The Ohio State Buckeyes got everything you could want from a transfer last year with Will Howard. He came in, provided steady play, won the national championship, and left for the NFL. Obviously, he wasn't that great as he wasn't drafted until the sixth round, but still.
Now, in his place, the Buckeyes are turning to Julian Sayin, but that might actually be the reason Ohio State's offense remains good. That's why CBS Sports insider Will Backus said there's reason for optimism in Columbus.
"The passing game won't lose a beat. New starting quarterback Julian Sayin is a bit of an unknown, but he enters his first year leading Ohio State's offense with a blue-chip pedigree and one of the best situations a signal caller could ask for," Backus said.
Jeremiah Smith, a legitimate Heisman candidate, and Carnell Tate, a future early NFL Draft pick, make up his top two pass-catchers. "He'll have plenty of time to make decisions and acclimate to game speed behind an offensive line that returns three players with at least 800 career snaps," Backus added.
If Ohio State does repeat, they can thank Sayin for transferring and then winning the job. However, on the other side of the ball, there is some cause for concern. The defensive line in particular is a bit shaky, even if the Buckeyes do recruit well.
"[It] is the position group with the most question marks after the Buckeyes lost all four defensive line starters to the 2025 NFL Draft," Backus said. "Defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and defensive lineman Kayden McDonald both provided valuable snaps in the College Football Playoff, but they'll have to take on a bigger workload to fill the void left by such significant departures." If they can't, then it might not matter what Sayin brings to the table.