Julian Sayin is the Heisman favorite and more takeaways from Ohio State's win against Penn State

No. 1 Ohio State trounced conference rival Penn State 38-14 Saturday in what was a masterclass from quarterback Julian Sayin and the Buckeye passing game.

That, topped with another impressive defensive showing from the Matt Patricia-led defense, proved why the Buckeyes deserve their No. 1 ranking.

This doesn’t mean that the scarlet and gray still don’t have some weak points, appearing most evidently in their run game. With the Buckeyes claiming their ninth straight victory against the Nittany Lions, here are three key takeaways from another dominant in-conference win.

Julian Sayin Becomes the Heisman Favorite

The race to hoist the Heisman Trophy has begun to catch fire off the back of Sayin’s elite performance against Penn State. Despite Sayin starting the season sixth in Heisman odds at +1600, his chances have continued to grow each game, and he now sits as the odds-on favorite.

Heading into Week 10, the Ohio State quarterback sat behind two others of the same position as Heisman favorite, Ty Simpson of Alabama and previous odds leader Fernado Mendoza, who has led the Indiana Hoosiers to No. 2 in the rankings. When you throw more touchdowns than incompletions, however, you’re bound to shake up the competition.

Sayin finished the day against Penn State 20-of-23 passing for 316 yards and four passing touchdowns, finishing with his second highest passer rating of the season, at 259.8 (Sayin’s rating during the 70-0 victory against Grambling State was 289).

Needless to say, if the Buckeye quarterback continues this level of immense production, which shouldn’t be hard to do with arguably the best receiving corps in the nation, expect Sayin to raise the Heisman Trophy at the end of the season.

Buckeyes Missed an Opportunity to Improve Their Run Game

The biggest weakness by far with the 2025 Buckeyes is the lackluster run game. Heading into the rivalry matchup, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ run defense was allowing 173 rushing yards a game, 97th in the nation. Ohio State’s running backs only garnered 154 yards on the ground.

Granted, the passing game is the Buckeyes’ strong suit this season, and especially in this matchup, with wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith posting 124 yards and one touchdown and 123 yards and two touchdowns respectively. Nevertheless, this still feels like an unseized moment for Brian Hartline and the running back room to make some noise.

There is a bright spot in the backfield, coming in the form of Bo Jackson. The Cleveland native has been turning heads throughout the season, and Saturday felt like the moment Jackson secured the RB1 role in Columbus, rushing for 105 yards off 13 carries. Jackson can’t be a one-man army though, so it must be a top priority to further develop Ohio State’s running back depth.

No Knowles, No Problem

If there was any doubt about current Buckeyes defensive coordinator Patricia replacing Knowles, it can now be put to rest. Knowles’ return to Ohio Stadium ended with his defense giving up 38 points, more than Ohio State had given up in any game the season prior.

Linebacker Arvell Reese continued his impressive year and had his best game of the season against the Nittany Lions, notching 12 total tackles and a sack. Safety Caleb Downs came up with the only turnover for the Buckeyes and besides a long-winded 15-play scoring drive from the Nittany Lions in the second quarter, Patricia’s unit played fantastically.

The Buckeyes look to keep the total defense crown in Columbus after finishing last season with the No. 1 ranked unit, and it appears as though they may achieve that status.

Looking ahead, Ohio State’s final four opponents, Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers and No. 21 Michigan all rank outside the top 35 in total offense. With the defense playing better than ever, and the passing game continuing to shatter their own ceiling, Ohio State remains the team to beat and the undisputed No. 1 in the nation.