Heading into the 2026 season, the Ohio State football team should have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. With the Buckeyes bringing back both Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin, they should be very hard to stop. Smith is the best receiver in the country and might be the best player.
Sayin is going to be the one throwing the ball to him for the second year in a row. Last season, Sayin was a Heisman Finalist, falling short of winning the award. Still, it stands to reason that he will be even better in his second year as a starter. Yet, not everyone seems to think that way.
While Ohio State fans believe Sayin should be one of the nation's best, a national writer from CBS Sports has different ideas. Blake Brockermeyer ranked the top 10 quarterback rooms in the country for the 2026 season. For some idiotic reason, he has the Buckeyes ranked fifth.
CBS writer ranks Ohio State with the fifth-best quarterback room
Brockermeyer has Ohio State fifth. The teams ahead of them are Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Ole Miss. Only Oregon on that list makes sense with Dante Moore returning. Moore will be one of the favorites to win the Heisman this year, and he could have been a top-five pick in April's NFL Draft had he declared.
Arch Manning is once again getting hype that he doesn't deserve. Ohio State shut him down last season, allowing Texas to score just seven points. They will be looking to do that again in Week 2. Having Utah doesn't even have a defined starter. Brockermeyer uses the argument that the room has two viable options, so it should be rated that highly.
Having Trinidad Chambliss ranked higher than Sayin is a little ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as having Manning and both Utah QBs higher. Chambliss is pretty good, even if the stats would say Sayin is better. Duece Knight might be more experienced than Tavien St. Clair, but he doesn't possess more raw talent.
Julian Sayin has a chance to take Ohio State to a national championship
With the Buckeyes having such a good offense, Sayin has a chance to lead the Buckeyes to a national title. Of course, that will be predicated on his development, as well as the offensive line playing better. The offensive line was the worst unit on the team last year, and it showed late in the season.
Sayin can also show improvement by using his legs a little more. His ability to scramble when the yards are available to him is not something he did much last year, no matter how much fans begged him to. It's something he has had an emphasis on during the offseason.
It wouldn't be shocking to see Sayin end Ohio State's Heisman drought. This will likely be the final season he spends in Columbus, as he will likely be a first-round pick in next year's draft. Some of the quarterbacks ranked ahead of him cannot say that.
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