With Championship Weekend on deck, the Heisman Trophy race is down to two quarterbacks who have done more than just win - they've led their teams to perfection. Ohio State and Indiana, both undefeated, are set to clash in the Big Ten title game, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Not only will the winner likely secure the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, but the quarterback who shines brightest could very well walk away with the most prestigious individual honor in college football.
Let’s start with the matchup that’s been brewing for weeks: Julian Sayin vs. Fernando Mendoza. These two have separated themselves from the pack, not just because of their stats - which, frankly, aren’t eye-popping in a vacuum - but because of what they’ve meant to their teams.
Sayin, the freshman phenom for Ohio State, finally got over the Michigan hump. It wasn’t pretty early - he threw a rough interception that had Buckeye fans holding their breath - but he bounced back in a big way.
Three touchdown passes later, and Ohio State had its biggest rivalry win in years. That performance tightened the Heisman race considerably.
Sayin now sits at +130 odds, just a hair behind Mendoza.
Mendoza, meanwhile, didn’t need to do much in Indiana’s 56-3 dismantling of Purdue - a game that was over before it began. He tossed two touchdowns on just 15 pass attempts, finishing with 117 yards.
Not exactly a stat-padding day, but that’s been the story for Mendoza all season. Indiana’s been so dominant in so many games that he hasn’t had to chase numbers.
Still, he leads the country with 32 touchdown passes and remains the betting favorite at +125.
Neither quarterback is lighting up the stat sheet in terms of yardage - Mendoza ranks 37th nationally with 2,758 passing yards, while Sayin is 18th with 3,065 - but in a season where no one player has completely run away with the award, being the face of an undefeated team has carried serious weight.
And while Mendoza and Sayin are the clear frontrunners, there are a couple of names still hanging around the conversation - though just barely.
Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia continues to be one of the most electric players in the country. He threw two picks against Tennessee, but also ran for 165 yards in a rivalry win.
He’s third in the odds at +333, but with no game left to play, his Heisman hopes are likely capped. Still, he’s made a strong case to be in New York as a finalist.
Then there’s Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. He exited early in a blowout win over Stanford, but not before adding another touchdown.
Love finished the regular season fourth in rushing yards (1,372) and third in rushing TDs (18). He’s sitting at +1400 in the odds - a long shot to win, but a lock to be in the finalist conversation.
As for the rest of the field? It’s thinning fast.
Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed struggled in a loss to Texas, tossing two interceptions. Georgia’s Gunner Stockton barely cracked 70 passing yards against Georgia Tech.
And Haynes King’s Yellow Jackets managed just nine points in a rivalry loss, ending any outside shot he had.
Could someone else crash the party with a jaw-dropping performance in their conference title game? Maybe.
Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith, Alabama QB Ty Simpson, or even Stockton could make some noise. But as it stands, the Heisman is Mendoza vs.
Sayin - and the Big Ten Championship might as well be the final audition.
Two undefeated teams. Two quarterbacks.
One trophy. Saturday night in Indianapolis isn’t just about a conference title - it’s about crowning the face of college football in 2025.