Julian Sayin could not have found a tougher opponent for his starting debut. The Ohio State quarterback opens his tenure as QB1 Saturday against No. 1 Texas and its imposing defense in one of the biggest games of the entire college football season. Sayin boasts impeccable raw talent as a former five-star recruit, though, and he was on the roster to witness Ohio State’s run to the 2024 national championship. Because of that, the quarterback of last year’s squad, Will Howard, says he is ready for the moment.
Howard reached out to Sayin when he won the starting job, and the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie stays in touch with the entire room at his old school. Having that kind of resource at his disposal could be key for Sayin as he steps into the limelight in a pressure-packed role.
“There’s a lot of eyes, there’s a lot of pressure, but you can’t treat it like that,” Howard said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on the eve of Saturday’s season opener. “You gotta just treat it like it’s another game. Obviously this being his first collegiate start, collegiate game, it’s a big one, but I know that he has it in him. He got to watch us go on that whole run last year, and he was a part of it, so he got to see the big games. I’m excited to see him go out there and take this step with him actually doing it, because he’s a dude, man. He’s a stud.”
Following his arrival last offseason as a freshman transfer from Alabama, most viewed Sayin as the de facto starter-in-waiting behind Howard. He appeared in just four games as a true freshman and saw limited action late in games that were no longer in question.
“That’s my guy, man,” said Howard. “He’s California cool. He’s got one of the best releases I’ve seen. It’s pretty, man. It sure is. He can spin that thing. There’s no doubt about that. I’m excited to go out there and watch his demeanor and the way he leads these boys.”
Sayin defeated returning backup Lincoln Kienholz and freshman Tavien St. Clair in the position battle, which opened following Howard’s departure for the NFL and was neck-and-neck until deep into fall camp.
“He’s gotta trust what he does every day in practice,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on a “The Pat McAfee Show” appearance of his own. “He got a chance to see Will lead last year and see his command in the huddle and how he handled those types of things. Every day, he’s growing more and more. Once we named him the starter, I feel like he’s picked up some momentum.”
First-year starters for the Buckeyes, who are 1.5-point favorites for Saturday’s game at FanDuel Sportsbook, have a stellar track record. Over the last decade, no quarterback lost more than two games in his first year atop the depth chart. J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones, Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud, Kyle McCord and Howard combined to post an incredible 80-8 record in their debut seasons leading the Ohio State offense.
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