With a loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big 10 title game, Ohio State’s 2025 season now resembles their 2024 season. Both entered the playoffs with a loss. However, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin isn’t losing any sleep over it. Instead, he plans to follow the blueprint laid out by Will Howard and apply the biggest lessons that he learnt from Ryan Day himself ahead of the playoff run.

“I think just seeing him, the way he prepared last year in the playoffs, and he was able to play his best football when it mattered the most, as a quarterback,” Sayin said when asked what he learned from Howard. “As coach (Ryan) Day always says, the best players are their best in the biggest games. So that’s definitely something that we got to do going forward.”

The 2024 season was all about learning and observing for Julian Sayin. He spent the year picking up on how Will Howard carried himself and prepared for big moments. His only role was to learn the system, absorb everything, and wait for his opportunity.

Now, his time to put Ryan Day’s biggest lesson into practice. Mind you, anyone who follows college football very well knows the version of Ohio State you see in the playoff isn’t the same one you see in the regular season. The Buckeyes have a pretty good history of locking in when everything’s on the line, and Howard was the clearest example of that last season.

Howard’s final regular-season game against Michigan in 2024 was rough, with a 13-10 loss where he managed just 175 passing yards, one touchdown, and two crucial interceptions. But instead of dwelling on the defeat, Howard told everyone the season wasn’t over, and he was right. The Steelers QB promised a strong playoff run, and that’s exactly what happened as the team didn’t lose another game all season en route to a national championship.

Julian Sayin doubled down: “For Will (Howard’s) part, you definitely saw the leadership aspect from him in the playoffs and then just the preparation aspect. And, you know, just knowing where he’s going with the football every play.”

Ohio State went on the road and handled Tennessee, snapped Oregon’s undefeated streak in the Rose Bowl, dominated Texas in the Cotton Bowl, and then lifted the national title against Notre Dame. That run doesn’t happen without Will Howard’s response after adversity.

In just 4 playoff games, Howard completely re-mastered his play, throwing around 1,150 yards with 8 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions, completing 75.2% of his passes.

Even though Howard is off to the NFL now, the mutual respect is pretty evident. Howard has even complimented Sayin’s calm attitude and strong throwing arm. With Ryan Day officially calling the plays, expect the Buckeyes’ offense to be a bit more aggressive than usual.

Ryan Day’s play-calling decision

Ryan Day calling the plays for Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl is the biggest takeaway heading into the Buckeyes’ playoff matchup with Miami. For casual fans, it might not feel like a big deal. But for anyone digging deeper, it raises a real question: does this help Ohio State’s chances? The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that Day was already heavily involved, and this move only makes it official.

Day made it clear this isn’t because of some kind of dramatic shift behind the scenes. “I’m involved with most of what goes on anyway, so we’ll be good,” Ryan Day said. “We have good guys. It will be a group effort, but I think players will tell you we’re all involved with it anyway.”

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Ohio State’s offensive plan is cooked together as a staff long before the game starts. By kickoff, most of the calls are already mapped out for various situations and defensive schemes.

Ryan Day doubled down: “When you’re at your best, the players already know what the call is before it even happens.”

The concern is whether play-calling takes away from Day’s ability to manage the game. Being a head coach means watching everything, from timeouts to penalties to defensive adjustments. That’s why he initially stepped away from calling plays and handed it to his OC. 

Day is, at heart, a passing-game coach. Whether it works will come down to execution, especially against a fast, talented Miami defense. As always in football, if it works, Day looks like a genius. if it doesn’t, everyone will question the call.