The lights in Columbus shone brighter than ever as Ohio State climbed to the No. 1 spot in the country. With all eyes on the quarterback showdown, Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes sent a message, even if the stat sheets left some fans scratching their heads. But after a gritty 14-7 win over Texas, there’s one question echoing across campus: Is this the start of something special, or just a close call on the biggest stage?
How Will Julian Sayin’s Growth Impact Ohio State’s 2024-25 Run?
Ohio State clarified why it now sits atop the rankings, moving from No. 3 to No. 1 after overcoming Texas. Arch Manning, the highly touted Longhorns quarterback, finished with 170 yards, while Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin had even fewer.
Ryan Day may not have been thrilled initially, but Sayin’s 126 yards and a lone touchdown pass were enough to lock down a statement victory early in the 2024-25 campaign. With Texas dropping to No. 7, the Buckeyes’ climb put the rest of college football on notice.
The story doesn’t stop with the box score. Ohio State’s head coach, Ryan Day, recently sat down with Colin Cowherd to discuss Sayin’s first game under the brightest lights. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound sophomore entered the season with only 12 passing attempts from a year ago.
Having played a part on a National Championship team, Sayin knew returning as QB1 would mean everything was on his shoulders. While some fans and analysts had questions about his showing, Manning left Ohio Stadium with even more to think about.
Day explained his approach for guiding a young quarterback: “I think the first thing when you have a young quarterback is you ask them, ‘what did you see?’ When they can come over and tell you what they saw, and then you watch the iPad after that drive and it’s what they saw, that’s a great start,” Day said.
The head coach went on: “Like you said, I thought his feet moved well, I thought he was accurate with the ball, he made a couple off schedule plays and then he threw the ball away and took care of it when he needed to. Again, all good starts. Long way to go, but we can work with that.”
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But right after the game, Day didn’t sugarcoat how much more his team needs to bring if they’re going to keep winning at this level. Scoring just 14 points won’t cut it against the top teams, but the Ohio State defense did its part. Day accepted that his team is far from perfect. He admitted Sayin has plenty to work on, but made it clear he’s standing by his second-year quarterback.
The Buckeyes’ next stretch might not be as demanding as Texas. Four of their first five games will be at home, including non-conference clashes with Grambling and Ohio. Both matchups offer good chances for Sayin to settle in and rack up some numbers. Even with Grambling coming off a 55-7 Week 1 blowout, Ohio State is walking into Week 2 as a sizeable favorite.
Sayin and the Buckeyes will not see another ranked opponent until a trip to Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 11. The Illini are currently ranked No. 11. After that, all focus turns toward Penn State on Nov. 1, then capping the regular season in the Big House matchup on Nov. 29.