Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin has become most sportsbooks' betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this December. Sayin's odds just surpassed Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza and Alabama Crimson Tide signal-caller Ty Simpson.
CBS Sports' David Cobb pointed out that Mendoza has a problem stemming from IU being so good: his Heisman case is affected by the Hoosiers' dominance, since there aren't as many chances to have big moments in close games.
"Mendoza is second nationally in passing touchdowns with 25, but Indiana is so dominant that it might actually be hurting his Heisman chances. The Hoosiers have outscored their last two opponents by a margin of 111-16, leaving no room for clutch performances or 'Heisman moments,'" Cobb wrote.
And yet, there was no sign of that in Cobb's analysis of Sayin.
"Sayin's pinpoint precision on deep balls continued in Ohio State's 38-14 win over Penn State last week as he helped the Buckeyes pull away with a pair of 57-yard strikes in the third quarter. Having stud receivers like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate certainly helps. But few others, if any, on this list have the ability to drop the football into a bucket like Sayin," Cobb wrote.
IU has six games of 20-plus-point wins. OSU has five. There have been ample opportunities for both to make a Heisman case.
If anything, Mendoza had the best opportunity to truly stamp his Heisman moment of the two during a 30-20 win against the Oregon Ducks in October. He was good, amassing 215 passing yards, throwing one touchdown, and one interception. Just not standout.
Sayin's dominant consistency; airing it out opportunistically rather than calling his own number on nearly every play. Mendoza mixes a heavy dose of rushing plays into the Hoosiers' offensive attack, and even that was subdued against the Ducks at Autzen. Mendoza got the big win and hung 30 on a tough Oregon defense, but he didn't look like the Heisman winner.
Sayin has built up a season-long resume that could see the cherry placed on top against TTUN in Week 14. The only thing that could hinder him is the "weak" schedule argument, but that probably applies more to IU's schedule, if anything.
There's a reason Sayin doesn't have excuses propping up his Heisman candidacy. Not only does he not need it, he's letting his play speak for itself. Well, and for Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Max Klare, among others.