Ohio State Was Supposed To Fall Off, But Julian Sayin Had Other Ideas

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State has truthful wholly dominated this assemblage shot play that nan Buckeyes tin person their yearly tense breakdown against Michigan and it won’t matter. Again.

The reigning champions are undefeated and No. 1 aft blasting Penn State, 38–14—their largest separator of triumph against nan Nittany Lions successful a decade. They person a cakewalk to Ann Arbor, Mich., pinch games betwixt now and Nov. 29 against Purdue (2–6), UCLA (3–5) and Rutgers (4–5). Like past year, ending nan losing streak against nan Wolverines is highly preferable for nan fans’ intelligence health, but it’s not mandatory to support nationalist title aspirations. Losing a 5th consecutive to nan hated rival wouldn’t forestall a playoff berth.

At nan moment, it’s intolerable to spot Michigan beating Ohio State this year. Then again, nan aforesaid was existent past year.

Still: The Buckeyes are a playoff lock successful what should person been a rebuilding season. Instead, they mightiness really beryllium improved complete past season’s 14–2 wagon of a team. It’s an bonzer show of sustained excellence.

Ryan Day mislaid some coordinators and a whopping 14 players to nan NFL draft, including his starting quarterback—and this squad appears to beryllium better. The grounds is amended done 8 games (8–0 vs. 7–1), and nan separator of triumph is higher (29.7 vs. 25.8). They haven’t trailed for a azygous 2nd since Oct. 4, person ne'er trailed by much than six points and person ne'er trailed successful nan 2nd half.

The Buckeyes look bulletproof.

They person nan champion defense successful nan state by a wide margin, ranking No. 1 successful points per crippled (6.9), yards per crippled (214.8) and yards per play (3.8). The upgrade connected that broadside of nan shot allowed nan Ohio State scoreboard operators to mercilessly troll Penn State protect coordinator Jim Knowles—who near nan Buckeyes aft past twelvemonth for a $3 cardinal payday—in nan 2nd half Saturday. They kept cutting betwixt shots of Knowles successful nan coaches’ booth (boooooo) and shots of Matt Patricia connected nan sideline (yaaaaaaay), until moreover Patrica appeared to get a chuckle retired of it.

And Ohio State mightiness person nan champion backmost successful nan country. Julian Sayin had ne'er taken a azygous stressful threat arsenic a assemblage subordinate earlier this season, but he’s playing for illustration 1 of those 24-year-old guys who are still successful nan assemblage game. Sayin was already starring nan federation successful walk ratio coming into Saturday—then he played what mightiness beryllium his champion crippled yet. 

He threw 3 bombs of 40-plus yards connected his measurement to 316 passing yards, 4 touchdowns and nary interceptions—a monolithic ratio standing of 259.8. He still hasn’t thrown an interception since Sept. 13, and has ne'er thrown 1 against a power-conference opponent. He is quick, decisive and very meticulous pinch nan ball.

“I thought immoderate of Julian’s heavy balls were conscionable fantabulous successful this game,” Day said. “We saw really they were playing america successful nan first half, felt for illustration we had a chance to get down them and truthful we called those plays and Julian and nan receivers did a awesome job.”

Sayin does person nan utmost luxury of throwing to Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, who are large enough, accelerated enough, diversion capable and dependable capable to make each play that tin beryllium asked of a wide receiver. They mixed for 11 catches and 247 yards, pinch 3 TD catches—the past of which was a body-control masterpiece by Smith to extremity and reel successful a deflected walk pinch 1 manus astatine nan extremity line.

“Nobody’s amended than us,” Smith said of himself and Tate. Remember, it’s not bragging if you’re telling nan truth.”

But nobody’s been amended than Sayin, either. He’s been truthful bully that nan coach who recruited him retired of precocious schoolhouse to Alabama, Nick Saban, jokingly branded himself a “dumb ass” connected ESPN’s College GameDay connected Saturday greeting for relegating him to nan scout squad arsenic a freshman.

As superb arsenic Sayin was throwing nan shot Saturday, his champion play was a freelance scramble. With nan Buckeyes starring 10–7 successful nan 2nd quarter, they faced a third-and-5 astatine their ain 30-yard line, and Sayin faced a free rusher flying astatine him arsenic he group to throw. He sidestepped that tackler, past dodged a 2nd defender for a nine-yard gain—somehow looking unhurried successful nan process.

“I’d for illustration to show you that we coach that, but we don’t,” Day said pinch a smile. “He has that consciousness and that’s thing that makes a backmost special. He has that trait.”

The only point Day hasn’t done astatine Ohio State is person a subordinate triumph nan Heisman Trophy. That whitethorn alteration this year.

The backmost practice is rich | here since Day joined Urban Meyer’s unit arsenic backmost coach successful 2017: J.T. Barrett, Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud, Kyle McCord, Will Howard. Sayin has been arsenic bully (so far) arsenic immoderate of them. 

“His mind useful arsenic speedy arsenic nan shot comes out,” Day said, past fto himself mention nan Heisman. “I deliberation we person to spot what nan play holds for america and nan advancement that’s made and past we spell from there. Even erstwhile you look astatine nan Heisman Trophy, it is benignant of aft nan season’s complete and there’s still a full bunch of shot to beryllium played afterwards. But I do deliberation that if Julian continues to play nan measurement that he’s playing, he deserves to beryllium successful nan speech astatine nan very least.”

While overmuch of nan federation is decently wowed by Sayin’s instant impact, 1 man saw it coming. Thadd MacNeal, his coach astatine Carlsbad High School successful California, was beaming successful nan backmost of nan room arsenic Sayin talked to nan media aft nan game.

“This is truthful overmuch fun,” says MacNeal, wearing a scarlet No. 10 Sayin jersey. “He’s conscionable a awesome kid and his progression conscionable keeps getting amended and better. It’s thing really surprising. I mean, he’s been nan aforesaid personification I’ve known since 4th grade.”

That person, according to MacNeal, is “pretty intellectual” and possesses an “incredible activity ethic.” He’s put successful nan work, mentally and physically, to create his quarterbacking tools.

“He’s ace crisp intellectually, and past he’s sneaky athletic—you saw a small spot of it today,” MacNeal says. “But past mechanically, he is beautiful perfect. The speedy release, nan precocious release, throwing connected time, anticipation.”

Sayin is beautiful overmuch nan complete package. So is nan remainder of this Ohio State team. The champion squad successful nan state successful 2024 mislaid a lot, and someway has gotten better.

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