Ohio State’s Julian Sayin is Best QB in College Football But ESPN Doesn’t Want You to Know

In a season of standout quarterback play, Ohio State redshirt freshman Julian Sayin has emerged as the most efficient and statistically dominant passer in the nation. Yet, his growing Heisman Trophy campaign appears consistently overshadowed by the perpetual media spotlight fixed on the Southeastern Conference, prompting a familiar debate about a perceived SEC bias at ESPN and in the national college football conversation.

Sayin is putting together a historically accurate season for the top-ranked Buckeyes. Following a masterful 316-yard, four-touchdown performance against Penn State, the young signal-caller leads the country with a staggering 80.7 percent completion rate and boasts a passer efficiency rating that is nearly unmatched in recent college football history. He is only the second player since 1985 to post three games with over 300 yards passing, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and an 80 percent completion rate.

Julian Sayin delivered another scintillating performance Saturday in a 38-14 win over Penn State. The sophomore quarterback completed 20 of 23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns.

With this latest outing, Sayin jumped Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza to become the Heisman favorite (+175), according to ESPN BET.

“If Julian continues to play the way that he’s playing, he deserves to be in the [Heisman] conversation, at the very least,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.

At this point, it’s saying’s Heisman to lose. A win against the Buckeyes’ arch rival Michigan on the road and a likely Big 10 Championship victory against Indiana would secure Ohio State their first Heisman winner since Troy Smith in 2006.

The Southern Spotlight Problem

Despite these unparalleled metrics for the 8-0 Buckeyes, Sayin’s national narrative often seems to take a backseat to SEC quarterbacks whose numbers, while strong, do not match his efficiency. Quarterbacks like Alabama’s Ty Simpson or Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed—both strong Heisman contenders—frequently receive disproportionate airtime, leading to social media frustration among non-SEC fan bases.

This is not to diminish the talent in the SEC, but to question the allocation of attention. The media machine, heavily influenced by ESPN’s deep investment in the SEC Network and its future broadcast rights, seems predisposed to magnifying southern storylines, potentially muting the national impact of a statistical anomaly like Sayin playing in the Big Ten. Even a compliment comes with an asterisk, such as when former Alabama coach Nick Saban jokingly admitted on College GameDay that he was “a dumbass” for playing Sayin on the scout team before the quarterback transferred to Ohio State—an anecdote that drew more national buzz than Sayin’s play itself.

Social Media Reacts: Is Sayin Getting the Credit He Deserves?

The perceived slight against Sayin has turned into a rallying cry on social media, where fans are quick to point out the statistical discrepancies in media coverage:

@BigTenAnalytics: “Julian Sayin’s completion percentage is 80.7%. That’s not normal. If he was putting up those numbers for a team in the SEC West, he’d be on every billboard and in every commercial. The bias is undeniable.”

@Buckeye_Nation: “ESPN spends more time debating which SEC team is the third best than they do talking about the best QB in the country who plays for the undefeated, #1 team. Let the man cook!”

@CFBStatsGeek: “It’s a Heisman debate where the least efficient top contender gets the most coverage. Sayin’s accuracy is historic. Give the man his due.”

For Ohio State fans, the only answer to this perceived bias is to continue winning decisively. While Sayin’s numbers speak volumes, the path to the Heisman often requires a media narrative as explosive as the player’s game. Until then, the college football world will continue to debate whether Sayin is truly the best quarterback in the country, or simply the best quarterback whose greatness the national media has been slow to acknowledge.