CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin deserves more Heisman Trophy buzz, but — shhh — you can’t tell anyone.
Seriously. Whisper: Sayin leads the country in completion percentage. He’s the only quarterback who ranks top 10 in completion percentage, touchdown passes and yards per attempt. He plays for the nation’s best team.
... But DraftKings lists him fourth in its Heisman odds (as of Wednesday evening) anyway. On3 Sports ranked him tied for eighth this week. And this is usually where fans cause a fuss.
They sound alarms on social media. They start their own campaigns. Not this time.
Not with this quarterback.
It’s not good for him.
This must sound strange to an Ohio State fan base that, quietly, has waited 18 years since its last Heisman winner (quarterback Troy Smith, 2006). After this year, the Buckeyes would tie the longest Heisman drought in program history — amid OSU’s most talented era, no less.
And fans are supposed to simmer down?
OHIO STATE FOOTBALL HEISMAN WINNERS
Player Year Position Drought ended
Les Horvath 1944 HB/QB 10 years (since award’s inception)
Vic Janowicz 1950 HB/P 5 years
Howard Cassady 1955 HB 4 years
Archie Griffin x2 1974 and 1975 HB 18 years
Eddie George 1995 HB 19 years
Troy Smith 2006 QB 10 years
Secret Sayin 2025? QB 18 years (and counting)
Ask coach Ryan Day, whose offense has stalled Sayin’s momentum by throwing 28.5 passes per game against FBS competition, or as often as Auburn (87th in pass frequency). I know offensive coordinator Brian Hartline calls the plays now, and the Buckeyes have built big leads.
But Day is still wearing a headset, too. The passing opportunities have been there. And the Buckeyes have chosen to throttle down.
Why?
To protect the defense, sure. But I also think Day would prefer fans nitpick his staff for conservative calls instead of picking on Sayin for a pass thrown 4 inches wide.
Yes, it happens. And yes, the scrutiny scars. Day knows this better than anyone. And we don’t need to get into that right now.
But Day doesn’t want his redshirt freshman quarterback, who’s started just six college games, to stare into his spotlight yet, either. Reminder: Back in the spring, before Day named a starter, he described the challenges of playing quarterback in Columbus.
And he wasn’t talking schematics.
“It’s my job to make sure that they understand how hard it is to be the quarterback at Ohio State, the expectations,” Day said. “You are not allowed to lose a game. You’re not allowed to have a bad day, and so it’s really, really hard.”
On the other hand, you get to play with fellow Heisman candidates like wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. And just like Smith distracts opposing safeties, he warps the conversation around OSU’s best award candidate.
As of Wednesday evening, Smith (16-1) ranks fifth on the DraftKings odds list just behind Sayin (15-1). The star receiver ranks fifth among Big Ten pass catchers in receiving yards (505) and tied for second nationally in receiving touchdowns (seven). If Day held a Heisman vote, I have a hunch he’d choose his receiver over his quarterback.
“I don’t think it’s even close that Jeremiah Smith is the best offensive player in college football,” Day said. “If it’s close, I’d like to know who it is.”
Just a hunch.
Then again, history tells us that only one receiver -- former Alabama standout DeVonta Smith -- has won the Heisman this century. Twenty quarterbacks have won during the same span, which, frankly, makes it even weirder that a Buckeye hasn’t won since Smith.
Day has coached three NFL first-round quarterbacks since 2019. Sayin could become the fourth. And he should be getting more Heisman buzz.
But remember, we’re whispering. While we still can.
Once Sayin takes center stage — and like all Buckeye quarterbacks, he will — he’ll realize how loud it can sound in Columbus.
Remember, Steelers quarterback Will Howard won a national championship at OSU last season. The Texans drafted former Buckeye C.J. Stroud second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. And at different points, Buckeye Nation wondered whether either player was Good Enough to lead this program.
“Coming from Ohio State, it’s a pressure element that is pushed on every week,” Stroud said during his rookie NFL season. “Either you can’t lose, (or) if you’re playing a less-than team ... you have to win by 70-plus points.”
Stroud could keep going. A Buckeye passer has never done enough until he wins 12 games — including The Game — then wins his conference, then wins his Playoff games. And while he’s at it, could he win the Heisman Trophy, too?
It’s been too long. It’s a quarterback award. It should be Sayin’s to lose.
Shhhh. It’s too soon.
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