The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a stellar 2024 season, steamrolling through the College Football Playoff en route to winning the national title. While they enter 2025 as defending champions, the team faces significant roster turnover, including at quarterback.
Head coach Ryan Day has named former five-star Julian Sayin as the starter for the season opener, where he will face a tough challenge against the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns. Day recently shared his message for Sayin ahead of the matchup.
What Message Did Ryan Day Send Julian Sayin Ahead of Tough Season Opener Against Texas?
Sayin has big shoes to fill in Columbus after transfer quarterback Will Howard led the Buckeyes to a national title last season. While Sayin is highly talented, ranked the No. 3 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports, he has yet to prove himself on the field.
Sayin will be immediately thrown into the fire to start his college football career, as he faces the Longhorns, who were ranked preseason No. 1 in the country by both the AP and Coaches Poll.
In his game-week press conference, Day shared the message he has for his young quarterback ahead of the Buckeyes’ marquee matchup against Texas.
“The message is just win,” Day said. “Find a way to win. I think when you start setting expectations, you can get yourself out of whack.”
It’s a simple but important message. Day doesn’t want Sayin to try to be a superhero or make game-changing plays. He wants him to focus on leading the Buckeyes to victory.
Day emphasized that Sayin should rely on his teammates, whether handing off the football, completing short passes, or helping the team win the field position battle. The head coach knows the roster is loaded with talent, and can help out his young signal-caller.
“We’re going to take it one play at a time,” Day said. “He’s got a good group of guys around him. He’s got a good defense, good special teams, a good offensive line, and good skill guys. He needs to lean into those players and find a way to win the game.”
Sayin battled former four-star Lincoln Kienholz throughout camp for the starting job in Columbus. Now that he has won it, he must do everything he can to help Ohio State chase another national title, starting with a win over the Longhorns in week one.
Texas and Ohio State will kick off at 12:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 30, at Ohio Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Fox.
