COLUMBUS, Ohio — Julian Sayin and Arch Manning lived under different spotlights entering Saturday’s season opener between Ohio State and Texas football. They also walked out of the matchup with different narratives surrounding them.
Manning entered as the next great… well, Manning. He’s the new star quarterback in a family known for excellence at the position. He was the Heisman Trophy favorite.
The reaction to his play against OSU — 17-30, 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception — took him to the other end of the spectrum. In the world of hyperbole, he’s now a bust until proven otherwise.
Sayin hasn’t been viewed that way.
He entered Week 1 as a relative unknown. Sure, he was a former five-star prospect, but coach Ryan Day didn’t name him the starter until two weeks before the game.
Sayin left Ohio Stadium as someone who did what he was asked. It wasn’t spectacular — 13-20, 126 yards and a touchdown — but it was enough to win a marquee matchup filled with masterful defense.
However, as Ohio State enters a two-week stretch of games against Grambling State and Ohio University, it’s time for Sayin to be more than a quarterback capable of executing a conservative gameplan.
It’s time for Day and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline to challenge Sayin, even if it’s not by going — as Day said — “0-60 overnight.”
“We’re going to continue to put things on his plate, push the envelope and go from there,” Day said.
Sayin graded out as a champion for his play against Texas, according to Day. Had he gotten some help early, perhaps we could’ve seen more of what made him a highly-touted prospect.
Day said Sayin’s adjusted completion percentage was impressive, which is telling of the uncharacteristic struggles from Ohio State’s weapons.
Tight end Max Klare dropped a fourth-down pass in the first quarter. Receiver Jeremiah Smith dropped a pair of passes in the first half after only having one drop last year. Even a second quarter deep ball to Brandon Inniss was on the money, but a Texas defensive back just made a perfect play to deflect it away.
If some, or all, of these plays had hit, Sayin’s stat line would have been better. It also could’ve given OSU’s offense some momentum and changed Day’s outlook on the game.
“I’d like to think that if we had made a few plays for him earlier on in that game, maybe it would have gone a different direction,” Day said. “I don’t think he ever flinched. Good start. Lot of football to go, though.”
Modern technology allows Ohio State to work with Sayin in real time.
On the fourth down pass to Klare, it seemed Smith was running one-on-one down the field against a Texas defender. While Klare was open running to the sideline, it appeared Ohio State wanted the ball to go toward its star receiver.
Day asked Sayin what he saw on the play as the quarterback returned to the sideline. Sayin said he felt a safety creeping over the top, which was a reasonable explanation to Day.
But rather than review the film the next day, Sayin was able to look at it immediately with tablets now available on sideline.
“For a young quarterback, having that iPad and actually watching the film on what you actually saw and then comparing it to what was on the film does confirm some things in your mind,” Day said. “… I think we used that to our advantage in this game.”
Perhaps more importantly than reviewing the film was how Sayin mentally approached the missed opportunity.
“You’ve got to move on, which I thought he did,” Day said.
The Buckeyes should have no issue moving the ball in their next two games, giving Day and Hartline an opportunity to put more on Sayin’s plate — which they felt he could’ve handled against Texas had the game dictated it.
While Ohio State’s defense proved it’s ready to be elite once again, there will be moments this season when Sayin has to make big plays. He can show he’s ready for that even against lesser competition in the coming weeks.
“We need to be more explosive on offense,” Day said.
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