Beyond the Box Score: Julian Sayin’s growth this season has been incredible to watch

There are, more often than not, three or four plays that decide the outcome of any football game. Saturday in Ann Arbor, Julian Sayin threw for three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 27-9 win over the Wolverines. All three of his touchdowns were momentum-changing plays in crucial situations, with two of them being ones that fans will see on highlight reels for days, weeks, and years to come.

Sayin’s first touchdown came to Jeremiah Smith on 4th and 5 from the Michigan 35-yard line. The Buckeyes trailed 6-3 when Sayin floated a pass down the right sideline to a wide-open Smith, who angled his way into the end zone for a 10-6 Buckeyes’ lead.

Later in the second quarter, Sayin threw over the middle into the end zone, where only Brandon Inniss could catch the ball. Inniss made the diving catch to extend OSU’s lead to 17-9 at halftime.

Then in the third quarter, after a shanked Michigan punt gave the Buckeyes the ball at their own 43-yard line, Sayin unleashed a 50-yard rainbow down the middle of the field to Carnell Tate, who raced into the end zone for a touchdown and the knockout blow to Michigan.

A go-ahead touchdown on 4th and 5, a touchdown on 3rd and 1 to extend the lead, and a 50-yard knockout blow touchdown were Sayin’s three touchdowns. From Game 1 to Game 12, Sayin has become a big-time quarterback and a frontrunner to win the Heisman Trophy.

In the Buckeyes’ season-opener against then-No. 1 Texas, Sayin was 12-of-20 for 120 yards and a touchdown. The Buckeyes didn’t ask him to do too much in that game, other than to manage it and not lose it. What’s interesting about that game, looking back on it, is that the Buckeyes weren’t great at running the ball, and they allowed close to 400 yards of offense to the Longhorns. Still, though, Ohio State’s dominant defense held Texas to just seven points and forced a turnover in a 14-7 win.

Since then, though, Sayin has rapidly ascended into the top tier of college football quarterbacks. He has six 300-yard passing games this season and six games with at least three touchdown passes. Those numbers are indicative of a premier quarterback.

Coming into the season, there was a conversation of Sayin just not making mistakes with the dynamic playmakers the Buckeyes have on offense. But any narrative that Sayin would be carried by Smith and Tate doesn’t have much weight as it could have. Sayin is the reason the Buckeyes are 12-0 and the No. 1 team in the country.

The Buckeyes are winning games because of Sayin. They’re not just winning games with him. Sayin has made big-time throw after big-time throw, and he’s excelled in crucial game situations. Saturday was the most adversity he had faced all season; down 6-0 early in the Big House, already with an interception thrown, not to mention this was his first start in The Game.

Sayin responded as close to perfectly as he possibly could have. It’s not like he wasn’t aggressive with his throws, either, after starting 0-of-2 with an interception. Sayin was airing the ball out to his best playmakers. That’s what you want to see from your Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback.

Give credit, too, to Brian Hartline. He has settled into his first season as offensive coordinator exceptionally well. As Sayin has ascended, so too has Hartline, becoming more aggressive and trusting of his quarterback. Sayin and Hartline are in sync and on the same page right now. Their progression as a quarterback/offensive coordinator duo has been crucial for a team that returned Smith and Tate at wide receiver. Even with a new quarterback and offensive coordinator, Smith and Tate are flourishing. That’s a huge credit to Sayin and Hartline.

The training wheels may have been on Sayin in Week 1. Now, at the end of the regular season, Sayin is fully entrenched as a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. Sayin’s progression from Game 1 to Game 12 is incredibly commendable, and he’s one of many reasons why the Buckeyes can repeat as national champions.