Julian Sayin making strong case to be the nation’s top quarterback

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After taking down one of the Big Ten’s top teams on the road, it’s clear the Ohio State signal-caller is playing at a high level and drawing some Heisman buzz.

Julian Sayin happens to be on the No. 1 team in the land, and every week they get the best from the opposition, but the sophomore continues to handle himself like a veteran behind center. Sayin displayed tremendous poise in the victory at Illinois, and didn’t make many mistakes.

After all, he led the Buckeyes on six scoring drives, including four that ended with touchdowns. Sayin also distributed the ball to seven different players. Once the smoke cleared, he completed 19 of his 27 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Ohio State’s offense didn’t commit any turnovers, and Sayin didn’t absorb any sacks. In his mind, the offense executed in a hostile environment, he trusted the game plan, and attacked the holes on the Fighting Illini’s defense.

“It was a great win, we got close as a team on this trip, and I think there’s definitely stuff we want to clean up,” Sayin said. “Every game you have stuff you want to clean up, but I feel like we left a couple of things out there, and the good plays that we did make were awesome to see, so we’re going to keep building on that.”

Although Ohio State (6-0) led 20-0 in the first half, Sayin thought the offense could’ve generated more points. The Buckeyes’ first drive ended with a field goal, which disappointed Sayin because he wanted to score a touchdown in the red zone.

However, he was impressed with the offense down the stretch, especially in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes put together a 14-play, touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, that took nearly eight minutes off the clock. Sayin credits the offensive line’s mental toughness to sustain such a long drive, knowing that’s not easy to do.

“We focus on getting completions, moving the ball up and down the field, and it tires the defense out, so whenever you get down in the red zone like that, you gotta punch it in,” he said. “We can improve in the red zone, and overall I think the guys played hard.”

Sayin’s passing numbers are stellar because of the execution by the offense. The California native currently leads the entire FBS in completion percentage. Not to mention Sayin is second nationally in passing efficiency. His 1,479 passing yards, 15 touchdown tosses, and three interceptions through six games is very impressive.

Having an arsenal of weapons helps too, including All-American wideout Jeremiah Smith, who caught a two-yard touchdown from Sayin in Saturday’s game. Sayin also connected with running back Bo Jackson for a 25-yard touchdown strike. Wide receiver Carnell Tate was targeted seven times like Smith, and tight end Max Klare hauled in four passes against the Fighting Illini.

The scary part about the Buckeyes’ offensive production is that Sayin believes they’re just starting to crack the surface of their potential, and the best is yet to come.

“You want to take what the defense gives you, if there’s certain coverages, and we don’t have it, we’re going to check the ball down and make smart decisions,” the 20-year old said. “We’re never going to lose the game on third down, so if something is not there, we’re not going to force it.”

Sayin will have an opportunity to inflate his passing numbers over the next three games against teams without a winning record, and leaky defenses. As for now, the gunslinger will continue to orchestrate the offense, make others around him better and push his teammates to stay undefeated, which Coach Ryan Day finds encouraging for the Buckeyes moving forward.

“We did what we had to do to win the game, and that’s the bottom line.”