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The play that ended Ohio State's season took about 12 seconds. Quarterback Julian Sayin flipped a screen pass toward the flat at AT&T Stadium on New Year's Eve, and Miami defensive back Keionte Scott jumped it, returning the interception 72 yards for the second-longest pick-six in College Football Playoff history.
The Hurricanes won the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal 24-14, and the defending national champions went home after one playoff game.
That is the last image of a season in which Sayin was otherwise close to flawless. The Carlsbad, California native completed 77% of his passes, the best single-season mark in Ohio State history, a Big Ten record and the third-highest figure in FBS history behind only Bo Nix and Mac Jones.
Now he returns as the centerpiece of a roster built to win the championship it let slip away.
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No. 12: Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State Buckeyes
Sayin threw for 3,610 yards with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his first season as the starter, finishing second nationally with a 177.46 passer rating and fourth in touchdown passes. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist and led the Buckeyes to a 12-0 regular season, including a 27-9 win over Michigan that snapped a four-game losing streak in The Game.
"That's something we needed to get done," Sayin said of beating the Wolverines. "But there's still more."
The two things left undone came in December. Indiana sacked Sayin five times and beat Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship Game, the program's first conference title game appearance since 2020.
Miami then sacked him five more times in Arlington, where he threw two interceptions and the Buckeyes fell short of a repeat. Ohio State has not won a Big Ten title since 2020 despite winning it all in the 2024 season.
Critics used the 2026 NFL Draft to sharpen the point. Receiver Carnell Tate went No. 4 overall, one of four Buckeyes selected in the first 11 picks, and some argued Ohio State's short, safe passing game held back that talent. The junior quarterback has heard the counterargument all offseason and answered it with his stated goals.
"We want to put another one of those banners up. The standard at Ohio State is to win every game. We've seen what the players that came before us have done, and it's our responsibility to uphold that standard," Sayin said.
Julian Sayin leads a new Ohio State offense under Arthur Smith
The offense around Sayin changed in almost every room this offseason. Offensive coordinator Brian Hartline left to become the head coach at South Florida, and Ryan Day replaced him with Arthur Smith, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach and Pittsburgh Steelers coordinator with 17 years of NFL experience.
Cortez Hankton arrived from LSU to coach receivers, while quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler stayed on to continue working with the second-year starter.
"We hit it off right from the beginning," Day said of Smith. "I just think he's going to bring so much to the table for our team and I think Buckeye Nation is gonna really like what he brings to the table."
The pieces around Sayin are still strong, with Jeremiah Smith, the top returning receiver in college football, who will deliver another big season after catching 87 passes for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. Plus, running back Bo Jackson, receiver Brandon Inniss and four starting offensive linemen are back.
Freshman wideout Chris Henry Jr. could start right away after Tate's departure and transfer exits thinned the receiver room. Day said on his radio show that Ohio State has the best quarterback in the country coming back.
The schedule gives Sayin early and late tests. Ohio State opens against Ball State on Sept. 5 at 12:30 p.m. ET, then travels to Texas for a Sept. 12 game at 7:30 p.m. ET in Austin. Finally, there's The Game against Michigan at home on Nov. 28 at noon ET to close out the regular season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq as College Football's Most Important Players in 2026: No. 12 QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State.
