What Went Wrong For Ohio State QB Julian Sayin Against Miami?

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The Ohio State Buckeyes were stunned in the program’s 2025 CFP quarterfinals matchup against the Miami Hurricanes, 24-14. While the entire college football nation was shocked, Miami’s defense made it clear early in the contest that quarterback Julian Sayin would be in for a tough night.

Sayin, in his first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, was unable to overcome the Hurricanes’ stout defense. He would finish the night with 287 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, with the first being an ugly pick-six.

One of the main reasons why Sayin struggled on Wednesday night was due to an incredible performance from Miami’s front four on defense. Coming into the matchup, the redshirt freshman was sacked just 11 times over the course of 13 games, with nearly half of the total occuring against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Conference Championship Game.

This, however, was not the case against the Hurricanes, who managed to wreak havoc on the young quarterback for the majority of the contest. Miami finished the contest with five sacks, thanks to the efforts of EDGE rushers Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. The dynamic duo combined ended the night combining for three of the five sacks.

In addition to facing one of the strongest defensive lines in college football, it was clear that the lack of experience for Sayin played a key role in his performance.

While Sayin has played in multiple primetime matchups this season, such as Texas in Week One and Indiana most recently, the Buckeyes’ quarterfinals battle was completely different. The combination of a big-time game and Miami’s ability to get pressure forced the young quarterback to make little mistakes that became costly by the end of the game.

Luckily for Sayin, Ohio State’s run game came alive in the second half. Freshman running back Bo Jackson kicked off the third quarter with a couple of huge gains, which eventually helped Sayin find star wideout Jeremiah Smith for a 35-yard completion. Five plays later, the Buckeyes were able to punch it in for the team’s first touchdown.

The ability to run the ball was a big key heading into the night with how well the Hurricanes’ pass rush has been this season. But it was not until Ohio State was down 14 points that the offense would truly be able to establish a run game, making it tough for the Buckeyes to lean on Jackson and CJ Donaldson.

Sayin showed some life late in the game, hitting Smith yet again for the Buckeyes’ second touchdown on fourth down.

But this slight hiccup from Miami would be the only time the Buckeyes would be able to execute on offense. Overall, it was clear that this was a true learning experience for Sayin, and the young quarterback must grow from Wednesday’s loss.

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