If there’s one team in college football that already looks playoff-bound by Week 8, it’s Ohio State – the bully of the 12-team College Football Playoff era. The No. 1 Buckeyes have steamrolled every opponent through Week 9, holding a perfect 7-0 record. According to Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, the Buckeyes plan to stay undefeated to the natty, and Julian Sayin plays an essential role in their progress.

On October 28, Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs and his big bro Josh Downs (Colts) hopped onto their namesake podcast and gave Julian Sayin his Heisman props: “Let’s welcome J-Cool. That dude, Julian Sayin, is the leader for Caleb & Dallas’ Heisman.” Not going to lie; it’s looking like a wide-open road for Julian Sayin in the Heisman race right now. It comes especially after his career-high performance in their shutout win over Wisconsin.

The former Nick Saban-touted recruit is balling out for the Buckeyes as a Year 1 QB, leading the nation in accuracy (80%) while throwing for 1,872 yards and 19 touchdowns with just three picks. With that performance, no wonder Caleb Downs is betting on Julian Sayin to win and take Ohio State to run it back in the natty.

In his mind, Caleb Downs genuinely believes that the Buckeyes will finish the season undefeated while Julian Sayin keeps putting up numbers. He started counting upcoming easy wins: “There shouldn’t really be anything that can stop us. We got Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers.” Ironically, the Buckeyes will probably enter every matchup as double-digit favorites. Josh gave his vote of confidence to Caleb’s take: “Bill, bill, bill. That’s what I hear.”

Plus, their defense is playing like the 2003 Miami Hurricanes – the Buckeyes have allowed just 5.9 points per game on average in their first seven outings. That’s perfect for Julian Sayin to pad his stats for his Heisman case.

If Ryan Day and Brian Hartline trust Julian Sayin to throw the football more like he did against Wisconsin, the former 5-star could easily throw for another 20 touchdowns in their six remaining games. Unlike before, Julian Sayin has more options and weapons to throw at.

More weapons in the arsenal for Julian Sayin to throw

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day understands that his team needs to keep winning; the offense can’t rely too heavily on just two players – star receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. Day wants to ensure the Buckeyes’ offense has more balance and depth moving forward. “I think Carnell and Jeremiah need some of that as the season goes on,” Day said. “It’s a long season and they need that depth. It’s important. The team needs it.”

By saying this, Day meant that younger wide receivers like Quincy Porter, Mylan Graham, and Bryson Rodgers must contribute more so the team isn’t overly dependent on its two top receivers.

Right now, Smith and Tate have carried most of the offensive load. Through seven games, Smith has 602 yards and Tate has 587 yards, while the rest of the receivers combined, including Porter, Graham, Rodgers, Brandon Inniss, and David Adolph, have totaled just 221 yards. That’s a wide gap. Day knows that if Ohio State wants to make a deep postseason run, others must step up. “He and Mylan [Graham] and hopefully we’re gonna get Bryson Rodgers back this week — these guys can help because we need them,” Day stated.

Injuries have also made it clear why depth is so critical. Against Illinois, Jeremiah Smith landed awkwardly on his back and briefly left the game, while Carnell Tate suffered a minor ankle injury versus Wisconsin. Although both players could return, those close calls showed how quickly things can change.

If either of the star receivers misses significant time, the Buckeyes will need their younger players ready to fill in. But the positive news is that some of those younger receivers are starting to make plays. It would make things easier for Julian Sayin. With so many reliable targets emerging, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sayin in the Heisman Trophy conversation by season’s end.