How Ohio State is fixing its pass protection ahead of facing Miami in the Cotton Bowl

Julian Sayin and center Carson Hinzman both took accountability for Ohio State’s loss to Indiana and are focused on correcting offensive execution and pass protection as the Buckeyes prepare for the Cotton Bowl.

After being sacked five times against the Hoosiers, Sayin openly owned his role in the breakdowns.

“I can’t hold on to the ball as long and have to get the ball out of my hand and keep us on schedule,” Sayin said. “Sometimes you’re hanging on for a play thinking it’s going to be there… but we just got to get the ball over and check it down if it’s not there.”

As Ohio State turns its attention to Miami, Sayin expressed confidence in the protection in front of him — particularly his connection with Hinzman.

“Early on, it was great to have a guy like Carson, a vet who can really help bring me along,” Sayin said. “We work great together. I think we’re on the same page with everything in our protection.”

The Heisman finalist said Indiana’s defensive strength — and going up against Ohio State’s own defense in practice — has helped sharpen his preparation heading into the postseason. Sayin also credited Ryan Day’s increased involvement with the offense in the last few weeks, calling him a strong quarterback coach and developer.

Hinzman echoed that accountability, admitting Ohio State’s pass protection fell short of expectations in the Big Ten Championship. He said the extended break has allowed the offensive line to refocus on fundamentals.

“As the season progresses, maybe sometimes you get away from a little bit of fundamental work,” Hinzman said. “But that’s exactly what we’ve been doing these past couple weeks — getting back to it.”

The silver lining of that loss is that it provided an opportunity for growth. The Indiana game exposed areas of weakness ahead of Ohio State’s first playoff matchup, and Miami will present an equally demanding challenge. Both Hinzman and Sayin pointed to the Hurricanes’ elite edge rushers and overall defensive talent when previewing the upcoming game.

“I think it comes down to being efficient on those early downs… being in charge of keeping Julian safe,” Hinzman said. “I think these games come down to being able to make positive throws and completions and keeping us on schedule.”

With lessons from Indiana in mind, Sayin and Hinzman both said they welcome the opportunity to show the adjustments Ohio State has made heading into the Cotton Bowl.