COLUMBUS, Ohio — The debate over Jack Sawyer’s place in Ohio State football history on the latest Buckeye Talk podcast encapsulated the complex emotional terrain of what it means to be a Buckeye legend.
In their “Greatest Buckeye” bracket challenge, hosts Stephen Means, Stefan Krajisnik and Andrew Gillis found themselves wrestling with a fundamental question: How far can someone advance in the discussion without beating Michigan?
Jack Sawyer basically starts every series down 1-0,” Krajisnik said. “There’s no one on this list who he’s going to beat [in] Michigan success. That’s just the reality of it.”
This stark reality — Sawyer being 0-4 against Michigan in his career — creates an immediate disadvantage in any “Greatest Buckeye” conversation. Yet, paradoxically, the hosts found themselves increasingly drawn to his case as they explored the full context of what he represents to the program.
What makes Sawyer’s situation so fascinating is how his legacy combines both triumph and disappointment in a uniquely personal way. As a hometown five-star recruit who chose to stay home even when facing uncertain circumstances, Sawyer embodied the dream of countless Ohio kids.
“If you grew up in Ohio wanting to play college football one day and play for the Buckeyes, Jack Sawyer is literally you,” Means said. “How would you feel growing up in Ohio thinking, ‘I’m going to go be a part of this thing (beating Michigan) and continue this,’ and as soon as you get there is when it decides to flip?”
This timing — entering the program just as Michigan finally turned the rivalry tide after years of Ohio State dominance — created a cruel twist of fate for the Pickerington native. Yet the podcast hosts argued that Sawyer’s response to this adversity actually enhanced his “Buckeye aura” rather than diminishing it.
This willingness to be the face of the program, even during difficult times, emerged as perhaps Sawyer’s most defining quality.
Jack Sawyer was the player who (put his) hand up,” Krajisnik said. “Like, ‘I will take the brunt from the player side. Ryan Day is going to get criticism. I will be the player that gets criticism because I’m the Ohio kid. I understand this rivalry.’
“… If you’re going to be a Buckeye, you better be one when you lose, too, and he was that.”
The culmination of Sawyer’s complicated journey came with his iconic scoop-and-score touchdown against Texas which helped secure Ohio State’s place in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. This redemption arc created a legacy that transcends simple win-loss records.
The reason he’s on this list is because of what happened when things were bad,” Gillis said. “Things were not good when they played Tennessee and he was a one man wrecking crew … Ohio State’s backs were against the wall because, make no mistake about it, for as much as that playoff run felt inevitable, they were one loss away from everything going [wrong].”
The Sawyer debate ultimately forces fans to confront what they truly value in their Buckeye legends. Is beating Michigan an absolute requirement? Or can representing the program’s values — especially during difficult times — sometimes mean even more?
