Ohio State QB Julian Sayin Becomes New Heisman Favorite After Performance vs Penn State

The Ohio State Buckeyes continued to look like the best team in the country after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions by a score of 38-14 on Saturday. After what some may consider a slow start, the Buckeyes dominated the second half, outscoring Penn State 21-0 during that time.

Wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate both put up big numbers, with each accumulating at least 120 yards receiving and a touchdown. The running game, which hasn't lived up to the expectations so far this year, also came alive Saturday.

Led by freshman running back Bo Jackson, the offense put up 164 rushing yards, averaging over five yards per carry. Although the entire offense looked great in this game, no one performed better than redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin.

In the game Saturday, Sayin completed 20 of 23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns with a 99.1 QBR and 87% completion percentage. This pushes his season totals to 2,188 yards, 23 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and an 80.7% completion percentage.

If the season were to end today, Sayin would finish as the all-time leader in college football for completion percentage in a season by a whopping three percentage points. The coaching staff was very cautious with Sayin to begin the year, not wanting to ruin the confidence of their young quarterback. But after his recent performances, including Saturday against Penn State, Sayin is starting to get the national attention he has been deserving.

Sayin is now the current favorite to win the Heisman trophy after being in the mix for most of the season. On most sportsbooks, he is sitting around +200 odds, just ahead of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Head coach Ryan Day had strong praise for the young quarterback during his post-game press conference. "We have to see what the season holds for us and the progress that's made, and then we go from there," Day said. "I do think that if Julian continues to play the way he's been playing, he deserves to be in the (Heisman) conversation at the very least."

Ohio State has four more games in the regular season. Their next three games against Purdue, UCLA, and Rutgers provide Julian Sayin with an ample opportunity to put up numbers and bolster his Heisman odds. Then comes the game against Michigan.

If Sayin can lead Ohio State to its first victory against the team up north for the first time since 2019, his national spotlight will grow even bigger. As it currently stands, Ohio State will match up against Fernando Mendoza and Indiana in the Big 10 championship game. The outcome of that potential matchup could be the deciding factor in who takes home college football's most prestigious individual award.