Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin picked up two national honors Monday after his latest big day in the Buckeyes’ 42-19 win over Illinois.
Sayin was named a Manning Award Star of the Week and also landed on the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list after leading Ohio State to its 11th straight victory at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes also stretched their winning streak over Illinois to 10 games and kept the Illibuck Trophy, which they have held since 2008.
Against the Illini on Saturday, Sayin turned in one of the best stat lines of his season: 27 completions on 36 attempts for 367 yards, four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Through Ohio State’s first games this season, he has completed 82 of 116 passes for 1,206 yards and 10 touchdown throws.
The numbers keep stacking up for Sayin in the Ohio State record book. His career completion percentage now sits at 75.1 percent, which makes him the most accurate quarterback in program history and would also stand as an NCAA record among quarterbacks with at least 875 attempts.
He’s also climbing fast in career passing touchdowns. Sayin now has 43, which puts him 10th all-time at Ohio State.
Saturday’s performance also pushed him further up the school’s career passing yards chart. He now has 4,900 yards and sits 14th on the list, closing in on Jim Karsatos, who is 13th with 5,089.
And there was another milestone tucked inside the afternoon: Sayin recorded his eighth career 300-yard passing game, tying him for third in Ohio State history. C.J.
Stroud leads that category with 15, followed by Dwayne Haskins with nine. Sayin is now tied with Joe Germaine and J.T.
Barrett at eight, while Justin Fields had seven.
In Other News...
Ohio State Defense Faces A Road Test Iowa Can Expose
Ohio State heads into a ranked road matchup at Iowa with the kind of test that can sharpen a defense or expose a flaw. The Buckeyes will have to deal with a difficult environment and an Iowa offense that leans on quarterback Hank Brown, a productive backfield and a defense led by linebacker Cam Buffington and safety Zach Lutmer, while the bigger worry for Ohio State is whether it can hold up against the run and stay sound in coverage against tight ends.
The Hawkeyes have enough moving parts to make this more than a routine Big Ten trip, especially at home where the crowd can turn every series into a grind. Ohio States defensive front will be under pressure to set the tone early, because if Iowa can keep the Buckeyes guessing and force them to chase the game, this matchup could become a lot more uncomfortable than the rankings suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Defense Isnt In Trouble But One Concern Isnt Going Away
Ohio States defense has spent enough time under the microscope already this fall, and a former Buckeye who has been watching the unit closely sees a group with real room to grow rather than a unit in panic mode. He pointed to the kind of issues that can show up early in a season, including miscommunications and the absence of veteran star power, while still saying defensive coordinator Matt Patricia remains effective in his job. He also gave credit to Illinois quarterback Katin Houser for making the defense work for it.
The bigger takeaway, though, is that the concerns do not appear to be structural in his view. He expects the Buckeyes defense to keep improving and believes it will be good by the end of the season, even if the ceiling may not be quite elite. For a program used to treating every defensive hiccup as a minor crisis, that is a useful reminder that some early-season problems can be real without being fatal. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Sounds Different As Ohio State Heads Into Kinnick
Ryan Day spent part of the week laying out where Ohio State stands as it heads to Kinnick Stadium, and the conversation touched just about every corner of the roster. He gave updates on player availability, pointed to Julian Sayins continued growth, and said the running backs have made progress as the Buckeyes keep sorting out roles for Jeremiah Smith, Khary Wilder and Kyle Parker. It was the kind of check-in that comes with a road game like this, where the details matter and the margin for error tends to shrink.
Kinnick has a way of making even experienced teams feel uneasy, and Day acknowledged the challenge while framing Ohio States current state as a product of steady development since the season began. He also left open a few questions about how the lineup will look once the Buckeyes get through the week, including one involving Legend Bey and how much he can get done in practice before a decision has to be made. [Read more 🡒]