- Julian Sayin remains PFF’s Heisman pick: The Ohio State quarterback remains our Heisman pick going into conference title weekend.
- Fernando Mendoza is third: The Indiana quarterback has a chance to win the Heisman this week against Ohio State.
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Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
We have finally made it to conference championship weekend. Despite there only being one week left before Heisman voters must submit their ballots, there still appears to be a wide-open race for the most coveted individual award in college football.
Here are my current Heisman rankings going into conference championship weekend. Current betting odds to win the award are via DraftKings Sportsbook.
1. QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State (+200)
Sayin remains our Heisman pick following a stellar performance against archrival Michigan, in which he posted an 82.0 PFF grade with three touchdown passes and an 83.3% adjusted completion rate. His 93.4 grade on the season is the highest among all quarterbacks and barely trails Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez’s 93.5 grade for the best among all players, regardless of position. The redshirt freshman’s 78.9% completion rate would also be the all-time record if it stands.
Despite being third in odds right now, Sayin could win the Heisman Trophy this weekend as top-ranked Ohio State takes on No. 2 Indiana in the biggest game of the year for the Big Ten Championship.
2. QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (+180)
One can argue that no player in college football is more important to his team than Diego Pavia. He led Vanderbilt to a 10-2 record, the Commodores’ first 10-win season in program history. Pavia’s 92.0 PFF grade trails only Sayin among FBS quarterbacks, while his 907 rushing yards are third among Power Four quarterbacks.
While Pavia places second on this list, he likely will only be a finalist for the award, as it appears to be a two-horse race between Sayin and the next player on this list.
3. QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (+160)
Mendoza remains the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. The California transfer leads the nation with 32 passing touchdowns while his 129.3 passer rating just barely trails Sayin’s 129.9 mark as the best in college football.
Whichever quarterback leads his team to the Big Ten Championship on Saturday night will most likely take home the bronze stiff-arm trophy.
4. LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech (+30000)
Rodriguez is the highest-graded player in college football, posting a 93.5 grade on the season. His 95.2 run-defense grade and 92.9 coverage grade are each the best among all defenders in college football as well. The former walk-on leads the FBS with seven forced fumbles while leading all linebackers with four interceptions. His 58 defensive stops are also tied for the most among Power Four linebackers.
It’s unlikely that Rodriguez makes it to New York for the Heisman ceremony, but he’ll have one final chance to appeal to Heisman voters as fourth-ranked Texas Tech takes on No. 11 BYU for the Big 12 Championship this Saturday.
5. RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame (+4000)
Love entered his junior year as the best running back in college football and has been exactly that this year. He leads all FBS tailbacks with a 92.9 PFF grade while placing fourth in rushing yards and third in rushing touchdowns. Love’s 39 explosive runs are tied for third in America, and he’s also sixth among Power Four backs with 280 receiving yards.
He’ll most likely be the fourth finalist in New York alongside Sayin, Pavia and Mendoza.
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