Every time Ohio State takes the field, the spotlight inevitably finds the quarterback.  That pressure is literally baked into the job.  

This season, there will once again be plenty of discussion surrounding Julian Sayin. He'll enter the year with championship expectations, lofty preseason rankings and the weight that naturally comes with playing quarterback at Ohio State.

That's understandable.  But, what I don't understand is why so much of the conversation seems to center on him.

If Ohio State is going to win another national championship, the biggest question isn't whether Julian Sayin is capable of leading the offense.  I think we already know he is since he put together one of the finest statistical seasons by a quarterback in school history a year ago. Like every quarterback, he also had games he'd like to have back. His final two performances weren't his best, and he'd almost certainly be the first person to admit there were throws and decisions he'd like another chance to make.

But those games didn't happen in a vacuum.

Ohio State's offensive line struggled, and when an offensive line struggles, quarterbacks tend to struggle with it.  Pressure changes everything.  Not just for a quarterback, but for the entire team.

Footwork speeds up. Reads become rushed. Clean pockets suddenly don't feel so clean. Quarterbacks leave protection early because they no longer trust it'll be there. The mistakes still belong to the quarterback, but they're often born from everything happening around him.

That's why I've always believed quarterbacks receive too much credit when things go well and too much blame when they don't.

Which brings me to Will Howard.  He's my favorite quarterback in Ohio State history.

That's saying something considering the names that have come through Columbus over the years. Troy Smith, Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud, Craig Krenzel and so many others all have legitimate places in the conversation.

There was just something about Howard. He was tough. He was poised. He seemed to make the right play when Ohio State needed it most, and he possessed the kind of confidence that spread throughout the entire team.  That folks, is called leadership.

But as much as I admire Howard, I don't think it's fair to remember only what he did.  Championship quarterbacks are almost always surrounded by championship football.  Howard had outstanding skill players. He had a defense capable of changing games. And for most of the season, he had an offensive line that allowed him to play the position the way it was meant to be played.

That's what Ohio State needs to recreate.  Not another Will Howard.  Another complete football team.

Ryan Day has assembled one of the nation's most talented rosters once again. Arthur Smith enters his first season directing the offense. Jeremiah Smith remains one of the most dynamic receivers in college football. The running back room is loaded with talent.

Now the offensive line has to complete the picture.  Because if that group performs the way Ohio State expects, I have very few concerns about Julian Sayin.  If it doesn't, no quarterback—no matter how talented—is going to look like the player fans expect him to be.

Football has always been the ultimate team sport.  Quarterbacks may receive the headlines, but they're rarely the whole story.  Julian Sayin has already shown he belongs.

This season, the pressure isn't on him to prove it again.  The pressure is on everyone around him to make sure he doesn't have to.