COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ryan Day is not going to tell his first-year starting quarterback that he needs to be Superman in his first Big Ten road game. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be anyway.
Day is always going to take the responsible route when talking about the expectations for quarterback play. Sure, the big picture goal is to always have players who are of the caliber to be in the Heisman Trophy discussion, competing for national titles, and one day be first-round NFL Draft picks. But that’s the end goal. Along the way are small puzzle pieces that eventually come together to form a picture.
So when you ask Day what his message to Julian Sayin ahead of this game is, his answer will sound very similar to what he said before Sayin made his debut against Texas.
“Take care of the football and just take it one play at a time,” Day said. “Don’t do anything other than that and find a way to get your first road win. Sort of like in the Texas game, win the game. I think in an environment like this, you’ve gotta be steady and you’ve gotta lead.”
Fine, Day isn’t going to say it, so I will. Julian Sayin can’t win the Heisman on Saturday, but he can most definitely start revving up that engine.
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A Heisman campaign has to start somewhere.
John Mateer’s started against Michigan a few weeks ago, then built on that resume last week against Auburn. The Oklahoma quarterback should be the favorite, but a thumb injury to his throwing hand will sideline him long enough that he’ll be right back behind the eight-ball when he gets back.
That absence mixed with a 63-10 torching of Illinois has allowed Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza to move out in front, and he’s not the only quarterback in the Big Ten capable of turning a few heads.
“We’ll see as the season goes on how it goes, but it’s great to see so many good players in the league and great to see us playing in a venue like this in conference,” Day said. “If someone had said that you’re playing your first conference road game in Washington a few years ago, people would be shaking their heads. That’s just the way it is, and I think it’s great for the league, and you can see how it’s drawing great players into the league. It’s healthy to see these players, whether they’re recruited out of high school to play or transferring in, it’s obviously a very attractive league.”
A lot of Big Ten quarterbacks have a chance to make their opening statements for the Heisman Trophy this weekend, but Sayin might have the most to gain from that statement. Sure, Drew Allar and Dante Moore playing in a top-five matchup between Penn State and Oregon gets the primetime attention. But that game is more about two programs proving they can win big games than it is about a singular player.
Nobody’s questioning OSU’s ability to win on the big stage right now as the reigning champs. Everybody is still trying to figure out just how good its quarterback is.
The lack of a true datapoint is by design. Day, offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and quarterback coach Billy Fessler opted to keep Sayin on a short leash against Texas in favor of not overwhelming him because it wouldn’t have been fair to. Then they walked away with the best-case scenario of reaching 1-0 and feeling like they were too conservative.
“As a coach, you always want to be in that position of, ‘Oh, we probably could’ve done a little more,’ instead of, ‘We did too much,’” Hartline said. “I think we’ve done a good job of that. …Making sure we’re really clean on what we put on his plate. He has continued to do a good job week-to-week. So we’re gonna keep progressing that without being too much. It’s all about what fits week-to-week.”
The weeks since have been about establishing in-game chemistry between Sayin, Hartline, and the rest of the offense while tinkering with every toy along the way. The result has been both explosive and efficient in the form of 779 yards and eight touchdowns, while completing a nation’s best 78.9% of his passes.
Now comes the fun part of putting up those types of numbers against opponent who matter, and there’s not a soul in the building who seems overly concerned about that not happening.
“I’m very proud of Julian,” Jeremiah Smith said. “From the first game to now, he’s taken that step. I just can’t wait to see how he plays this Saturday.”
Smith is OSU’s best player, and there’s probably nothing Sayin can do this year — or next year, for that matter — to change that, but that doesn’t mean Smith will be its best Heisman candidate. Even as the nation’s best returning player, his odds of winning the award (+1400) aren’t significantly better than Sayin’s (+1700) right now.
Ohio State’s new QB1 has the 10th-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy right now, and his official campaign hasn’t even started yet. Saturday seems like a perfect time to change that while marking off the last checkpoint of September.
When Sayin graduated from Carlsbad High School in California as part of the 2024 recruiting class, he did so as the nation’s best quarterback. He’s already shown flashes that he’s capable of again being that at the collegiate level. All that’s missing is the stages to make that happen.
Well, 3:30 p.m. Eastern time on CBS inside Husky Stadium, his first stage will finally arrive, and it includes a quarterback on the other sideline looking to steal the spotlight.
It’s time for Sayin to properly introduce himself to college football.
Lights, camera, action.
“You have to lead,” Day said. “You’ve gotta lead with your command, you’ve gotta lead with your play and your resolve.”