Ohio State doesn’t just lead the scoreboard, they lead the brotherhood game too. On Saturday, while the Buckeyes handled Purdue 34-10 to stay undefeated at 9-0, two stars showed why Columbus might be home to the most unselfish duo in college football. When your QB and WR are both in the Heisman race and still rooting for each other, that’s a different kind of dynasty. And that’s exactly what Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith did. 

10TV’s Adam King captured the moment on X on November 8. Jeremiah Smith, asked about his Heisman chances, smiled and said, “‘No that’s Julian Sayin trophy right there, the Heisman goes to Julian Sayin.” Seconds later, Julian Sayin returned the favor saying the Heisman should go to “Jeremiah Smith… He’s a special player.” That’s culture. When players deflect glory like this, it’s a sign of something brewing far deeper than highlight reels.

Julian Sayin, the freshman phenom, looked like a seasoned veteran, completing 27 of 33 passes for 303 yards and a touchdown. His command in the second quarter orchestrating four straight scoring drives turned a close game into a Buckeye clinic. Meanwhile, Jeremiah Smith reminded everyone why he’s the best receiver in the country. Ten catches, 137 yards, and a 35-yard touchdown that cracked Purdue’s defense wide open. That score marked his tenth of the season and tied him with Santonio Holmes for sixth on OSU’s all-time list.

Stats say dominance. Their words say something even rarer – humility at the top of the mountain. And that’s Ohio State’s real edge. For Ryan Day’s crew, it’s not about who shines most, but how bright they can shine together. “I think they have an edge to them. I think that that’s probably the biggest thing,” the HC said post-game. “Business like, they know what they want to get done. They have perspective. They’ve seen it, they know what it’s supposed to look like.” Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith may be passing the Heisman credit around, but outside that locker room, the campaign’s heating up fast.

The Heisman hustle meets Buckeye brotherhood

Ohio State’s sitting at No. 1 for a reason or maybe several. But one of the biggest reasons is the Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith duo, a QB-WR connection that’s rewriting the script of college football chemistry. The Sporting News’ Bill Bender even thinks they could both make the trip to New York. “I think Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith will both end up in New York if this continues,” he said on The Bobby Carpenter Show.

FanDuel’s got Julian Sayin as the Heisman favorite at +150, with Jeremiah Smith sitting fifth at +3000. And in classic OSU fashion, both campaigns went live after that dominant Penn State win. #WeSayinHeisman for the QB and #JJ4Heisman for the wideout. Only in Columbus do you find teammates campaigning for each other in the same race.

Next up, the Buckeyes still have UCLA and Rutgers before they march toward Ann Arbor. A win over Michigan and a trip to the Big Ten title game could cement one of them as the Heisman favorite. But if you ask them, the trophy they care about most isn’t gold. It’s crystal. A national championship repeat. Because in Ohio State’s locker room, glory’s best when it’s shared.