Julian Sayin’s four-touchdown performance against Penn State earned him a few first-place Heisman votes. Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today Network via Imagn Images
Are we headed for a Heisman Trophy duel two days before the ballots are due?
The scenario appears plausible after the results of Week 10. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza remains the clear leader in The Athletic’s Heisman straw poll of writers and editors. But Ohio State QB Julian Sayin, after a big performance Saturday in the Buckeyes’ 38-14 win against Penn State, is gaining ground. …
Julian Sayin’s four-touchdown performance against Penn State earned him a few first-place Heisman votes. Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today Network via Imagn Images
Are we headed for a Heisman Trophy duel two days before the ballots are due?
The scenario appears plausible after the results of Week 10. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza remains the clear leader in The Athletic’s Heisman straw poll of writers and editors. But Ohio State QB Julian Sayin, after a big performance Saturday in the Buckeyes’ 38-14 win against Penn State, is gaining ground.
The final day of voting for the actual trophy is set for Dec. 8. On Dec. 6 in Indianapolis, the Big Ten championship game will be contested. The No. 1 Buckeyes and No. 2 Hoosiers remain on a collision course, with the winning QB possibly in line to take home the Heisman one week later in New York.
| Player | Team | Pos | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Mendoza | Indiana | QB | 15 | 6 | 2 | 59 |
| Julian Sayin | Ohio State | QB | 3 | 9 | 4 | 31 |
| Ty Simpson | Alabama | QB | 3 | 6 | 7 | 28 |
| Haynes King | Georgia Tech | QB | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| Jeremiyah Love | Notre Dame | RB | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| Diego Pavia | Vanderbilt | QB | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| David Bailey | Texas Tech | LB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Marcel Reed | Texas A&M | QB | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Jeremiah Smith | Ohio State | WR | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
That’s how things look, at least, after Saturday. Sayin made a huge move from seventh place a week ago to second place after the redshirt freshman completed 20 of 23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns.
He also showed an ability connect on deep balls and his mobility in the pocket against the Nittany Lions. Ohio State coach Ryan Day, after the win that moved his team to 8-0, said that Sayin belongs in the Heisman conversation.
“It’ll be told when the season’s over,” Day said.
Sayin with a DART to Jeremiah Smith 🎯@ohiostatefb pic.twitter.com/VHTmnbSChn
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 1, 2025
Our pollsters listened. Sayin collected 31 points, with three first-place votes. His 80.7 percent completion rate leads the FBS by more than 8 points.
The Athletic follows the Heisman voting protocol: three points for a first-place vote, two for second place, one for third place.
Mendoza, the Indiana junior, held steady with 59 points and 15 first-place votes. He led IU on Saturday to a 55-10 win at Maryland, throwing for 201 yards on 14-of-21 passing with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for a touchdown.
How likely is a 1-2 clash in the title game between the top contenders? To stay unbeaten, Indiana must win at Penn State on Saturday, followed by home games against Wisconsin and Purdue. Ohio State plays at Purdue and Michigan, with home contests against UCLA and Rutgers in between.
On the rise
If the quarterbacks in contention falter down the stretch of the regular season, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is ready to pounce. He broke a 94-yard in the fourth quarter Saturday at Boston College to provide breathing room for the Irish in a 25-10 win.
Love rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns this week. Through eight games, he has rushed for 894 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per attempt.
Our pollsters placed him a tie for fourth place with Georgia Tech QB Haynes King. Love received one first-place vote. His candidacy would receive a boost if Notre Dame can win out against Navy, Pitt, Syracuse and Stanford.
Jeremiyah Love may be the top non-quarterback Heisman candidate in the country. (Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
Sliding
Diego Pavia’s two-week stay in the top three is over. He dropped from third to sixth after his Vanderbilt team lost 34-31 at Texas. Statistically, Pavia and Texas QB Arch Manning went toe to toe. Manning got the better of the Vandy senior despite Pavia’s 27-for-38 performance for 365 yards and three touchdowns.
Pavia also rushed for 43 yards and one score. He directed three touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, but the rally fell short after a failed onside kick. The defeat damaged Vandy’s Playoff hopes as much as Pavia’s Heisman campaign.
Opportunity awaits
There’s Ty Simpson, waiting in the weeds. The Alabama junior lost three of his six first-place votes from a week ago and dropped one spot to third in the polling after the Crimson Tide enjoyed a bye.
Simpson returns to the spotlight Saturday as No. 4 Alabama hosts LSU in prime time on ABC. Games against Oklahoma and Auburn remain for Simpson to sway voters away from the Big Ten QB hopefuls. Simpson 20-to-1 TD-to-interception ratio is the standard nationally.
Nov 4, 2025
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Mitch Sherman is a staff writer for The Athletic covering Nebraska football. He previously covered college sports for ESPN.com after working 13 years for the Omaha World-Herald. Mitch is an Omaha native and lifelong Nebraskan. Follow Mitch on Twitter @mitchsherman