The nation title glory is still evident on this Ohio State team, and their 4-0 record this season proves it. Ryan Day knew what they were signing up for before going into a hostile environment against the Huskies. As it was their first time on the road all season, the team knew it was going to be a test. But since the start of the game, they were turning up the heat, taking a 7-3 lead, and ended the game with a 24-6 final score. With that win, Ohio State showed the entire nation why they are the best team in college football, and their defensive excellence is just adding more to the team’s growing list of feats.

After coming off strong against the Huskies, Ohio State keeps their no. 1 spot in the AP Poll intact, with other teams like Oregon and Miami climbing the rankings. But one major victory that differentiates them from the other 135 FBS teams is their impressive defense. Because holding a team, which was averaging 55 points per game, to just 6 points with zero touchdowns is not an easy task. And their red zone dominance is what is setting them apart, as Cole Cubelic points out this rare feat on X, saying, “Ohio State is the only team in the nation yet to allow a rushing TD.”

That’s exactly why the Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the nation in scoring defense, as they have only allowed 5.5 points per game and are the only team in the country who are yet to allow a rushing touchdown in the red zone. And their opponents have scored points on only 2 of 7 red zone opportunities, both of which are field goals, which is also pretty good in FBS. That’s exactly how they dominated the Huskies’ offense in the game. During the game, the Huskies got the ball close to the Bucks’ end zone, needing just 5 yards for a first down at their 18-yard line.

But just when they started to gain some momentum, Ohio State’s Kenyatta Jackson sacked their QB, which pushed them back. Even on the next play, Ohio State stopped a screen pass for a loss, but the Huskies weren’t backing down. Facing fourth down, they tried a fake field goal, but their receiver wasn’t ready, so the entire move fell completely, giving Ohio State a lead. Their defensive dominance was shown against Texas as well, as they pressured Arch Manning and stopped them four times on fourth down.

The only concern is their penalties. That’s right. So far in the game, the Bucks were avoiding them pretty well with just 4 penalties per game, which even tied them at 9th position in FBS, but against Washington, they messed up real bad. Three of them were against the OL with a false start call on Tegra Tshabola, and two of them were on Phillip Daniels. One major penalty for Daniels came when he got his fingers right in the Huskies’ defenders’ face mask. At the end they got 5 penalties for 60 yards, something that might became a major issue in the future. But despite all the setbacks Ryan Day finally has found his star.

Ryan Day’s QB1 shines against Huskies

It’s pretty evident that Ohio State had a one-sided victory against the Huskies, and their defense made it pretty easy for them. But let’s not forget even the offense was on fire with Julian Sayin’s dynamic performance. While facing a hostile and loud crowd in Husky Stadium, Sayin didn’t lose his calm and was focused on his game. Even The Columbus Dispatch’s Joey Kaufman praised him and said, “The road trip put more on the plate of Sayin, who had made his first three starts behind center at Ohio Stadium,” Kaufman wrote. “Husky Stadium’s sold-out crowd forced the Buckeyes to use a silent count, and communication before the snap was difficult.”

But Julian Sayin knew it was his chance to show how dominant he can be. Even his stats show it. He completed 22 of 28 passes for 208 yards with 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Huskies. His ball accuracy and decision-making didn’t just give them a win but also earned him Ryan Day’s praise. “He does a great job of communicating what he sees on the field. There are times where I see one thing on the field, and I watch the film, and he’s right,” Day said after the game. This leaves no doubt that Ohio State finally got a perfect replacement for Will Howard.

It makes sense too. For a freshman starting his first road game, this was the best he could have done. Sayin looks like the kind of player that could take Ohio State to the championship game again and break their 4-year-long losing streak against Michigan.