Ryan Day Exudes Pessimism Despite Season-Defining Texas Win; Sends Powerful Julian Sayin Message

Ohio State came out swinging in its season opener. They pulled off a gritty 14-7 victory over the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns at the Horseshoe. The Buckeyes’ young defensive crew, guided by new coordinator Matt Patricia, certainly stepped up when it mattered most. It showed flashes of the championship pedigree they bring as defending national champs. But here’s where things get interesting at Columbus. Just because the Buckeyes left the field victorious doesn’t mean the work is done.

Ryan Day has made a clear stance, “The competitiveness, the grittiness, I think you saw that on Saturday. That’s a great start. Was it all perfect? No. Do we need to play even harder? Yes. We’ve got miles to go.” Day was quick to acknowledge that while the defense shone in this opener, the offense still has plenty to refine. “I think the guys played hard in this game. I thought there was a physicality to this game,” Day said. “The execution has got to improve. We need to be more explosive on offense, for sure.” Julian Sayin, making his first career start, played with remarkable composure and pinpoint accuracy for the most part.

But beneath the solid stats and the win, the Buckeyes’ offense showed clear signs of lagging. Sayin completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards with a touchdown. But the details reveal a conservative game plan. Only one completion traveled more than 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. It was a 40-yard touchdown to Carnell Tate. But that was actually underthrown and largely saved by Tate’s athleticism. Most of Sayin’s throws (19 of 20) were outside the hashes, showing a reliance on safer, shorter passes, which limited big-play opportunities.

Of the seven incompletions, two were throwaways while the remaining five told a different story. Max Klare was unable to secure one, and the best WR, Jeremiah Smith, also had two passes slip through his hands. Now, that highlights that the offense needs to pull their socks up. The final two incompletions came under disputed circumstances, with one play drawing questions about a non-pass interference and another non-pass interference that many felt should have been flagged outright.

However, the mentality of the Buckeyes remains strong. “Coming out of that game, they realize they can play with anybody in the country,” Day said. “That being said, it’s a long season, there are so many corrections that need to be made, there are a lot of improvements that have to happen in all three phases. That’s gonna be the thing as we get back to work here.” Beating Texas was just the first step in what promises to be a long and challenging season for Ohio State. Now, the Buckeyes need to shift their focus to the upcoming game against Grambling State, a team they face at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Sure, Grambling State might be considered a notch below Texas in competition level. But still, Day and his staff know that the job isn’t done.

Sayin’s take on his performance

Though there were certain misses and disappointments, Sayin felt confident about his game, “I feel like I was really well-prepared by my coaches,” Sayin said after the Texas game. “Coach Fessler and Coach Day, they do a really good job of implementing the game plan and then sitting and watching tape with us. So I think I was really well-prepared and being able to see the looks that we watched on tape.”

Saying faced little disruption in the pocket, pressured on only five of his drop-backs. “I was just going out there and focusing on my job,” Sayin said. “I think the defense played really well, obviously, and then the offensive line and the receivers and the running backs ran hard. So it kind of made my job easy just trying to distribute the ball.”

Under duress, Sayin went 2-for-5 for 14 yards. When protected, he was far more efficient, completing 11-of-15 attempts for 112 yards and a score.