INDIANAPOLIS – Julian Sayin had been sacked only six times this season before the Big Ten championship, a total that nearly doubled during his first loss as Ohio State’s starting quarterback.
The Buckeyes fell to Indiana 13-10 on Dec. 6, which broke their 16-game undefeated streak, dating back to last season’s College Football Playoff.
Sayin, facing off with fellow Heisman contender Fernando Mendoza, completed 21 for 29 passes for 258 yards, but tacked on only one touchdown and was sacked five times.
“As a quarterback, ultimately you’re judged on how the offense does and scores points,” Sayin said. “So, I’ve got to do a little bit better down there in the red zone.”
The first trip to red zone that ended without points came when Ohio State attempted a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter. Originally called a first down, an official replay determined Sayin’s knee was down before the ball crossed the 4-yard line.
Ohio State had another opportunity in the red zone down three points with 2:56 remaining in the game. On third-and-1, Sayin threw toward Bennett Christian in the end zone, and Rolijah Hardy knocked it away. Running back Bo Jackson was another receiving option and was closer to the play.
“I had a rollout with the running back in the flat, and I thought that the defender was too close, so I moved on,” Sayin said. “The next read, I tried to fit it in down there, and they ended up batting it away.”
Mendoza matched Sayin for number of touchdowns and finished behind the Ohio State quarterback in pass completions (15) and passing yards (222). But it was still Mendoza who likely solidified himself as the Heisman favorite at the end of the night.
Ohio State’s offensive line takes step back vs Indiana in Big Ten championship
Ohio State’s offensive line had what coach Ryan Day called a “tremendous effort” in a 27-9 victory over Michigan.
Just a week later, it was a different story against Indiana, which ranked third in the nation in rushing defense going into the championship.
“They brought different pressures and twists,” Day said. “That was something that they had done all season. They’re very good at it. We didn’t handle it very well at all. There were times we did, but we weren’t consistent enough.”
Offensive lineman Austin Sierveld acknowledged that Indiana’s defensive line had more movement than Michigan’s, but also felt OSU fell short of what it needed to do up front.
Jackson had just 86 rushing yards on 17 touches. Against Michigan, he finished with a career-high 117 yards.
“We feel like we were one play, one block, one guy, one inch away from just breaking and establishing the run game,” Sierveld said. “As an offensive line, it just sucks because we knew we were there, we just ran out of time.”
bmackay@dispatch.com
