting QB for a No. 1 Ohio State team be flying under the radar? We have a couple theories. Indiana has (rightfully) gotten a lot of attention for the way it's gotten even better after an 11-2 season in 2023 and Mendoza's arrival from Cal has been a central theme.
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin has quietly racked up impressive numbers for the No. 1 Buckeyes. (John Fisher/Getty Images) (John Fisher via Getty Images)
Ohio State's incredible defense has also stolen some of the spotlight. The Buckeyes are allowing fewer than six points a game this season as opponents average just 217 yards a game. Illinois, with its 16 points on Oct. 11, is the only team to score more than nine against Ohio State all season.
Plus, Sayin didn't even start the season as the top Heisman favorite on the Ohio State offense. That was star WR Jeremiah Smith, who has 49 catches for 602 yards and 7 TDs. Smith and Carnell Tate (34 catches for 587 yards and 6 TDs) are the best receiving duo in the country.
Ohio State has also already been off twice so far this season. As most teams throughout college football still have one bye week remaining in their seasons, Ohio State has five games over the next five weeks. And that could play into Sayin's Heisman favor starting against Penn State on Saturday.
The Buckeyes' schedule the rest of the season isn't very tough; after a 3-4 Penn State team, Ohio State plays Purdue, UCLA and Rutgers before Michigan to end the season.
Those are prime opportunities for Sayin to rack up some gaudy numbers as Ohio State looks destined for an 11- or 12-win season before meeting Indiana in the Big Ten title game. And if the Buckeyes and Hoosiers are both undefeated when they meet each other in Indianapolis, the game will also have serious ramifications for the Heisman race too.
Here's who else we're watching in Week 10.
Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia (+800): Pavia's odds went from 11-1 to 8-1 after the team's win over Missouri despite his lackluster numbers. Pavia has continued to be a peripheral figure in the Heisman race thanks to Vanderbilt's 7-1 start and a win over Texas on the road on Saturday will make him a main actor the rest of the season.
Georgia QB Gunner Stockton (15-1): The last time we saw the Bulldogs QB he was 26-of-31 passing for 289 yards and had five total touchdowns against Ole Miss. Stockton has scored nine touchdowns and hasn't thrown an interception in Georgia's three games against ranked opponents so far. Florida is outside the top 25, but the Gators are still an arch-rival and Georgia has games against No. 20 Texas and No. 8 Georgia Tech remaining. Stockton can still play a role in the Heisman race.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love (18-1): It's highly, highly likely that a quarterback is going to win the Heisman. But Love has the best chance of any non-QB to win the award. Love has rushed 124 times for 758 yards and has scored 12 TDs through seven games. He's rushed for at least one TD in each of Notre Dame's last six games and has a real chance to score 20 or more total TDs this season.
Oregon QB Dante Moore (40-1): Moore didn't finish Oregon's win over Wisconsin after taking a shot to the nose in the second half. We're not holding that against him in the slightest, but his stats before leaving the game might have ended his Heisman hopes. Moore was just 9 of 15 for 86 yards as Oregon's offense looked far, far different from the one that was unstoppable against Rutgers the week before.
Source: "AOL Sports"
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