The quarterback is the most important player on a football team.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re the best, but in modern football — both in the NFL and in college — having a great quarterback means you’ve got a chance to win it all in any given season.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have to feel like they have one of those great quarterbacks in Julian Sayin.
The numbers, as well as the accolades Sayin has racked up, would suggest their feelings on the quarterback are spot on as well. This isn’t just wishful thinking.
Last season was his first as the starter in Columbus, and all he did was go out and throw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions.
Overall, it was a pretty good year … just Sayin
He didn’t win the Heisman Trophy, but he was amongst the finalists. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza won that award, and Indiana won the whole dang enchilada, but Sayin was right there in the Heisman race alongside Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
It was a banner year for Sayin and he has a lot to be proud of, considering it was his first season as the starter for the Buckeyes. With that said, Sayin clearly isn’t resting on his laurels as the Buckeyes head into the 2026 season.
He was a part of the team that won the national championship in 2024, but he did not play in that game as he took a redshirt season.
In 2026, Sayin will try to will the Buckeyes back to another championship. That’s his goal, at least. It’s not just about beating Michigan for this squad.
“We want to put another one of these banners up. The standard at Ohio State is to win every game,” he recently said in an interview with On3.
