COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Coach Ryan Day is trying to keep the message simple for Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin before his first college start on Saturday, when the No. 3 and defending College Football Playoff champion Buckeyes host top-ranked Texas.
“The message is just to win, find a way to win,” Day said on Tuesday. “I think when you start setting expectations, you can get yourself out of whack. He’s got a good group of guys around him. He needs to lean into those players and find a way to win the game.
“We’ll try to get him into a rhythm and then go from there. It’s the first game, and we’re excited for him.”
Sayin played in four games last season. He took 27 snaps and was 5 for 12 for 84 yards and one touchdown.
Day has been impressed with the sophomore throughout preseason practices. Day and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline both said the one-time five-star prospect has made his biggest improvement in becoming more of a leader.
“He has found his voice I believe here in preseason and then his competency is how well he’s gonna play in the game,” Day said. “We’ve challenged him to have command of that huddle and have command of the game plan. Now it’s time to go put it on the field. But you’re definitely seeing a lot of changes with him and a lot of growth.”
Sayin is the fifth quarterback under Day to make his first start, joining Dwayne Haskins (2018, as offensive coordinator), Justin Fields (2019), C.J. Stroud (2021) and Kyle McCord (2023). The four previous to Sayin averaged 3,927 yards, 40 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 68.9% completion rate.
Day knows there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to a first start, but he is hoping his experiences through the years have made him a better evaluator.
“The thing about first games is you make a lot of assumptions. You got to trust your coaching and make sure that their minds are in the right spot and focused on what really matters,” Day said. “We know this week it’s going to come down to avoiding distractions. There’ll be a lot of distractions this week. We have to make sure that we’re avoiding distractions better than Texas.”
One player who will need to have a better game against Texas is wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The AP Preseason All-America pick was held to one catch for 3 yards — both season lows — in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.
The offensive line appears set, except at right tackle where Phillip Daniels and Ethan Onianwa continue to vie for the starting spot.
Besides having a new quarterback, Day will have a new play-caller for the offense as Hartline becomes the sole coordinator.
Day still has veto power, but he also wants plenty of back and forth in challenging his staff.
“I challenge them about their players, scheme and their technique. As the head coach you constantly have to challenge these guys. And then you also find out what they like, what they feel confident in their players in,” Day said.
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