COLUMBUS — As Julian Sayin deftly navigated pressure with a quick twitch of his shoulders and feet, drifted to his left, reset, and launched a pass down the middle of the field toward Carnell Tate, Ohio State’s quarterback was growing up before our eyes.
Tate’s mesmerizing catch on the other end of that throw in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against Wisconsin may have reasonably distracted from what was happening, but it was Sayin’s breakout moment. Not because it came in some do-or-die play in a big game, but because of what it signified. He’s ready to let it rip.
The awareness. The pocket movement. The read, realizing the split safety closest to Tate was too preoccupied with Jeremiah Smith to get to Tate in time. The drive on the ball. The placement of it.
All of it was special.