SPORTS UPDATE
Julian Sayin has been near the top of the Heisman Trophy odds sheet all season, but the Ohio State quarterback has lacked a signature performance due to the Buckeyes’ dominance and schedule in the first 11 games.
That changed on Saturday afternoon in the Big House, as Sayin helped the Buckeyes top Michigan 27-9 on the roadsnapping a brutal four-year losing streak against their hated rival with an impressive passing performance. Sayin’s final stat line on Saturday looked much like what he’s done all season — 19 of 26 for 233 yards, three touchdowns and one interception — but given the opponent, recent history in this rivalry and the weather, it was the kind of moment he needed to deliver to have a chance at college football’s highest individual honor.
In his first season as the starter, Sayin has been ruthlessly efficient all season, completing a remarkable 79.4% of his passes coming into Saturday’s game. He has the statistical profile to go toe-to-toe with any QB in the country — 2,832 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions. However, the Heisman Trophy is often about standout moments rather than raw stats, and Sayin was looking for such a moment entering the regular season finale.
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After the defensive struggle against Texas in the opener, Sayin didn’t have another chance for that kind of statement game until Saturday. The Buckeyes’ first drive made it seem like we were headed for another disaster against Michiganas Sayin had his first pass broken up and his second picked off to spot Michigan a quick 6-0 lead.
However, from there, Sayin showed why he’s arguably the best quarterback in the country, carving up the Michigan secondary and finding his ultra-talented receivers for big plays when Ohio State needed it most.
The first of those came on fourth-and-5 with Ohio State down 6-3, when it looked like Ryan Day might fall into some of the same traps of last year and abandon all the talent in his passing attack to try and out-physical the Wolverines. Instead, he put his faith in Sayin and his receivers and was rewarded with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smithwho ran a filthy route to shake free on the outside and position himself for a perfect ball from Sayin.
After adding a second short touchdown pass on a slant to Brandon Innissthe Buckeyes were given a chance to take control in the third quarter after a shanked punt set them up near midfield. Again, they gave Sayin a chance to push it downfield as the snow picked up and he lofted a perfect deep ball to Carnell Tate for a 50-yard touchdown that started to turn the lights out on Michigan’s hopes of another shocking upset.
None of this was new for Sayin, but it came in the kind of spotlight game the Buckeyes haven’t had since the opener against the then-No. 1 Longhorns. Most importantly for Ohio State, it came in a victory over a Michigan team that has been its personal bogeyman even in the midst of dominance over the rest of the country.
Sayin’s performance won’t guarantee him the Heisman, but it was the kind of effort in a big game and a big spot that he needed to keep pace with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza — who has had Heisman moments with game-winning drives against Oregon and Penn State (in otherwise underwhelming passing performances). Mendoza is currently the favorite at +100, with Sayin close behind at +145 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Those two may very well settle the award next Saturday in Indianapolis when they meet in the Big Ten Championship game.
The Buckeyes and Hoosiers will meet as the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. Not only will the Big Ten title and No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff be on the line, but the quarterback that can produce as he has all season against a level up in competition will have an excellent chance to winning college football’s highest individual honor.
Sayin proved on Saturday he’s capable of that kind of performance and stepping up in those key moments, forcing the fans in Ann Arbor to reset all those “it’s been 2,191 days since Ohio State beat Michigan” signs back to zero.
