Ohio State Football: Three takeaways from Michigan State win

2. Will C.J. Stroud now win the Heisman trophy?

C.J. Stroud put on a clinic from the very first series for Ohio State with his 432 passing yards and six passing touchdowns while throwing a ridiculous 32/35 (91.4%).

Stroud was already a slight Heisman favorite going into the weekend over Alabama’s Bryce Young. The Heisman race has been wide open, and it felt like the award would simply go to someone by default. Stroud put on a show and had a Heisman moment vs. Michigan State, proving he is worthy of taking home the award that is given to the country’s best player.

At times, the redshirt freshman QB has been fantastic. Stroud has been in the Heisman race with eye-popping performances and gaudy stats: 3,468 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and the top QBR (90.7) in the nation.

But all Heisman winners need to have one amazing performance that everyone calls their “Heisman moment”. Stroud certainly had that against Michigan State. Nearly all his stats were put up in only one-half of football as he operated this unstoppable offense. Who knows what kind of record-breaking day Stroud would have had within a full game.

Stroud was about as perfect as it gets in this game with many absurd passes. You can’t play much better than what the California native did Saturday afternoon. And this came in a showdown in a top 10 matchup.

Of course, the Heisman talk really started to pick up for Stroud after that kind of game. Still, there was a narrative Stroud should not be the Heisman favorite after Alabama’s Young passed for 559 yards and five touchdowns against a mediocre Arkansas on Saturday.

At this point, Stroud is the clear Heisman favorite. As long as the Buckeyes continue to win and Stroud turns in good performances, this race should be just about wrapped up.