College Football QB Power Rankings: Ohio State's Julian Sayin surges

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Julian Sayin's 80.7% completion rate is impressive enough on its own. What makes it remarkable is how he's doing it. Ohio State's redshirt freshman quarterback isn't inflating his numbers with checkdowns and swing passes.

Sure, the Buckeyes' scheme features plenty of short throws. But where Sayin truly separates himself is in his deep-ball accuracy. He's 20 of 27 on passes traveling 20 or more air yards, according to TruMedia -- an absurd figure even by practice standards.

Most quarterbacks would struggle to hit that percentage throwing against air. Sayin is doing it against live defenses with a pass rush in his face. Between his season-long consistency and a standout performance last week against Penn State, Sayin has more than earned his spot atop this week's QB Power Rankings.

These rankings are not a Heisman forecast, draft projection or season-long outlook. They're a real-time evaluation of performance, factoring in competition, pressure and production. With that, here are this week's power rankings of college football's top 50 quarterbacks.

1. Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Sayin's pinpoint precision on deep balls continued in Ohio State's 38-14 win over Penn State last week as he helped the Buckeyes pull away with a pair of 57-yard strikes in the third quarter. Having stud receivers like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate certainly helps. But few others, if any, on this list have the ability to drop the football into a bucket like Sayin. Last week: 4

2. Haynes King, Georgia Tech

King played out of his mind in Georgia Tech's 48-36 loss at NC State, totaling 511 yards and four touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets' defense failed to provide any support. King now leads all players nationally -- not just quarterbacks -- in rushing touchdowns at 14. He doesn't get the national respect he deserves, but Georgia Tech fans and the CBS Sports QB Power Rankings are well aware of how special King is. Last week: 2

3. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Mendoza is second nationally in passing touchdowns with 25, but Indiana is so dominant that it might actually be hurting his Heisman chances. The Hoosiers have outscored their last two opponents by a margin of 111-16, leaving no room for clutch performances or "Heisman moments." Last week: 3

4. Darian Mensah, Duke

Darian Mensah is quietly putting together a prolific season that makes Duke's reported two-year, $8 million deal with the Tulane transfer appear quite wise. His latest mega-performance was a 361-yard, four-touchdown effort in a 46-45 win at Clemson. The Blue Devils are still in the ACC title hunt thanks largely to their star quarterback, who wields an absolute cannon. Last week: 21

5. Ty Simpson, Alabama

Simpson tops the SEC in passer rating as Alabama comes off a bye week and hosts LSU with a highly manageable path to the College Football Playoff ahead. The redshirt junior has thrown 20 touchdowns and just one interception while repeatedly producing huge throws in critical moments of close games. Last week: 5

6. CJ Bailey, NC State

Bailey and the NC State offense were unstoppable in a 48-36 win over previously unbeaten Georgia Tech, as he finished with 340 yards passing and three total touchdowns. It was just the latest big moment in a breakout sophomore season for the rising star QB. NFL scouts are taking notice of this tall and seemingly unflappable QB with a 70.7% completion rate. Last week: 35

7. Mason Heintschel, Pitt

Heintschel is now 5-0 since taking over as Pitt's starting quarterback. The unheralded true freshman's latest victory came on the road against Stanford as he surpassed 300 yards once again and tossed three touchdowns in a relatively drama-free 35-20 victory. He was picked off twice but kept the chains moving all afternoon, even while playing without injured do-it-all star back Desmond Reid. Last week: 1

8. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M

Reed wasn't even one of the four most talked about quarterbacks in the SEC entering the season. Now he is fourth on the Heisman Trophy odds sheet (+650 at FanDuel) as Texas A&M comes off of its bye week at 8-0. The Aggies have surrendered just seven sacks all season, which is the fewest of any team in the SEC. That's due in part to Reed's elusiveness and pocket awareness. Last week: 6

9. Bear Bachmeier, BYU

It was hard to imagine BYU maintaining the 11-2 standard it set last season, especially after an off-field issue led to the departure of star quarterback Jake Retzlaff. But Bachmeier has been so good that the Cougars are one of the last four undefeated Power Four teams left standing. Impressive stuff for a three-star true freshman. Last week: 8

