Why Julian Sayin is the top-graded quarterback in the College Football Playoff

The Ohio State Buckeyes are less than a week away from their debut in the 2025 College Football Playoff, entering the bracket as the No. 2 seed.

Heading into their Cotton Bowl matchup against the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes, the Buckeyes have a clear positional advantage when it comes to signal-callers.

According to Pro Football Focus, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin owns the highest grade among quarterbacks in the CFP quarterfinals, grading out at a 92.9. In contrast, Miami quarterback Carson Beck ranks last on the list with a 76.7 PFF rating. These ratings will be tested head-to-head Wednesday, as both passers will face each other’s top-ranked defenses.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is the highest-graded quarterback in the college football playoff quarterfinals according to PFF pic.twitter.com/Go1xJLaaIw
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) December 26, 2025

Sayin’s high grade comes during a season in which the Buckeye quarterback threw for 3,323 yards for 31 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Sayin is praised the most is his elite accuracy, completing over 78 percent of his passes, the highest in the nation.

Interestingly, despite Beck’s low rating, he sits right below Sayin in second place for completion percentage, at 74.3 percent. The senior quarterback has thrown for 3,175 passing yards, tossing 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

This is Beck’s sixth season as a college quarterback. He spent his first five years as a Georgia Bulldog, before entering the transfer portal in January 2025, traveling south to become the Hurricanes’ new quarterback.

Both quarterbacks’ grades will be challenged in the Cotton Bowl, as Miami and Ohio State possess elite defenses in the CFP. The Hurricanes rank in the top five in points per game allowed (13.8) and No. 11 in yards per game allowed (289).

Miami’s defense was on full display during its first-round 10-3 victory over the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies, who, despite gaining 326 yards against the Hurricanes, finished with just one field goal and three turnovers.

Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed threw for 237 yards and two interceptions against Miami, while Beck had a modest 103 yards passing along with one touchdown pass.

For Sayin, facing Miami’s defense will be a challenge similar to what he faced against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game. For Beck, however, the Buckeyes No. 1-ranked defense will be the most difficult test the former Bulldog has faced all year.

Earning the No. 1 spot in multiple statistics, Ohio State’s defense has allowed the least yards (217.5) and points (8.8) in the nation. In addition, the Buckeyes’ pass defense allows the fewest passing yards (133.8) in the nation.

If Beck could only muster 103 yards against the Aggies’ No. 24 ranked defense, his matchup against the Buckeyes could prove significantly more difficult.

Despite Sayin’s PFF rating, he finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. Receiving only eight first-place votes, the Buckeye quarterback was beaten out by Indiana quarterback Fernado Mendoza, who brought home the Hoosiers’ first-ever Heisman Trophy.

Mendoza graded out in third place with a 90.5 rating.