Ohio State has two legitimate Heisman candidates, but their coaches might be holding them back: Stephen Means
MADISON, Wis. — Ohio State has two players who can spend the next six games making a Heisman Trophy case if the coaching staff lets them do so.
But that might require the Buckeyes to adopt a more aggressive approach instead of the methodical pace they’ve played at so far. Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith both have the talent and the cachet needed to win college football’s most prestigious award.
That doesn’t make them exempt from needing to check off the necessary boxes for it. Right now, the two stars just don’t have that.
Smith is the nation’s best player, and he’s done nothing but back that up. He came into a Week 8 game against Wisconsin with 40 catches for 505 yards and 10 touchdowns on 51 targets. Many of those touchdowns haven’t been stat-padding opportunities to keep him in the race, rather than impactful plays. His yardage is great, but he’s also yet to have 100 receiving yards against a Power 4 opponent because OSU hasn’t needed to use him much. He’s also the focal point of every defense in America.
Sayin’s efficiency numbers are rivaled by no one, and when he has been let loose, he’s shown how impactful he can be. That was on display during the first drive against the Badgers when he completed all eight of his passes. Then he punctuated it with a 33-yard touchdown to Carnell Tate, where he showed off his ability to move in the pocket and be an accurate downfield passer.
The only thing holding back Sayin — who was completing 78.4% of his passes for 1,479 yards and 15 touchdowns coming into Saturday — is the weekly game plan that doesn’t always cater to him getting chances to be explosive.
By the end of the first half, he was 23 of 26 for 235 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also on pace to break the Big Ten record for most consecutive games above 70% completion percentage, which is held by Russell Wilson at Wisconsin with five.
Ohio State has actively decided not to be explosive for the first six games, focusing instead on efficiency, even if it has cost its star players a chance to be in the early-season conversation for the Heisman Trophy. But at some point, it has to turn that switch, right?
Maybe the plan was always to slowly build up the offense around Sayin while making sure it didn’t neglect Smith in the process. Then come out after that second bye ready to start turning up the heat so that things were peaking at the right time. It would seem that the approach is going perfectly.
Championships aren’t won in September or October. Neither is the Heisman Trophy.
Those things are won with what you do in November and beyond. If the first half against the Badgers is any indication, the Buckeyes are ready to throw a few names in the race for the latter.
Smith and Sayin came into Saturday with the third and fourth-best odds to win the award. Ahead of them are Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, whose entire campaign might rest on what he does should he meet the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson, who is helping the Crimson Tide bounce back from an early-season loss. Both Buckeyes can easily beat those cases if this coaching staff is ready to help them do so.
It’s been almost 20 years since Troy Smith won the Heisman in 2006. That’s a drought that can end this season, and the only thing standing in the way is how much OSU cares about the style points necessary to win it.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
