What the Cotton Bowl loss means for Julian Sayin's future at Ohio State

The gears on Ohio State’s potent offense got stuck again during a shocking 24-14 loss against Miami in the Cotton Bowl Classic on Wednesday night, and as the guy with his finger on the trigger, quarterback Julian Sayin is catching a lot of flak for the team’s failure.

Two interceptions including one returned to the house proved to be difference-makers, and Sayin was unable to get the Buckeyes going until the second half, when they were already down by double-digits.

Former Snow College CB Keionte Scott with a pick six on Julian Sayin in the CFPpic.twitter.com/zIYULU5Twp
— Ensign Gridiron (@EnsignGridiron) January 1, 2026

But while there’s a good deal of responsibility being rightfully placed at Sayin’s feet, he’s certainly not the sole culprit of Ohio State’s unprecedented stumble. Sayin was highly pressured all night long, and his most important playmakers failed at critical moments, as well.

Yet, Sayin can genuinely come out of this loss a lot stronger. The way he handles himself during the next few days, weeks and months, will ultimately determine his legacy in Columbus, but the elements are there for a storybook comeback story.

Keep in mind that Sayin had the Buckeyes offense rolling, despite the fact that the Buckeyes actually opened the season struggling to score points in a win over then top-ranked Texas. He then proceeded to dismantle the Big Ten during the regular season, including a historic win over Michigan to wrap it up. In the process, Sayin’s throws catapulted Jeremiah Smith into Unanimous All-American status, and made Carnell Tate a likely Top-10 pick in next year’s draft.

It was, of course, until the Buckeyes landed in Indianapolis for the big showdown versus the Hoosiers for the conference title, that things went south for Ohio State again, losing their first game of the season by 13-10. A sign of things to come, Ohio State once again struggled to keep pressure of Sayin against Miami, leading to a quick exit in the CFP.

But remember that Sayin had almost zero experience before taking over the reins in 2025, beating out Lincoln Kienholz for the starting gig, before delivering a surprising campaign that truly surpassed expectations, punctuated with Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

How good was Sayin during 2026? Well, he was the betting favorite for the sport’s most prestigious individual award, the Heisman Trophy, up til a few weeks before it was handed to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, with Sayin coming in fourth in voting.

Once the 2026 season comes around, Sayin will once again be included among the favorites for the Heisman, along with his trusted target Smith, and Ohio State’s recruiting class will contribute a ton of talent, including the Nation’s top wideout Chris Henry Jr. It will be practically impossible to find a better receiving duo than the Buckeyes, if Henry shows how special he can be from the get-go.

What will be different for Sayin and the rest of the Buckeyes will be the amount of pressure early on from external sources. Ohio State will not start the season as the No. 1 team in the land, and will probably not gain the top spot after a Week 1 win like this past season.

Instead, the Buckeyes will have to work hard to prove, week in and week, that they can refocus after this year’s underwhelming outings during the postseason, and they’ll get the chance to do so from an underdog perspective, much like the National Champions of 2024.

The stage is set for Sayin to become the quarterback who learned to fly early, fell to the ground with a thump, and got back on his feet leading the Buckeyes through a memorable season, but he has work in front of him. We all know he can play.

The question now is, can he deliver when the rest of the offense is breaking down and the Buckeyes need him the most? That’s what true leadership looks like, and at 20 years old, there’s enough time for him to keep growing into it and have the rest of the team come along for the ride.