Heisman Watch 2025 Odds for Top Race Candidates Before Championship Games

The best player in college football will be crowned on Saturday, December 13, in New York City with the awarding of the Heisman Trophy.

Before then, two of the top three favorites to win the most coveted individual prize in the game have an opportunity to put an exclamation point in their magnificent seasons.

Who are the current favorites and which two can boost their stock even higher than it already is with their performance in Saturday night's Big 10 Championship game?

Find out with this Heisman Watch, including current odds for all potential candidates.

Current Heisman Odds

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The current Heisman Trophy odds, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, are:

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana ( 170; bet $100, win $270)

Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt ( 180)

Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State ( 190)

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame ( 5000)

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State ( 20000)

Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia ( 30000)

Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama ( 30000)

Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech ( 30000)

Can Fernado Mendoza Separate Himself From The Pack?

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The final test in Mendoza's Heisman campaign comes Saturday, in the biggest game the young quarterback will have played to this point.

The former Cal QB has been nothing short of extraordinary, completing 72 percent of his passes for 2,758 yards, 32 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He has not limited his play to the air, though. The junior signal-caller tallied 243 yards on the ground and an additional six touchdowns for the explosive, 12-0 Indiana Hoosiers squad that enters No. 2 in the country.

The team ahead of them? Their opponents Saturday, the 12-0 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Mendoza will have the eyes of the college football world on him Saturday night, inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis at 8:00 p.m. EST on Fox, with a chance to end any opposition to him securing the top individual honor in the game.

If he can put together a game in which he scores multiple touchdowns against one of the best defensive units in the country, he will leave no doubt among voters who the best player in college football was in 2025.

He will have to avoid costly turnovers, though. Three of his five came in the back-half of the season. How he avoids pressure, too, will ultimately tell the tale of his day. He was sacked nine times in the last four games of the season, including five against Wisconsin on November 15.

Can Julian Sayin Leapfrog His Way to the Front of the Race?

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In short, yes.

The sophomore quarterback has thrown 30 touchdowns to just five interceptions, eclipsed 3,000 yards, and completed 78.9 percent of his passes.

If the Ohio State signal-caller rolls into Saturday's Big 10 Championship game and throws multiple touchdowns, as he did in nine of his 12 games this season, one would be hard-pressed to argue that he should not be the Heisman winner.

Especially if he outplays the current favorite, who will suit up across the field from him.

One of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league, with a knack for showing up big in key moments that matter the most, he has been everything head coach Ryan Day expected him to be.

That he has done it while only being named the starter days before Ohio State's season opener against Texas, makes his accomplishments this season that much more impressive.