A strange new question has been hanging over Julian Sayin this summer, and it has nothing to do with his arm.
According to Josh Pate, anonymous players and coaches have passed along the idea that the Ohio State quarterback does not play with enough heart. Pate said he was relaying what he had heard from multiple people in college football, even while making clear he was not personally accusing Sayin of that himself.
“I wonder against Indiana, or maybe it's a Playoff game, I wonder if there's a leveling up, that's all,” Pate said. “I don't question his heart at all.
That wasn't the message that I was delivering there. What I was doing was echoing sentiment that I 1,000 percent have gotten from several people in college football.
Players and coaches, because they do question his heart. I've heard that enough times to where I wrap it up in a ball, and I'll throw it out there.”
That notion is hard to square with what Sayin just did in his first season as Ohio State’s starter. The former 5-star prospect and lone returning Heisman finalist from last year threw for 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He stepped in after Will Howard had led the Buckeyes to the natty, and while Sayin wasn’t flawless, he was clearly one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
The criticism, at least on the surface, sounds more like a reaction to demeanor than production. Sayin’s calm, positive approach apparently rubbed some people the wrong way, but that’s a strange standard for a quarterback. Being composed when things go sideways is usually a strength, not a flaw.
The timing of all this also makes the chatter feel even more out of place. Ohio State lost the conference title game to Indiana and then fell to Miami in the College Football Playoff, but Sayin was not the reason for either loss. Still, he is the kind of player people will try to pin things on when a team like Ohio State comes up short.
Pate also suggested the noise could end up working in Sayin’s favor. In his view, the quarterback may use the criticism as fuel next season and answer it on the field.
That’s the part Ohio State fans will probably care about most. If Sayin really is hearing this kind of talk, the Buckeyes are betting he turns it into something sharper in 2026.
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