Now that the College Football Playoff bracket is in place, it’s time to turn our attention to the Heisman Trophy.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love were all named finalists for the Heisman Trophy on Monday night.
Mendoza is the heavy betting favorite to win the award after he led the Hoosiers to a win over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. It marked the program’s first conference title since 1967. That completed their undefeated 13-0 season and gave them the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Mendoza, who transferred into Indiana from Cal, threw for 2,980 yards with 33 touchdowns and just six interceptions this season.
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If Mendoza pulls it off, he’d be the first player in Indiana history to win the Heisman.
Sayin got Ohio State both past Michigan and to the Big Ten title game while completing better than 78% of his passes this past season, which was the best output in the nation. He threw for 3,323 yards with 31 touchdowns and six interceptions with the Buckeyes, who claimed the No. 2 spot in the College Football Playoff bracket with a 12-1 record.
Pavia had a dominant run with the Commodores, too, though they fell short of a college football bid and will instead take on Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Pavia threw for 3,192 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading the program to its first 10-win season.
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Love was one of the best running backs in the nation this past season. He racked up 1,372 yards with 21 total touchdowns, and averaged 6.9 yards per carry with the 10-2 Fighting Irish. Notre Dame, however, was left out of the College Football Playoff. The school has opted not to play in a bowl game, either, and even called out the ACC for advocating for Miami to get in instead of them.
The Heisman Trophy winner will be announced during a ceremony at 7 p.m. ET Saturday night on ABC. Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter won the award last season, which made him the first non-quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy since 2020.
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Both Mendoza and Sayin will receive first-round byes in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State will take on either No. 7 Texas A&M or No. 10 Miami in the quarterfinals on Dec. 31, and Indiana will go up against either No. 8 Oklahoma or No. 9 Alabama on Jan. 1.
