The Ohio State football program made a powerful statement in their first game of the season. The team upended Texas, 14-7, behind some excellent defense and strong rushing offense. Ohio State coach Ryan Day revealed his feelings about his new quarterback, Julian Sayin, following the victory.
“When you’re the quarterback at Ohio State and you’re playing No. 1 Texas against one of the top defenses in the country, which we have a tremendous amount of respect for, the one thing we didn’t want to do—and I didn’t want to do—was put him in a bad spot,” Day said, per A to Z Sports. “It’s just not fair to him. Now, coming out of it, quite honestly, I think he probably could have handled it, you know, but we weren’t going to do that, because we know it’s a long season, and that was the decision that was made.”
Sayin played like a veteran in the game against the Longhorns defense. He finished his day with 126 passing yards and a touchdown.
Ohio State moves to 1-0 on the season, following the victory.
Ohio State is defending their national championship this season
Ohio State is looking to once again win the national championship this season. The Buckeyes got past a major hurdle with their victory over Texas. Ohio State football has beaten Texas twice now since the 2024 College Football Playoff.
Sayin is replacing veteran quarterback Will Howard. Howard won the CFP title last season, while leading the Ohio State offense.
Day was left with a good impression of Sayin. Ohio State’s quarterback out dueled Texas gunslinger Arch Manning.
“I was impressed with his poise. He had a good look in his eye, and what he was saying, what he was seeing, was exactly what was going on,” Day said. “That’s a great sign. I remember CJ’s [Stroud] first start. I remember Justin’s [Fields] first start. And when I say first start, I mean in big games—Dwayne [Haskins], Kyle [McCord], you know. Will [Howard] was different because he had played a lot of football, but when you’re out there for the first time, there are so many things to take into consideration.”
Ohio State football next plays Grambling State on Saturday.
