Ohio State’s last Heisman winner was Troy Smith, who won the trophy following the 2006 season, and it will almost certainly remain that way this year.
That 19-year drought has been one of the few blemishes
on an otherwise elite program resume, and it is now stretching into a new era as the 2025 race closes out. The Buckeyes entered the Big Ten title game with a legitimate shot to keep a Heisman campaign alive, but Indiana’s upset in Indianapolis on Dec. 6 changed the landscape.
For now at least, it does not look like Julian Sayin will walk out of New York with the Heisman.
Where the 2025 race leaves Julian Sayin and Ohio State
Julian Sayin has put together an outstanding individual season; One defined by accuracy, efficiency and the sort of steady command that turns voters’ heads. Entering the Big Ten title game he was on pace to challenge completion percentage marks and had compiled elite counting stats while running an Ohio State offense that finished the regular season ranked among the nation’s best.
That body of work is the reason Sayin is still widely considered one of the top QBs in college football.
Still, the timing of Indiana’s victory and the way the national narrative shifted after the conference championship has tilted the Heisman needle elsewhere. Sportsbooks and national outlets reacted quickly as Fernando Mendoza’s Big Ten title performance vaulted him into overwhelming favoritism and pushed other contenders down the board.
Updated odds on Dec. 7 have made it clear that Mendoza is the frontrunner and that Sayin’s path to the trophy is now highly unlikely this season.
The next chapter: why this season helps more than it hurts
Losing the Big Ten title and likely missing out on the Heisman does not end the story for Julian Sayin or for the Buckeyes.
Sayin is returning next year, and so is elite wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who has continued to be an offensive superstar for Ohio State. Smith’s 2025 production has been elite, and his profile only strengthens the narrative that Ohio State will have multiple, clear Heisman-caliber pieces on offense next season.
Having both stars back together gives Ryan Day and the Buckeyes one of the strongest platforms in college football to launch a renewed Heisman push in 2026. Even without winning, a likely runner up finish this year becomes a powerful springboard for Sayin heading into next season.
He gains another year of national familiarity among voters, increased name recognition, and a full season of film showing he can carry an elite program through pressure moments. Voter behavior around the Heisman often rewards narrative continuity. Players who remain in the national conversation from season to season frequently benefit from the compounding recognition.
In that sense, Sayin’s 2025 body of work, even without the trophy, is the opening act for a much stronger candidacy next fall.
Bottom line
The Heisman drought that began after Troy Smith’s 2006 triumph remains alive. The Big Ten title loss on Dec. 6 made a Heisman for Julian Sayin very unlikely this year.
Still, Ohio State should view the near miss as strategic momentum. Sayin’s elite season, combined with the continued rise of Jeremiah Smith and another full offseason of development and visibility, sets the Buckeyes up to be front-of-mind in the 2026 Heisman conversation.
The trophy is still waiting on the Ohio State mantle, and this season could be the fuel that finally ends that drought next fall.
