Julian Sayin’s rise has been quick enough to change the conversation around Ohio State’s quarterback room, and now the Buckeyes need the growth to keep showing up against real resistance.
After a rocky start that included an uneven outing in the 24-23 loss to Texas, Sayin has started stacking together the kind of performances that move a quarterback up the board. Against Texas, he went 17 of 32 for 278 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but he also left plays on the field that could have helped Ohio State finish the job. That setback dinged his standing nationally, but the response has been strong.
Sayin followed that game with 241 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 59-3 win over Kent State, then took another jump in Week 4 by carving up Illinois for 367 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-19 victory. That stretch was enough for David Cobb of CBS Sports to push Sayin from No. 17 to No. 8 in his college football quarterback power rankings.
Cobb still wants to see more before Sayin breaks back into the top five. The quarterbacks currently ahead of him are Georgia’s Gunner Stockton, Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, and Miami’s Darian Mensah.
The next test comes Saturday against No. 14 Iowa, and this one should tell a lot about where Sayin really stands.
Iowa may not be viewed as elite overall, but its defense has been outstanding. The Hawkeyes have given up just 32 points across four games, posted two shutouts, and rank No. 10 nationally after allowing only 959 yards.
Ohio State will get another major measuring stick on Oct. 17 at No. 6 Indiana, giving Sayin a chance to keep proving himself against strong defenses.
And the schedule does not ease up after that. The Buckeyes’ next five games are against No.
14 Iowa, Maryland, No. 6 Indiana, No.
18 USC, and No. 15 Oregon, a stretch that will ask plenty of a team that already has one loss before conference play.
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Ohio State Heads To Iowa With Two Starters Suddenly In Doubt
Ohio State heads to Iowa with a little more uncertainty than it likely wanted this week, as two starters showed up on the availability report as questionable. Jay Timmons is working back from a hamstring injury, while Phillip Daniels remains sidelined after an earlier injury, leaving the Buckeyes with some real late-week questions as they prepare for a tough road test.
There is at least one encouraging note for the defense, though, with defensive end Zion Grady cleared to return after missing two games. Iowa, meanwhile, will be short a starter of its own, with safety Tyler Brown ruled out as he continues to recover, so both teams are heading into the matchup with some moving parts still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Just Forced An Ohio State Greatness Debate
Jeremiah Smiths record-setting afternoon against Illinois gave Ohio State something bigger than a win to talk about. The freshman hauled in 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns, a line that immediately pushed his name into a conversation that Buckeye fans know is never casual: where he already stacks up among the great wideouts to wear the scarlet and gray.
Jeremiah Smiths physical tools and production have drawn praise from analysts and former players alike, and the early rsum is starting to look the part of a legacy candidate. The debate now carries into the next stretch of the schedule, where more big games will help determine whether this was a dazzling milestone or the start of a case for the top spot in Ohio State receiver history. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces One Big Roster Question Entering Dieblers Third Season
Ohio States annual media day offered the first real look at Jake Diebler entering his third season, and the Buckeyes came away sounding encouraged about what this roster can become. With six returning players and nine newcomers, the mix is still coming together, but Diebler pointed to the teams size, depth and a non-conference schedule that should give the group an early measuring stick after a week of practice.
What remains unsettled is how quickly all of those pieces will fit, especially with exhibition games on the horizon and the regular season set to start Nov. 2. The Buckeyes have plenty of new faces to sort through and enough talent to make the early weeks interesting, but the next stretch will reveal whether the rosters promise can translate into something more defined once the games begin to matter. [Read more 🡒]