Ryan Day had defeated bluebloods like Texas, Penn State, and Michigan in 2025, and yet, when the Buckeyes entered the Lucas Oil Stadium, IU took a 3-point lead, but the Buckeyes did everything to keep pushing back and even regained the lead with a touchdown. A major moment in that game came in the first quarter itself, when QB Julian Sayin gave away a costly interception. That should have been enough to force the QB back to the drawing board. Yet, Sayin, who had thrown just 5 interceptions before the IU game, had that moment of regret again

Trailing 0-14, OSU needed a dominant drive, but forced with that College Football Playoff (CFP) game pressure, Sayin threw an interception. And this time, Miami Hurricanes’ Keionte Scott returned it 72 yards into the endzone for a touchdown. Then again, in the fourth quarter of the quarterfinals, the Heisman finalist threw an interception, extinguishing any hopes OSU had for a comeback. While the game against Indiana showed that Sayin had the tendency to make mistakes, the costly mistakes against Miami in the all-important game against Miami showed that something needed to change. Now, entering the 2026 season, those two interceptions live like a horror show in Sayin’s mind.

“We didn’t start the way we wanted to, obviously, but we still had an opportunity in the fourth quarter, and I feel like we just didn’t play our best,” Sayin said to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg about the loss against Miami. “We all came to Ohio State to be in big-time matchups and be in games that matter, four-quarter games, two-minute drills. So we’re all really excited about it, and we’ve just been building that this offseason.”

On the surface, Sayin’s 2025 season looks stellar. That 77% completion rate for 3,610 yards was nation-leading in efficiency, and he played effortlessly much of the season. Nevertheless, OSU demands performing in big games, and that’s exactly where the QB lacked. Against both Indiana and Miami, Sayin was sacked 10 times. That’s in contrast to his previous regular-season games, in which he was sacked 6 times in total.

“On balance, he had a good year … for a player going through his first full season as a college starter,” USA Today’s Matt Zemek described Sayin’s season. Yet, the reality of being a younger player, with all its limitations, prevented the Buckeyes from doing more. …The expectations for Julian Sayin in 2026 are — and should be — very large.”

Then there were deep ball issues we saw against teams like Texas, Miami, and Indiana. But it wasn’t just Sayin alone; OSU’s offense scored 14 or fewer points in those high-profile games, and Sayin had trouble landing deep passes when defenses disguised coverages. And all of it happened when OSU’s defense was world-class throughout the season, even in games like Indiana and Miami. But this year, the offense gets a total overhaul.

Arthur Smith is changing Sayin’s plays and making him an efficient QB

Ohio State has brought in a proven former NFL head coach, Arthur Smith, as the program’s new offensive playcaller. Smith now brings a run-heavy, physical, and play-action-oriented offense that seems to address Day’s 2025 weakness in the run game. Because it didn’t help that OSU was 72nd nationally in rushing offense last year and managed to notch just 154.36 rushing yards per game. With that new scheme, Sayin also must adjust to the new OC’s philosophy.

“It’s what you want; it should bring out the best in you once you understand what it takes,” Arthur Smith said. “Preparing guys who want to play in the NFL, the margins are small. Those games, you see it every time you watch that NFL Red Zone, you watch highlights from the NFL, the majority of those games come down to the last couple of minutes. The margins are small. That’s why we put all this work in now.”

Ever since Smith arrived in Columbus this year, Sayin has worked closely with the new OC to become compatible with his philosophy. The QB delivered consistent performances in spring practices, and in May, he said he had fully caught up with the new playbook and everything Smith asked him to learn. Not just that, to become a capable ground threat, the QB1 has also put in extra hours getting stronger and faster under the strength staff. All of it should surely benefit Sayin as he returns this year to finally seal that Heisman trophy.