The Heisman Trophy is college football’s most prestigious individual award, but it’s no secret that the race is often heavily skewed towards quarterbacks. This year is no different, with QBs once again dominating the top of the polls. Now the talk around college football is that Jeremiah Smith got snubbed from Heisman contention, while Julian Sayin is quickly climbing the ladder.

On October 27th, College football media giant On3 released its weekly Heisman update. For week 10, College football’s finest and arguably the best player is nowhere to be seen in the Heisman top 10: The list starts with Ty Simpson at the top. Followed by Fernando Mendoza, Marcel Reed, Diego Pavia, Julian Sayin, Haynes King, Trinidad Chamberliss, Dante Moore, and Brendan Sorsby tied for 8th, and then Gunner Stockton.

The list is debatable for various reasons. Julian Sayin being in the top five is well deserved, but his teammate and star wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith, being left out entirely doesn’t sit right. Once again, it’s the quarterbacks getting all the Heisman attention.

Indeed, Sayin is arguably one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the country, with 1,872 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and an 80% completion rate so far this season. However, a large part of his success comes from having a playmaker like Jeremiah Smith to throw to.

Smith’s production proves he deserves to be in the conversation. As Ohio State’s top receiver, he’s totaled 49 receptions for 602 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s one of only a handful of players who can turn a quick and short pass into a long touchdown or even make a contested catch look easy. The only reason he hasn’t reached 1,000 yards yet is that he gets double-covered on nearly every play. Fans are saying that credit should be given where it’s due. Honestly, Jeremiah Smith deserved a spot on the list, at least somewhere around seventh or eighth. His ability to consistently produce against top-tier opponents makes him a more impactful player than guys like Trinidad Chambliss or Gunner Stockton.

Make no mistake, Chambliss and Stockton are both having great years for their respective teams, but their individual stats don’t quite match Smith’s dominance at his position. Chambliss has 1,864 passing yards and 9 touchdowns, while Stockton’s 1,553 yards and 10 touchdowns aren’t enough to compare. Even Tennessee’s Joel Aguilar deserves the nod over some guys here. The former Sun Belt QB led the SEC in passing yards and already has 18 touchdowns to his name.

If you think Jeremiah Smith’s production has dipped compared to his freshman year, you could be mistaken. Let’s go band for band through his first seven games. As a freshman, he recorded 656 yards and 9 touchdowns on just 37 touches. As a sophomore, he’s sitting at 622 yards and 8 touchdowns on 51 touches (including rushing attempts), all while being the most double-covered receiver in the nation. Even with more touches and defensive attention, Smith continues to prove he’s one of the best players in college football.

The Heisman bias is a tough barrier for non-quarterbacks to overcome, even for a player as talented as Smith. And the way things are going, with 5 more weeks left in the race, Jeremiah Smith needs to average 130-ish yards to hopefully become a Heisman finalist. But first, they need to get through Penn State.

Ohio State vs. Penn State odds

New betting odds from BetMGM have Ohio State as the winners, almost a three-touchdown favorite, against Penn State on Nov. 1. The Buckeyes are coming off a bye week, and they also remain the No. 1 team in the country with a 7-0 record. Matt Patricia’s play-calling is peak 2017, giving up just 5.8 points per game, the fewest in all of college football and the best seven-game average since 1993.

Penn State is also coming from a bye after a tough 25-24 loss to the Hawkeyes. That was their first game with interim head coach Terry Smith, who took over after James Franklin was fired. Ethan Grunkemeyer, from Columbus, started in place of the injured starter Drew Allar.

Coach Terry Smith knows stopping Ohio State’s offense won’t be easy, especially receiver Jeremiah Smith. “This week will be an extreme challenge,” Smith said. “Ohio State has a long history of great receivers. These two are some of the best. Jeremiah Smith is as good as they come. We were hoping he’d have a sophomore slump, but obviously he’s not. He’s big, strong, fast, runs great routes, and competes. We have our hands full.” It’s surprising that a wide receiver so dominant that opposing coaches openly admit they “have their hands full” with him couldn’t even crack the Heisman list.