Nick Saban Offers Indiana a Blueprint to Stop Ohio State Superstar Jeremiah Smith

Indiana’s 20 sacks and 49 tackles for loss could shape Saturday’s top-five rematch as Saban points to Julian Sayin’s drop in accuracy under pressure.

ESPN’s College GameDay co-host and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban waits on set for the show to begin. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban says the best way to slow Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith runs through quarterback Julian Sayin, and he laid out that plan on ESPN’s College GameDay hours before the No. 4 Buckeyes visit No. 5 Indiana.

“I think the best way to slow down Jeremiah Smith is to affect the quarterback, and that’s the one thing Ohio State’s going to have to do today: They’re going to have to handle Indiana’s pressure,” Saban said Saturday.

“Julian Sayin has been affected by pressure. His completion percentage goes down to 56%. Indiana has 49 tackles for loss, so they’re good at getting you behind the sticks, and they have 20 sacks, which is among the top in the country,” Saban added.

A week after calling Smith the best player in the country on the same show, Saban aimed his Bloomington plan at the passer. Kickoff is noon ET on FOX.

Why does pressure slow Julian Sayin?

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (10) looks to pass during the college football game against the Maryland Terrapins | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Pro Football Focus charting has Sayin completing 20 of 36 passes under pressure this season. The Carlsbad, Calif., native completed more than 82% of his throws from a clean pocket in 2025, but that number fell to just under 59% when defenses got home.

Ohio State’s only loss showed the cost. Texas pressured Sayin on 15 of 36 dropbacks, and he completed 4 of 12 passes in those spots on the way to a career-low 53.1% completion rate.

Still, pressure alone hasn’t stopped him. Sayin averages 11 yards per attempt with four touchdowns when pressured, so Indiana has to finish plays and not just disrupt them.

Indiana’s pass rush vs. Ohio State

Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Stephen Daley (9) celebrates a sack with defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi (12) during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Indiana ranks third nationally in both tackles for loss and sacks. Tobi Osunsanmi leads the Big Ten with 9.5 tackles for loss, and Stephen Daley has a sack in three straight games. Each has five sacks.

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day called Indiana’s defensive line “one of the biggest challenges” Ohio State will face this season. The Hoosiers sacked Sayin five times in their 13-10 win in last year’s Big Ten title game, and Ohio State’s offensive line has spent the past month shuffling through injuries.

Indiana needs that rush because its coverage is more vulnerable. The Hoosiers rank 77th nationally in expected points added per dropback allowed, while Ohio State’s passing offense ranks second.

How has Indiana handled Smith?

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a touchdown during the college football game against the Maryland Terrapins | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Smith enters with 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he’s drawn about 37% of Ohio State’s targets. “There’s no one like him right now, playing at this level,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said Monday.

The Hoosiers haven’t needed to erase Smith to beat Ohio State. He caught eight passes for 144 yards in last year’s title game, but Indiana kept him out of the end zone for a second straight meeting.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy picked Indiana to extend its 22-game winning streak, and Saban’s read puts that streak on Osunsanmi, Daley and the Indiana front more than on the secondary assigned to Smith.