Diego Pavia Should Join Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson And Julian Sayin With Heisman Trophy Invitations

The Heisman Trophy ceremony should already have three seats reserved for the event next month in New York City, coming off a wild weekend of college football. Go ahead and send the invites to Julian Sayin, Fernando Mendoza, and Diego Pavia. 

We had an afternoon, as Indiana survived an upset attempt from Penn State, while Vanderbilt kept its playoff hopes alive by defeating Auburn in overtime. As for Ohio State, I wasn’t expecting much of a game from Purdue, though it was entertaining to watch Julian Sayin sling the football. 

But, when we look at the current landscape, along with the betting odds provided by FanDuel, I do find it interesting that Diego Pavia isn’t getting better odds. 

We could argue all day about which players deserve to be invited for the Heisman, and while I cannot disagree with Marcel Reed, Ty Simpson also has top-five odds. Heck Simpson had 199 yards passing against LSU in the first half. 

Baylor AD And CFP Chair Mack Rhoades Investigated For Alleged Sideline Altercation With Player, Coach

I do wonder if there isn’t a more important player to his team than Diego Pavia, besides Fernando Mendoza. And yes, I could make this argument for others, but just roll with me here for a bit. 

Most Important Player To The Team. Diego Pavia Has A Case

Somehow, the Auburn offense came alive in Nashville, almost as if it wasn’t the play calling from Hugh Freeze. Imagine that. Things changed in one week, and the Tigers ended up scoring 38 points in the loss to Vanderbilt. 

But, Diego Pavia is 3-0 against the Tigers. He would’ve been 4-0 against Hugh Freeze if the Auburn administration didn’t force him to walk the plank this past week. 

And, it’s the way Pavia did it, with a total of 489 yards and 4 touchdowns. Yes, we could argue that Mendoza is the most important player to a team, but I could make the same case for Pavia. 

Right now, Vanderbilt has games against Kentucky and Tennessee remaining. And, with what we’ve seen from the 2025 college football season, I would not be one bit surprised if a few losses in front of the Commodores occur that allow Vandy to grab a playoff spot if it was to win out. 

Oh, and the Commodores wouldn’t be in this spot without Diego Pavia. Sure, he might have a game or two where the box score doesn’t define him as a Heisman finalist, but I could probably make the same argument about Fernando Mendoza from Saturday’s performance. 

Lincoln Riley Addresses Rumors He’s Leaving USC

I’m not implying that Pavia should be holding the trophy, we’ve got too much action remaining in the season for any of that talk, and it probably wouldn’t hold much weight. 

But don’t tell me he’s not one of the more impressive players in college football. If you do try to make that argument, all it shows me is that you’re only paying attention to the box score, or some random highlights that you find on social media. 

Hat Tip, Mendoza. That Was A Beautiful Final Drive For Indiana

As for Fernando Mendoza, he might not have lit up the box score on Saturday against Penn State, but his Heisman Trophy invitation moment came on the final drive of the game, connecting with Omar Cooper for the game-winning touchdown. 

Sure, you could look at the stats from the Penn State game and shrug your shoulders at the final stat line. Mendoza finished 19-30 for 218 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in the win. But, it was how he handled himself over the final 1:30 that made up for the lack of yardage leading up to the final score. 

Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman Moment: Indiana QB Leads ‘Drive Of The Year’ To Keep Hoosiers Undefeated

Let’s be honest, all the momentum was geared towards the Penn State sideline, as Nick Singleton gave the Nittany Lions the lead on a touchdown run. But, after taking a sack on the first play of the final drive, Mendoza looked like a man possessed. 

Here’s your proof. So, we can go ahead and reserve a spot for him at the ceremony because Mendoza deserves it. 

Julian Sayin Slinging It, When Buckeyes Step Off The Gas

If Ohio State wanted to, it could probably score 50 points a game. 

Luckily for Ryan Day, he’s got a defense that forces nightmares upon opponents before they even meet on the field. I’ve seen it in person, and it will continue to be a problem for opposing offenses. 

Julian Sayin is having a beautiful year, throwing for 303 yards against Purdue, which was his third-straight game of hitting that mark. He’s also in control of an offense that did not have Carnell Tate on Saturday, while Jeremiah Smith accounted for 137 of those yards. 

Is Jeremiah Smith ALREADY The Greatest Wide Receiver In College History?

Also, Ohio State hasn’t trailed in the second half of a game this season. So, that says a lot about how much the Buckeyes are pressing on offense. 

Through nine games, Sayin has thrown for 2,188 yards, 23 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Guess what? He could have even more if Ryan Day didn’t need to get into offensive shootouts every weekend. Save that for the Big Ten title game against Indiana. 

We’ve certainly got ourselves a Heisman Trophy race, with plenty of competition down the stretch.