Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza reveals thoughts on Ohio State’s Julian Sayin ahead of Big Ten Championship
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin has impressed Fernando Mendoza and he admitted as much.
It’s been a half-decade since the Ohio State Buckeyes won a Big Ten Championship, and they’ll have a chance to end that drought on Saturday against the Indiana Hoosiers. The final regular-season game was a must-win for the Buckeyes against Michigan, and now it’ll be a battle of 12-0 teams in Indianapolis for the conference title.
When these two teams meet, it will be a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. It will also feature the top two contenders in the Heisman Trophy race. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza have been the best quarterbacks in college football this season, and whichever quarterback leads his team to a Big Ten title could very well take home the Heisman.
Fernando Mendoza has been impressed by Julian Sayin
“I really respect Julian. He is so effective, and he fits that (Ohio State) offense perfectly,” Mendoza said on Monday. “Every quarterback prides himself on completion percentage, and his completion percentage is out of this world.”
Sayin completed 78.9 percent of his passes during the regular season, throwing for 3,065 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. The Ohio State quarterback may have stars on the outside in Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, but there’s no question he has been outstanding in his own right. After losing Will Howard following just one season—one that ended with a national championship—Sayin has been exactly the quarterback the Buckeyes needed to step in.
The biggest challenges still lie ahead for Sayin and the Buckeyes, beginning Saturday against Indiana. Sayin faced his first real adversity against Michigan when he threw an interception on the opening drive. From there, he responded with three touchdown passes and was in complete control of the game. That’s exactly the level of execution Ohio State will need down the stretch as they head into the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State Buckeyes News
Indiana HC Curt Cignetti doesn’t hold back on how he views Ryan Day and Ohio State ahead of the Big Ten Championship
Ohio State now has Indiana awaiting them for a conference title.
