Julian Sayin’s growth will be tested against Indiana’s pass rush as Ohio State prepares for a rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship.

Julian Sayin will face the team that gave him his most difficult night of the 2025 season when Ohio State travels to Indiana on Saturday. The rematch will be a different challenge for the Buckeyes’ quarterback, who has spent the offseason and first six games improving his pocket awareness and mobility after Indiana sacked him five times in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Sayin completed 21 of 29 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown in Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to the Hoosiers on Dec. 6. He also threw an interception on the opening drive, and the Buckeyes managed only 58 rushing yards as Indiana disrupted the offense throughout the night.

The five sacks were especially unusual. Sayin had been sacked just six times during the regular season, but Indiana used defensive stunts, pressure packages, and changing coverages to disrupt Ohio State’s protection and complicate Sayin’s reads. The Hoosiers recorded five sacks for 29 yards in just over two quarters.

Sayin has spent the past several months working on how he responds when a play breaks down. He addressed that development Tuesday when asked about avoiding the pressure he’ll face from Bryant Haines’ Indiana defense.

“I think it’s avoiding sacks but then also knowing when that clock is going off to be able to get the ball out of my hand and know that, hey, we’re not going to get anything else here. Let’s throw the ball away,” Sayin said. “So I think it’s just continuing to grow that, and I think I’ve developed that area a lot in my game.”

Indiana’s pressure affected more than the offensive line. Sayin completed two of six passes on 11 pressured dropbacks. When the Hoosiers blitzed, he completed six of 11 passes for 54 yards and threw an interception. Indiana also disguised its coverage, forcing Sayin to process what he saw before and after the snap.

Ohio State still had opportunities to win. Sayin connected with Carnell Tate for a nine-yard touchdown and found Jeremiah Smith for several large gains, but the offense failed to score after halftime and convert in the red zone. The Buckeyes reached Indiana’s five-yard line in the third quarter before turning the ball over on downs, then missed a 27-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game.

Situational football was the deciding factor in last year’s game against Indiana. Ryan Day said:

🗣️ “If we’re going to win this game, we’ve got to be good in [the red zone] on both sides of the ball.”

— Blake T. Biscardi (@BlakeBiscardi) October 13, 2026

Sayin has added another dimension to his game this season by using his legs to escape pressure and extend plays. Through six games, he has rushed for 86 yards (sack-adjusted) and two touchdowns. His mobility gives Ohio State another option when defenses close off his initial reads, but he still must recognize when to move, deliver the ball, and avoid a negative play.

The Buckeyes enter the rematch with one of the country’s most productive passing offenses, averaging nearly 340 passing yards per game through six contests. Sayin threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns in the road win at Iowa before adding four touchdown passes against Maryland.

His latest performance also included an interception returned for a touchdown and two fumbles – one lost – on sacks, putting ball security and pocket decisions back in focus ahead of the trip to Bloomington.

Sayin believes his experience against different defenses has improved his ability to identify coverage before and after the snap. When asked Tuesday about Indiana’s secondary, he pointed to his progress throughout the season.

“It’s a different secondary, but they still have really good players in that secondary,” Sayin said. “They have some returners, and they have some new guys that came in, and they’re playing really good ball, and so, it’s definitely a very good secondary, and I think, just in terms of identifying and recognizing pre- and post-snap, I think my game’s grown in that area just because of seeing different defenses and just continuing to build that experience throughout the season.”

Indiana’s defense has changed since the championship game, with new contributors joining the front seven, but the Hoosiers remain among the nation’s best scoring defenses. Their ability to pressure the quarterback while maintaining coverage will test Ohio State’s protection and Sayin’s decision-making.

Ryan Day on the massive challenge from Indiana and DC Bryant Haines awaiting Julian Sayin and the Ohio State offense l: https://t.co/AWTZV614Vm

— Dillon Davis (@DillonDavis56) October 13, 2026

Sayin’s progress will be measured by how he handles the same problems that hurt Ohio State last December. Recognizing pressure, getting the ball out on time, and protecting possession will be critical for the Buckeyes.