With just four games left in the regular season, the race for the Heisman trophy is heating up. QB Julian Sayin delivered an outstanding performance against PSU on Saturday, which has helped his Heisman stock. With how Sayin has been playing this season, the odds favor him to win the trophy. But a former Heisman winner believes QB Marcel Reed has an advantage over Sayin.

Julian Sayin is currently leading the Heisman race with +185 odds according to reports. His performance against PSU on Saturday was a big boost to the race. He completed 20 out of 23 throws for 316 yards and scored four TDs. However, Johnny Manziel, who is a 2012 recipient of the Heisman award, thinks competitor Marcel Reed still has a chance to overtake Sayin in the race if he plays his cards right.

Manziel took it to the Nightcap podcast on 1st November to discuss the race, saying, “There is still time to go out and have a game or a play, or a series that sets you apart from the rest.” What he means by that is the fact that Texas A&M has three big games left in its season, allowing Reed a chance to perform well and snatch the lead in the Heisman race. Their schedule is different from what Ohio State faces, with the Michigan Wolverines being the only ‘big’ team in their way.

“Yeah, I’m really looking at Marcel Reed. He does get that moment. If Texas plays the way they did today, you go into the last game of the season. You take care of business in Missouri next week. You go beat Samford, and get Texas day after Thanksgiving on the road.” Manziel said on the podcast.

If Marcel Reed wants to catch Julian Sayin, then he will have to put on an impressive display against Missouri next week. If he does, then it could influence the minds of the voters with recency bias. But his grind does not stop there, as he will have to continue performing against South Carolina, Samford, and the Texas Longhorns.

Marcel Reed has to be perfect to catch Julian Sayin in the Heisman race

Julian Sayin has been the real deal this season. He has been consistently performing well in games, which is why he leads the Heisman race as of now. Not only is he leading the race, but he also has easier games left in the regular season schedule. With Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers, and Michigan left on Ohio State’s path, Johnny Manziel thinks it will be an easy path for Sayin to cement his name in the race.

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I think if Sayin comes in and has a good game in the Michigan game, they go to the championship game, they roll things out, he continues to play the way he is, throwing for a lot of yards, throwing touchdowns, three plus touchdowns every game. If he does that, continues the streak that he’s on, he’s going to be tough to beat,” Manziel asserted on the podcast.

This means Marcel Reed has to play perfectly in the remaining games. While he has an ‘advantage’ of swaying the odds, wins against those teams will not guarantee him a trophy. By the looks of it, it does not look like Julian Sayin is going to slow down on his performance. So, Marcel Reed will have to go toe to toe with Sayin, dropping outstanding performances one after another, be it the regular season or the championship games. The winner will be the one who does not take his foot off the gas pedal.