Julian Sayin calls himself out over area Ohio State football has to improve

Julian Sayin knows the Ohio State offense left some points on the board in Saturday's 37-9 win over Ohio, and he's taking it to heart.

Sayin, in his third start with the Buckeyes, has had some very good moments, but he's also making some mistakes one would expect from a first-year starter. The red-zone offense struggled through about two and a half quarters against the Bobcats before scoring 21 unanswered points to pull away. 

​Execution is the answer

Sayin finished with a solid line, 16-of-22 passing for 347 yards and three touchdowns. But he threw two interceptions and had to settle for field goals on three of Ohio State's first four red-zone possessions. There were plays to be made, but Sayin said the execution wasn't there, and he takes full responsibility for that.

"All the guys on the offense knew we were moving the ball consistently. We just had to execute. It starts with me," Sayin said. "We've got to execute more in the red zone. Those first three drives, we didn't get a touchdown in the red zone. So we've got to do better there. It's all about execution and improving."

With the first three games out of the way, it's conference play from here on in for the Buckeyes, starting with Washington on September 27. Sayin said that the bye week will give the offense a chance to work on improving in all areas to become more efficient. 

"Over the next two weeks it's about improving everywhere. Improving in recognizing coverages, improving in commanding the offense and moving us down the field, improving in red-zone execution. I think we can improve in all areas," Sayin added. "These next two weeks will be big for us."

That includes cutting down on turnovers. Sayin said that he was a little loose with the football, and he had to protect the ball better when he felt the pressure from the pocket. But he also embraces the challenge and believes that some of the early struggles will benefit the offense in the long run.

"It's good to battle some adversity out there," Sayin concluded. "I had the turnovers...[we'll] see how we respond as an offense and how I respond. I think it's good to battle some adversity."