Julian Sayin Trends Nationwide as Ohio State and Indiana Battle in Big Ten Showdown

Julian Sayin is the most talked-about name in college football on Saturday, and the Ohio State quarterback has earned every bit of the attention in a Big Ten heavyweight at Indiana. With the No. 4 Buckeyes clinging to a 19-15 lead late in the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium, Sayin has been responsible for both the biggest swings against his team and the touchdown throws that put Ohio State in front.

The Ohio State signal-caller entered the afternoon as the top-ranked quarterback in the Big Ten through Week 7, carrying 1,772 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions on 71.2 percent accuracy, good for 295.3 yards per game. He was listed at +3500 on the Heisman Trophy board, seventh overall, in a race where his own receiver, Jeremiah Smith, is the frontrunner. This was also a rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship Game, when No. 2 Indiana beat then-No. 1 Ohio State 13-10 in Indianapolis, and Sayin threw for 258 yards and a touchdown in that loss.

A Rocky Start for Ohio State’s Quarterback

The Hoosiers made it clear early that they planned to double Smith everywhere on the field, and Sayin tested that coverage more than once. Ohio State opened the scoring with a field goal, a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Buckeyes’ offense was largely bottled up in the opening half. Sayin and Indiana’s Josh Hoover combined to go just 7-for-18 passing in the first quarter.

The costly moment came early in the second quarter, when Sayin tried to force a throw to Smith and Indiana cornerback Jamari Sharpe got a hand on it. The deflection landed in the arms of Amare Ferrell, who returned it to the Buckeyes’ 7-yard line, and Turbo Richard punched it in on the next snap to give the Hoosiers a 7-3 edge. Ohio State coach Ryan Day was visibly frustrated that no pass interference flag came on the play, and he let the officials hear about it. Later, Ferrell came away with a second interception off a Sayin throw intended for Smith, giving the Indiana defender two picks on the day.

Sayin Answers With Touchdown Throws

What has kept this trend from being only about mistakes is how Sayin responded. Just before halftime, he steered Ohio State on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that burned the final five minutes of the half and ended with a two-yard touchdown pass to Bo Jackson on fourth down. That score put the Buckeyes up 10-7 at the break and shifted the momentum for the second half.

Sayin later found Smith on a 38-yard touchdown, extending the Ohio State lead, and the Buckeyes carried a 13-7 advantage into the third quarter before stretching it to 19-7 in the fourth. Indiana answered with eight points of its own to pull within four, turning the closing minutes into a nail-biter. Smith, the nation’s Heisman frontrunner with 48 catches, 916 yards and 11 touchdowns coming into the game, had been held in check for much of the afternoon by the constant double teams, which put added pressure on Sayin to find other targets.

Day laid out his plan for the offense before kickoff, saying the staff needed to get Smith as many touches as possible while knowing Indiana would try to take him away, and that other players would have to step up. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, meanwhile, called Smith a “wow player” in the days leading up to the game.

What It Means for Ohio State and the Big Ten

The stakes could hardly be higher. Ohio State arrived at 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten, and a road win over a top-five opponent would be a major statement for a Buckeyes team that has dropped back-to-back playoff games to end last season. Indiana had not beaten Ohio State in Bloomington since 1988, and the Buckeyes were greeted by some of the loudest boos they have heard in years when they took the field.

For Sayin, a strong finish would cap a week in which he reminded everyone why he is one of the most efficient passers in the country, coming off a four-touchdown, 242-yard day in a 45-16 rout of Maryland on Oct. 10. A win here, even with the interceptions, would also keep his Heisman candidacy alive and quiet some of the questions about how he performs in the biggest games.

Bettors tracking Sayin’s Heisman odds and the rest of the Saturday slate can find the current FanDuel promo code offer before the late kickoffs, and anyone betting from the Hoosier State can see how Indiana sportsbooks are regulated.