Ohio State's Julian Sayin's no longer the Heisman Trophy favorite

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin is no longer the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy heading into Week 13.

Nov 15, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) celebrates with fans after the game against the UCLA Bruins at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The college football season is winding down, and with just two weeks left in the regular season, a lot of things will unfold. We’ll see which teams will make the playoffs and who could take home the Heisman Trophy.

Ohio State has positioned itself for a strong chance at making the playoffs with a perfect 10-0 start, largely thanks to its quarterback, Julian Sayin.

Sayin has been one of the best quarterbacks in college football this season and deserves an invitation to the Heisman Trophy Ceremony in mid-December. However, even though he will likely be in attendance, he isn’t the frontrunner to win the award.

As of Monday, FanDuel listed Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy, with the best odds at +100. Following closely behind him is Sayin, who has the second-shortest odds at +200, with Texas A&M's quarterback Marcel Reed third at +550.

One reason oddsmakers favor Mendoza for the award is that he has played one more game than Sayin. Since Indiana hasn’t had its second bye week yet, which is coming this Saturday, he’s played one more game than the majority of the rest of the field.

Sayin will have an opportunity this week against Rutgers to put up more stats and get closer to where Mendoza is.

Mendoza stands out as one of the top statistical quarterbacks, throwing for 2,641 yards and 30 touchdowns while also rushing for 216 yards and five scores over the course of 11 games. In contrast, Sayin has recorded 2,675 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, but he falls short as a runner, with only 20 rushing yards and no touchdowns to his name.

Another thing that is helping Mendoza is that he has taken an Indiana team that is less talented than Ohio State to the best record in college football through the first 11 games of the season.

Although Sayin isn't currently the favorite for the Heisman Trophy, he will have his chance to impress the voters in the next three weeks. Ohio State will face Michigan and potentially play Indiana in the Big Ten Championship. Whichever team comes out on top in the Big Ten could significantly bolster its quarterback's Heisman chances.

The next two to possibly three games will be crucial for Sayin, and the Buckeyes need to defeat Michigan to reach the Big Ten title game if Sayin hopes to have any chance of winning the Heisman.