For a first-time starter, Julian Sayin has been curiously under-discussed relative to the efficiency and composure he’s shown in Ohio State’s 3-0 start. Those starts included a 14-7 win over then-No. 1 Texas and a 37-9 separation against Ohio that displayed command at the line and poise in leverage moments. The stat lines back it up. 13-of-20 with a pivotal deep TD to Carnell Tate to beat Texas, then 347 yards and three scores as the Buckeyes methodically pulled away from Ohio. While veterans like Cade Klubnik command preseason name recognition, Sayin’s on-field impact and win equity are already tracking at a top-tier trajectory for a team that’s sitting at No. 1 and performing like it.

Part of Sayin’s “underrated” sheen is due to the effort it took him to get this job (at least on paper). Ohio State only named him QB1 in mid-August after a real competition, which delayed the usual summer hype cycle that tends to inflate Heisman chatter before any games are played. Contrast that with Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, who was named the starter before Week 1 and had been a national talking point for a long time. The irony is that Sayin’s pathway, winning the job, then immediately beating No. 1 Texas, has been the steeper climb and arguably the stronger data point for early-season value at the position than Underwood’s.

The markets now reflect that Sayin is squarely in the race, even if he sits behind nine quarterbacks in updated Caesars odds. The list goes like Carson Beck (+825), John Mateer (+850), Dante Moore (+1100), Garrett Nussmeier (+1200), Gunner Stockton (+1300), Behren Morton (+1600), Ty Simpson (+1600), Devon Dampier (+1600), Tommy Castellanos (+1600), with Sayin at +1800 alongside Marcel Reed and Joey Aguilar. Being top-10 on the board this early is no small feat for a quarterback with three starts, and history suggests the arc can accelerate quickly as ranked wins and signature moments stack up in October and November. For a player who just out-dueled Arch Manning in his debut as QB1, “behind nine” feels more like an invitation than a verdict. Also, we don’t agree with his being behind Simpson either. But these are just odds. The real skill level is evident on the grass.

There’s also company from Columbus on the Caesars sheet. Jeremiah Smith appears at +1800 as one of the nation’s rare non-QB Heisman threats, a nod to his game-wrecking start and growing role in Ohio State’s vertical identity. Smith’s production is matching the billing. Nine catches for 153 yards and a score against Ohio, plus the downfield shot that separated from Texas. The two-headed narrative (QB-WR) often keeps both candidates in the frame if the wins keep coming. Given preseason evaluations that already placed Smith among the shortest non-QB odds, his inclusion alongside Sayin shows how central the Buckeyes’ pitch-and-catch tandem is to the trophy conversation.

None of this is to say Sayin is a finished product, and Ryan Day has been intentional about tightening decision-making without sacrificing aggression. The hesitation in taking sacks when the play is clearly lost and forcing a pass which could turn into an interception—things like these could take some work. The early tape shows a quarterback who protects the ball, operates on time, and absorbs coaching, a foundation that makes the “rookie mistakes” curve more manageable as the schedule stiffens. For now, Sayin looks exactly like what Ohio State needs him to be. He is efficient, unflappable, and increasingly explosive with Smith as a headliner, a combination that tends to vault Heisman cases as the wins pile up.

Buckeyes shake off slow start, roll behind Sayin-Smith connection

Julian Sayin’s night included two interceptions, one coming on a tipped pass late in the second quarter that set up a field goal and kept the halftime margin at 13-3 despite Ohio State moving the ball consistently inside the Ohio 5 earlier in the half. The sophomore then reset and delivered two haymakers after the break, striking Jeremiah Smith for a 47-yard touchdown in the third quarter and Carnell Tate for a 49-yard dagger early in the fourth to blow the game open. By the end, Sayin finished 25-of-32 for 347 yards with three touchdowns and those two picks, embodying a learn-and-respond arc in a 37-9 win that looked routine only after the offense recalibrated its red-zone approach.

If Sayin’s interceptions were the early plot twists, Jeremiah Smith wrote the closing chapter, tying his career high with nine receptions for 153 yards and a score while also adding a 17-yard rushing touchdown to seal it. Smith set the tone from the jump with four first-quarter catches for 66 yards, including a 42-yard strike that foreshadowed the vertical shots Ohio State would cash in on once the timing clicked. His 47-yard touchdown from Sayin restored separation at 23-9 late in the third, and the end-around score in the fourth turned a tense night into a statement finish for the No. 1 team.

Ryan Day framed the performance as growth under pressure, noting his team “didn’t panic” after Ohio’s 67-yard TD cut the lead to 13-9, a composure reflected in Ohio State scoring on its next four drives to close out a comfortable victory. The juxtaposition is the takeaway: early miscues in the red zone and two interceptions provided teaching tape, while Sayin-to-Smith explosives and drive-finishing balance underscored why this offense’s ceiling remains elite. Through that lens, a 37-9 scoreline reads less like a snooze and more like a reminder that even on imperfect nights, the Buckeyes possess the firepower and poise to turn turbulence into runway and points.