The 2025 Heisman Trophy race is heating up with just a few weeks left in the college football season. It's typically a quarterback contest, and this year there are a few quality options under consideration. One in particular, however, has the numbers to earn himself a ticket to New York City as a finalist, but has he made enough noise to convince voters to crown him? According to ESPN analyst Pamela Maldonado, Ohio State's Julian Sayin is one of the best QBs in the nation but has seemingly gone under the radar in the Heisman race.
"The gist is that Ohio State winning alone is not enough," she said Friday. "Voters need to feel something and right now he has zero emotional imprint on the season. He's efficient, clean, and technically superior, but where's the drama?"
Where's the drama? Well, typically fans and teams love it when they're winning and there isn't anything to distract from that. Sayin's 2,491 passing yards are 14th in the nation but he leads in QB rating (192.6) and sits fourth in touchdowns (24). Those are mighty impressive numbers.
So, does Sayin really have to do something drastic to boost his candidacy?
What Julian Sayin can do to enhance his Heisman chances
The undefeated Buckeyes have just three games left on their schedule. Two of them (UCLA and Rutgers) are bound to be drama-less contests. And, if we're being honest, any drama where Sayin has to lead Ohio State on a fourth quarter comeback or a game-winning drive against Big Ten basement dwellers would actually hurt his Heisman case.
A quarterback like Sayin who plays for a defending national champion program and is favored to repeat should be dominant and drama free. But, alas, Heisman voters are a fickle bunch. In many cases, it's as much a narrative award as it is a statistical award to honor individual greatness. That's why you hear things like "Heisman moments" mentioned consistently, because they do matter to voters.
Sayin's lone opportunity to utilize drama to his advantage will come Nov. 29 against Michigan at Ann Arbor. We all know how the 2024 edition ended, and this year's sequel could also bring the fireworks. Obviously, beating the Wolverines and actually completing an undefeated regular season for the first time since 2019 would cement Sayin's legacy as one of the greatest Buckeyes in recent memory. With the high national profile of "The Game", as well, it could also be the non-statistical boost that the Ohio State quarterback appears to be lacking at this point.
It wouldn't hurt if he perhaps gets into it a bit with some Wolverines. We're not condoning any fights or unsportsmanlike behavior, but the jawing and trash talk are certainly affordable since he seemingly can back it up on the field. It's not a stretch to imagine seeing a fired-up Sayin toppling Michigan and gloating a bit in his Heisman highlight reel.
Sayin could be part of a true made-for-TV moment in a few weeks in enemy territory. If that's not drama enough for Heisman voters, then what is?