10. Joe Fagnano, UConn

No quarterback has attempted more passes without an interception than Fagnano, who upped his season tally of touchdown passes to 22 with a four-TD showing in UConn's win over UAB. He is the driving force behind the Huskies reaching bowl eligibility for a second straight season and could be the driving force behind an upset of Duke this week. Last week: 22

11. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

Give Pavia credit for willing Vanderbilt back into the game last week, as he finished with a season-high 365 passing yards. It wasn't enough to save the Commodores, but it proved once again that Pavia is built with a rare blend of poise and undying confidence. Thanks to their 24-year-old star, the Commodores are still in the hunt for a spot in the CFP. Last week: 13

12. Dante Moore, Oregon

Moore's Heisman odds have taken a beating recently, which makes this a great time to buy. He is available for +5500 at FanDuel as Oregon heads to play Iowa following a bye week. Better yet, wait until after he plays the Hawkeyes and then strike. Moore has the potential to put up massive numbers in Oregon's final three games against Minnesota, USC and Washington. Last week: 10

13. Alonza Barnett, James Madison

Barnett has totaled 14 touchdowns over James Madison's past three games as the Dukes have seized control of the Sun Belt East. Given that he suffered a torn ACL at the end of last season, Barnett's efficiency as both a passer and runner has been spectacular. He leads the Sun Belt in rushing touchdowns with 10. Last week: 27

14. Luke Altmyer, Illinois

Playing Rutgers is exactly what Altmyer and Illinois needed. After a couple of rough outings against Washington and Ohio State, he returned to form with five total touchdowns. His four passing scores tied a career-high, and Altmyer's 88 rushing yards were the most he's had in a game in over two years. Last week: 34

15. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

Chambliss didn't play particularly well in Ole Miss' 30-14 win against South Carolina, but the Division II transfer has been incredible since taking the starting job in mid-September. The Rebels have three manageable games left that should allow him to regain his rhythm before the playoff. Last week: 7

16. Byrum Brown, South Florida

Buzz around Brown has died down considerably since he guided South Florida to consecutive wins over ranked teams to begin the season. But as November arrives with USF coming off a bye, the dual-threat star is poised for a big month that will get his team right back in the CFP conversation. Last week: 14

17. Gunner Stockton, Georgia

Stockton is far from perfect, but he's growing accustomed to delivering in the clutch. Last week's 24-20 win over Florida was just the latest example as he made a handful of key throws during a go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. UGA will likely need more of them during a closing stretch that includes a trio of potentially trick games. Last week: 11

18. Arch Manning, Texas

Manning's meteoric rise this week is a nod to his steady performance in a desperately needed win over a top-10 Vanderbilt team. It was his second straight 300-plus-yard, three-touchdown passing performance in an SEC victory. It also came after Manning spent the week in concussion protocol. The redshirt sophomore is blossoming at the right time. Last week: unranked

19. Conner Weigman, Houston

Houston's defense was the problem in a stunning loss to West Virginia. While Weigman was intercepted twice, he also totaled five touchdowns while surpassing 300 yards through the air. It has been a great season of reclamation for the Texas A&M transfer. Last week: 16

20. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor

Robertson reclaimed the national lead in touchdown passes at 26 as he threw for three scores in Baylor's easy win over UCF. He also leads the country in passing yards at 2,780. The season has featured ups and downs for both Robertson and the Bears, but there's no denying he is productive. Last week: 37

21. Josh Hoover, TCU
Last week: 19

22. Demond Williams, Washington
Last week: 20

23. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Last week: 23

24. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
Last week: 24

25. Jayden Maiava, USC
Last week: 12

26. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
Last week: 15

27. Behren Morton, Texas Tech
Last week: unranked (injury)

28. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Last week: 9

29. Kevin Jennings
Last week: 41

30. Anthony Colandrea
Last week: 29

31. Chandler Morris
Last week: 36

32. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Last week: 25

33. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Last week: 33