The eyes of college football were all on Arch Manning as No. 1 Texas visited No. 3 Ohio State in Week 1 on Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium. However, it was the Buckeyes' former five-star quarterback who stole the show. In a duel of new full-time starting quarterbacks, Julian Sayin got the best of Manning and impressed his head coach in the process.
“I just loved his composure," Day told FOX sideline reporter Jenny Taft on the field postgame. "We probably could have opened it up (passing attack) later in the game, but in his first start, we really didn't want to do that. I think he could have handled it, but this is a great start for him. To win in his first start, beat the No. 1 team in the country - big time play over here, I thought he took care of the football. What a start for him and just a gutsy win for our team."
Julian Sayin earning his coach's confidence with Week 1 win over Texas
Sayin, a redshirt freshman making the first start of his career after sitting behind Will Howard on Ohio State’s national championship run last season, finished 13-for-20 for a modest 126 yards and a touchdown in the 14-7 Buckeyes’ victory. Crucially, he didn’t turn the ball over, allowing the Buckeyes’ talented defense to dominate the Longhorns.
Sayin’s numbers could have been better in his debut performance, however. Ohio State’s talented receiving corps struggled early in the game. Transfer tight end Max Klare dropped a surefire first down early in the first quarter, one of Sayin’s better throws of the game, and Jeremiah Smith, the favorite to win the Biletnikoff Award, had two drops on the same drive.
It was quite a test for the Alabama transfer, who joined the Buckeyes mere weeks after initially enrolling in Tuscaloosa last year. The Texas defense ranked first in adjusted expected points added per game last season, two spots ahead of the Buckeyes, and returned plenty of talent.
Eventually, Sayin did get some help from his pass-catchers when Carnell Tate made a contested catch in the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown on a ball that was slightly underthrown. That score was the difference for the Buckeyes as Manning managed to respond with a TD toss of his own, but the Longhorns stalled out on fourth down with 1:27 left in the fourth quarter, sealing a 1-0 start to Ohio State’s national title defense.
Manning finished 17-for-30 for 170 yards and a touchdown with an interception, which set up Sayin’s touchdown throw to Tate. Manning entered the year as the favorite for the Heisman Trophy, and though much of that hype was tied to the name on the back of his jersey, it’s a good sign for Ohio State that Sayin looked like the better player on the field Saturday.
Now, Day has two weeks in Columbus with matchups against Grambling State and Ohio to test the limits of his new QB and a bye week before the Buckeyes head to Seattle for Sayin’s first start away from home, at Washington in Week 5.