Over the past 15 years, quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy all but three times. And with the award scheduled to be handed out in less than 10 days, odds are it will be given to a signal caller this year. Yet despite the conclusion of the regular season in college football, there is still an air of uncertainty as to who will hold up the Heisman this year. With a deadline of December 8 for casting a vote, it is likely the Big 10 title game will decide the outcome of this contest. Here are our odds as we move towards the weekend of conference title games.

Julian Sayin/QB/Ohio State

Though no first-year player has won the Heisman Trophy, a pair of quarterbacks, Jameis Winston and Johnny Manziel, won the award as redshirt freshmen. There’s a good chance Sayin joins that group to make it three after this year. Stepping into the starting lineup for the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, Sayin has been flawless and dominated top competition.

Sayin beat a tough Texas Longhorns team in Week 1, dominated a talented Penn State defense at the start of November and then beat Michigan in Ann Arbor, something C.J. Stroud and Will Howard were unable to do. His statistics this season include completing an amazing 78.9% of his throws, 3,065 yards passing and 30 TDs to just five INTs. Despite this being his first season starting on the college level, Sayin looks like a poised veteran who has led the Buckeyes for a decade. He’s my favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Fernando Mendoza/QB/Indiana

One year ago, the Hoosiers were a surprise participant in the College Football Playoff. Upon the arrival of Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback who transferred from Cal, the program is presently ranked No. 2 in the nation and sits at a perfect 11-0. Mendoza has been flawless this season, doing exactly what Indiana has asked of him. Except for the Michigan State game, his numbers have not been eye-popping, rather they’ve been efficient.

Mendoza took the Hoosiers into Oregon as underdogs and beat the Ducks, an almost-impossible task. Then he engineered an improbable comeback against an upstart Penn State squad on the road, making a miraculous throw with just seconds left to beat the Nittany Lions, a play that went viral for the entire weekend. His numbers are slightly behind Sayin’s, as Mendoza has completed 72% of his passes for 2,758 yards with 32 TDs and five INTs.

In several games, Indiana was blowing out their opponents, oftentimes teams from the Big Ten, and the Hoosiers took the pedal off the metal, which depressed Mendoza’s statistics. The showdown against Ohio State in this week’s Big Ten title game can win the Heisman for the quarterback and cinch a spot as a top-three pick in the NFL Draft. The Buckeyes have a next-level defense with NFL players and professional coaching. Mendoza has never faced anything like this before, and it’s the biggest on-field challenge of his college career. There’s a lot riding on the outcome.

Jeremiyah Love/RB/Notre Dame

Love jumped on the national scene a year ago, displaying a penchant for breaking long runs from the line of scrimmage and a nose for the end zone. But the running back was a piece of the offensive puzzle that primarily revolved around signal caller Riley Leonard in 2024. This year, Love was asked to shoulder more of the load with a freshman starting at quarterback, and he’s answered the call.

Love has had runs of 45 yards or more in half the games played by the Irish this season and scored 18 rushing touchdowns. Yet for all his dynamic ability, the fact he’s rushed for just 1,372 yards and was unable to break the 1,500-yard mark will make it difficult for Love to win the Heisman.

Diego Pavia/QB/Vanderbilt

Everybody loves an underdog, and most of the nation has been rooting for Vanderbilt and Pavia, the quarterback who made headlines even before the season began. With his eligibility in 2025 in question, Pavia sued the NCAA and was granted an injunction last December after a judge ruled his playing time at New Mexico Military Academy, a junior college, did not count against his eligibility.

Pavia made the ruling count, leading Vanderbilt to a 10-2 record and amassing more than 4,000 combined yards and 17 touchdowns along the way. He’s a dynamic playmaker who is a lot of fun to watch, yet he’s part of a team that won’t play for a conference title or participate in the College Football Playoffs. I expect Pavia to be invited to the ceremony in New York city and receive votes, yet there’s almost no chance he wins the Heisman Trophy.