Sharpshooter Sayin Slings Ohio State past Gophers

Julian Sayin came into Ohio State's game with Minnesota as the FBS's most accurate passer, completing 78.8 percent of his passes. After lighting up Minnesota, Sayin will keep that crown. Sayin was 23 of 27 for 326 yards and three touchdowns passing. That would put Sayin at 101 of 125 for 1,313 yards and 13 touchdowns. That puts his completion percentage at a ridiculous 80.2 percent.

Sayin is rightly drawing comparisons to the great Drew Brees. Part of it is hearing way too often about how 'undersized' (a ridiculous thing that gets harped on) they both are. The main part of this comparison, though, is how accurate both quarterbacks are. Sayin's accuracy and ball placement are way beyond that of a guy who's only started five college football games.

Does it help to be throwing to Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and all the other ridiculous embarrassment of riches at Wide Receiver U? Absolutely! But Sayin still gets it there to them, and usually, where either they will get it or no one will get it.

They aren't having to come back for the ball, have it go over their heads, or use all kinds of acrobatics to make catches. Which makes them that much more difficult to defend and that much more productive, and the entire offense and team are better.

The only problem with these positives is that Sayin still tends to force one into coverage every now and then. He threw one into double coverage in the endzone that the defender should have picked off, but fortunately didn't. He then hit Jeremiah Smith for a touchdown on the next throw.

The good news is the questionable throws from Sayin are decreasing in frequency, and If he can cut that out of his game before it costs him, Ohio State will be that much closer to a second consecutive national championship. And while he makes fewer of those kind of throws he makes more gutsy ones like this.

Sayin will need all of his accuracy and guts when Ohio State travels to Illinois next week. Bret Bielema will have his team trying to repeat what he did to #1 Ohio State at Wisconsin in 2010. Memorial Stadium has as much strange voodoo to it as Camp Randall does, too.

Ohio State has often gotten too conservative there in the past, even with great offenses. The wind in that stadium is tough on a passing game, too. Still, with a completion percentage over 80 percent, and Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and company to throw to.

Sayin and the passing game should be just fine. They have a good rushing attack and an elite defense to help, but not to use as a crutch. Julian Sayin should get the Bucks to 6-0 against Illinois next week.