Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has seen what he wanted to and needed to from his QB Julian Sayin this offseason.
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach relies heavily on what he sees in his players' eyes. He references it on a weekly basis, and when there is a big game, he is very keen on what he sees in his players by looking into their eyes.
It is safe to say that what he has seen from Julian Sayin this offseason has passed the test.
On Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, Illinois, Day was asked about his signal caller, and he had this to say: "[There is] a different look in his eye... You see a different person. You see a different body. He’s worked hard. He’s gotten stronger. He’s found his voice even more.”
Sayin needed it after what was a horrible end to his 2025 season. Sayin dismantled every team that he faced between weeks 2 and 14. Then, in his two biggest games, he folded pretty badly.
He got beaten up pretty badly by the Indiana Hoosiers as they took it to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game. Ohio State still got the luxury of a bye week in the first round of the College Football Playoffs, which set up a matchup with the Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl.
There were no miracles that night as the Hurricanes took it to the Buckeyes in a significant way, largely because they had Sayin uncomfortable all game long.
Sayin, along with all of the Buckeyes, entered this offseason with a nasty chip on their shoulder after the way last year ended. The Buckeyes felt like they had a missed opportunity last year to win another National Championship, and they are going into next year ready to right their wrongs.
For Sayin specifically, his growth has to come against the best competition. He has got it down against inferior opponents, where he tears those guys apart. Now, he needs to take that same juice, that same energy, into the games against the best opponents.
The good part is that he is going to have plenty of chances at just that next year. The Buckeyes' schedule is a gauntlet, and they will be tested significantly from start to finish next year.
Sayin accomplished what he needed to this offseason. His coach believes that he got better, and he has approached the offseason exactly how he needed to.
Now, he needs to turn that into a great season for the Buckeyes in what could potentially be his final one in college.
