Ohio State sits in the most enviable position any program could ask for heading into Saturday’s Big Ten Championship game against Indiana. They’ve got not one, but two legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates in quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. But when head coach Ryan Day was asked to pick between his two stars for Ohio State’s top Heisman candidate, he refused to play along with the binary choice. And his answer revealed just how absurdly stacked this Buckeyes roster really is.​

“I’d vote for ’em both, so don’t get me in trouble,” Day said with a laugh during his media availability. “I’d put Carnell right there, too. And Caleb Downs would be right in there. These guys are really good football players — Arvell Reese? I could go on and on.” 

It sounds like a diplomatic answer designed to avoid creating locker room drama or slighting anyone on the roster. But the stats and accolades backing up Day’s reluctance to narrow the field suggest he’s not being politically correct. He’s just being honest about the depth of elite talent that makes choosing just one Heisman candidate feel arbitrary. When even Caleb Downs joked, “They could just give it to Ohio State and name two people as Heisman,” you get a sense that the embarrassment of riches in Columbus has become almost comical.​

Julian Sayin has been nothing short of spectacular in his first season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. Through his first 12 starts, Sayin has completed 78.9% of his passes for 3065 yards and 30 touchdowns. Perhaps more impressively, Sayin has thrown 23 touchdowns and just two interceptions against Power Five competition this season and hasn’t turned the ball over through the air since a couple of errant throws in his third career start against Ohio in Week 3. Defensive end Caden Curry summed it up best when asked if Julian Sayin should be the Heisman favorite: “I mean, duh. He’s just such a great player, such a smart player. He knows how to win.”

Jeremiah Smith’s case is equally compelling. This season, he’s averaging 6.5 catches and 85.6 yards per game. But Smith’s Heisman case isn’t built on volume stats alone. It’s the degree of difficulty involved, the way he makes contested catches look routine, and his ability to take over games when Ohio State needs him most. He is always playing decoy and getting covered by two or more defenders, which makes the field open for others.

Then there’s the defensive duo Day mentioned: Caleb Downs and Arvell Reese. Both of whom have legitimate cases to be in the conversation, even if defensive players rarely crack the top five in modern Heisman voting. Downs was widely regarded as the No. 1 defensive player in America entering 2025 and will be a candidate for every major defensive award. 

Meanwhile, Arvell Reese has emerged as Ohio State’s most versatile defensive weapon, leading the team with 61 total tackles (31 solo), 10 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks while playing linebacker, edge rusher, and even dropping into coverage. Day’s mention of Reese was recognition that the senior has been the glue holding together a defense that’s allowed the fewest points in the FBS. 

The truth is, Ohio State doesn’t just have two Heisman candidates. They have at least five players who would be the best on nearly every other roster in the country. And Day’s refusal to pick favorites shows the reality that this team’s historic success comes from a collective excellence that transcends individual awards.​

Cignetti’s Praise Sets Stage for Heisman Showdown

Ryan Day refuses to pick favorites among his own roster’s collection of Heisman-worthy talent. But Indiana’s Curt Cignetti has no trouble identifying exactly what makes the Buckeyes so dangerous heading into the Big 10 Championship game. 

“Ryan Day is a great coach,” Cignetti said during his Big Ten Championship preview speech on November 30. “He’ll be one of the legends of the game someday. They’re dominant really everywhere. A lot of great players. Very explosive on offense. Got the number one-rated defense in America. Special teams are really good.”

Cignetti’s assessment was clinical and unvarnished. He noted how Ohio State “really hasn’t been challenged this year” outside of a Texas game where the Longhorns scored late to make a 14-point deficit look respectable. And how Michigan’s early momentum evaporated the moment the Buckeyes seized control. It’s the mutual respect between two coaches who understand that Saturday’s game is a collision between programs operating at the absolute peak of college football in 2025.​

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What makes this matchup even more compelling is that it’s essentially become a Heisman Trophy referendum disguised as a championship game. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza enters as the betting favorite at +100. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin sits right behind him at +140. And the gap has been closing ever since Sayin’s three-touchdown performance against Michigan. 

This is the rare Heisman race where the leader’s absence reinforces his lead. It means Mendoza doesn’t need to light up the scoreboard on Saturday. He just needs to avoid a meltdown while his body of work speaks for itself. But for Sayin to overtake him, he’ll need defining moments that become the clip of the weekend.