The Ohio State Buckeyes just snagged a huge win over No. 5 Indiana, the reigning national champions, but man, did it come at a brutal cost. Ryan Day’s squad needed this one, but they took a massive hit with quarterback Julian Sayin getting sidelined, likely for several weeks. This game, which featured two of the country’s supposedly top offenses (Ohio State at 8th, Indiana at 20th), was an absolute grind, producing less than 700 yards combined. “Efficiency” is definitely not the word for it.
Both starting quarterbacks were hovering around 50% completions, way below what you’d expect from guys even considered fringe Heisman candidates. Neither team could run the ball, either, failing to crack a hundred yards rushing or average more than three yards per carry. Indiana’s Charlie Becker was the one bright spot in the passing game, hauling in nine receptions for 165 yards. Meanwhile, our guy, potential Heisman front-runner Jeremiah Smith, had a comparatively unimpressive outing with four receptions for 68 yards and one touchdown. Seriously, this game came down to pure defense and a huge missed opportunity by Indiana late in the fourth.
Defense Wins Ugly Games
This matchup was a turnover feast for the defenses. Julian Sayin threw two interceptions himself, and there were four total fumbles caused, though only two were actually recovered by the opposing team. Both defenses went all out, combining for almost 150 tackles, five sacks (with Indiana grabbing four of those), and 11 passes defensed. It felt like every yard was fought for tooth and nail. Indiana had a real chance to win it late, too. Josh Hoover slung a perfect ball to a wide-open Nick Marsh, who did everything right to score the game-winner, except keeping his feet in bounds. He was good before the catch, but by the time he had possession, both feet landed out of bounds. Ohio State then took over at their own 25-yard line with less than thirty seconds left.
Sayin’s Scary Exit and Ohio State’s QB Quandary
The biggest gut punch came earlier, though, with eight and a half minutes left in the game. Ohio State was up by four, facing a 1st and 10 from Indiana’s 37-yard line. Sayin had done a decent job all game getting the ball out fast to counter Indiana’s pressure. But then, Mario Landino came screaming off the edge, and Sayin just didn’t see him. Landino absolutely folded Sayin on his right side during the throwing motion, laying down a monstrous sack. The hit looked bad, but the replay? It was worse. Sayin’s throwing arm got compacted and bent in a way that was clearly unnatural. Sandwiched between his own body and Landino, the elbow to wrist portion of his arm bent beyond the shoulder. That’s just not how that joint is supposed to work, and Sayin spent a significant amount of time on the turf. He tried to stay in, but Day called a timeout.
Coach Day didn’t sugarcoat it in his postgame press conference. “First on Julian, I don’t have a ton of details, but he’ll probably be out for several weeks,” he said. “We’ll have to come up with a plan there.” Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey finished the game for Ohio State, going 0-of-2 on pass attempts with under a minute left after Indiana’s failed attempt to take the lead. PFF ranks Ohio State’s quarterback room as the No. 2 in the country, featuring Fahey, Tavien St. Clair, and Justyn Martin. Now, Day and his staff are forced to figure out what that “plan” looks like with their starting QB out. This isn’t just a bump in the road; it’s a major curveball that’ll test the depth of that highly-rated QB room for the next several weeks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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