When the Heisman Trophy result was announced Saturday night at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, Ohio State QB Julian Sayin finished fourth in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting. It was a respectable placement, but it landed with more frustration than satisfaction. And the voting breakdown explains why that reaction is justified.

The Heisman Trophy posted “the complete 2025 Heisman Trophy balloting results courtesy of @DeloitteUS” on X on December 13. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza won decisively, collecting 2,362 points, 643 first-place votes, and 95.16 percent of the available total. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia followed with 1,435 points and 189 first-place votes, while Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love placed third with 719 points and 46 first-place votes. Julian Sayin finished fourth with 432 points and just eight first-place votes, trailing Mendoza by 1,960 points. The top four finalists accounted for 88.7 percent of the total available points, nearly identical to last year’s 89.7 percent.

Expectations had shifted dramatically late in the season. After Julian Sayin threw three touchdowns against Michigan on Nov. 29, snapping Ohio State’s four-game losing streak in the rivalry, several oddsmakers briefly listed him as a slight Heisman favorite. The narrative stalled one week later after he lost critical ground in what became a de facto Heisman showdown against Fernando Mendoza in the Big Ten Championship Game, where Indiana emerged with a 13-10 win. And that result proved decisive.

Still, fourth place undershot where many expected Julian Sayin to land. It was the highest finish by an Ohio State QB since C.J. Stroud placed third in 2022, yet it did little to ease the sting. Troy Smith’s 2006 win remains the program’s most recent Heisman, and Sayin was positioned as the most credible challenger since. Two other Ohio State players made it to the top ten. Jeremiah Smith finished sixth with 84 points, and safety Caleb Downs placed ninth with 22 points.

Julian Sayin’s individual resume explains why the fourth position felt like a letdown. The 6’1 sophomore led Ohio State to a 12-1 record and a No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff. Through 13 games, he threw for 3,323 yards, 31 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He completed 78.4 percent of his passes, setting an NCAA regular-season record, and posted a 182.15 QBR. He threw at least one touchdown in every game, multiple scores in all but four, and topped 250 passing yards seven times. He finished tied for second nationally in touchdown passes. By any statistical standard, this was an elite season.

Why Julian Sayin’s voting result landed heavier than expected

Fernando Mendoza winning the award was not controversial. The surprise was everything that followed. Many Ohio State fans anticipated Julian Sayin finishing second. Instead, he finished behind both Pavia and Love. While he was never guaranteed the trophy, finishing last among the finalists invited to New York was not the prevailing expectation, and it registered as a statement by voters.

The cases for the top three were strong. Mendoza completed 226 of 316 passes for 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while adding 240 rushing yards and six rushing scores. Pavia delivered one of the most versatile seasons in the country, throwing for 3,192 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 826 yards and nine scores. Love powered Notre Dame’s offense with 1,372 rushing yards, 18 touchdowns, and added value as a receiver. Each profile was distinct, and each benefited from signature wins or moments that aligned cleanly with the Heisman narrative.

For Ohio State, the frustration did not stop with Julian Sayin. Jeremiah Smith previously watched USC’s Makai Lemon win the Biletnikoff Award, a decision that triggered quiet but visible motivation rather than public protest. The Buckeyes now enter the postseason with something to prove. They return to action on December 31 in the Cotton Bowl against either Texas A&M or Miami.

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