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A poised Julian Sayin outplays overhyped Arch Manning as Ohio State upends No. 1 Texas
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- A poised Julian Sayin outplays overhyped Arch Manning as Ohio State upends No. 1 Texas
Julian Sayin is what sculptors call natural clay. Born with a strong arm, blessed with a quick release and gifted with an ability to process information easily and accurately, the Ohio State first-time starting quarterback already was "good material" when he arrived on campus before last season. He simply needed an experienced potter to add some grit, to mold him into a pleasing finished product.
Enter Ryan Day (with help from OSU quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler), whose artistic work, including the ability to sand QBs into smoother versions of themselves, has turned out such memorable pieces as C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields . With Day at the wheel, Sayin stood a good chance of becoming something special.
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But despite arriving in Columbus as a former five-star recruit, Sayin was not Arch Manning , who already was an exquisite work of art upon arrival at Texas. At least that is how he has been advertised. Manning comes from a strong bloodline that begins with his grandfather, Archie, and continues through Hall of Famer Peyton and two-time Super Bowl winner Eli.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) celebrates after beating Texas Longhorns 14-7 in his first career start at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Aug 30, 2025.
Compared to such football royalty, Sayin comes from more common stock. His parents, Karen and Dan, owned a cookie company before selling it to become importers of garlic and onions. I enjoy eating both vegetables, but we're not talking Manning caviar here.
Julian Sayin, Arch Manning : A tale of two very different quarterbacks
That distinction, between Manning the celebrity signal caller and Sayin the unknown quantity – the 20-year old made his first ever start against the Longhorns – was the sidebar to the main narrative of No. 1 Texas against No. 2 Ohio State. (Actually, the even bigger story was which mascot head Lee Corso would don in his final appearance on ESPN GameDay, but you know what I mean).
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) throws during the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.
So how did the QB tete-a-tete play out? Surprise, surprise. Sayin came out ahead. As did the Buckeyes , 14-7, on a perfect weather day enjoyed by most of the 107,524 in Ohio Stadium. I say most, because Texas fans left the Horseshoe wondering if their Boy Wonder of a quarterback is as super duper as they were led to believe.
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Let's be clear: Manning has talent. His touchdown throw to Parker Livingstone that pulled the Horns to within 14-7 with 3:28 left was a bullet of beauty. But the sophomore's overall accuracy was subpar (57% on 17-of-30 passing) and he threw an awful ball that cornerback Jermaine Mathews easily intercepted with OSU leading 7-0 in the third quarter. Manning looked confused by the Buckeyes' coverage – props to defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for designing an attack that kept Texas' offense guessing – and looked nothing like the Heisman Trophy candidate he has been touted to be.
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The hype has been unfair, but with everything in Texas being bigger, it also was expected.
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Sayin's story arc has been much different. He wasn't named starter until Aug. 11, when Day chose him over Lincoln Kienholz. Yes, he was a top quarterback coming out of Southern California, but at 6 feet 1 was not the preferred height of QBs who end up making it big in the NFL. He also began his college career at Alabama before transferring to OSU when Nick Saban retired. He sort of slipped through the cracks when he switched schools, and last season attempted only 12 passes in the mop-up duty shadow of Will Howard .
Then came the Texas game, and the whispers we have heard about Sayin turned into bold statements. The kid can spin it, but more importantly he shows the poise of someone who can win you a lot of games. Maybe even all of them? Uh, let's not get ahead of ourselves, but Ohio State fans should feel better seeing him live and in person than they did before he took on a stingy Longhorns defense that limited the Buckeyes to 203 total yards.
"I thought he handled himself well," Day said of Sayin. "I thought he took care of the ball, made some throws he needed to, and (not forcing it) a couple times when it wasn't there."
Was it perfect? Of course not. Never is. Sayin missed an open Jeremiah Smith in the first quarter and threw a late incompletion when he should have run the ball to eat clock.
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But he also was better than just OK, which is to say he showed he can be more than a game manager. His stats: 13 of 20 for 126 yards and a touchdown, without an interception.
"For a first-time starter, you just don't want to put them in that situation," Day said of first-time play caller Brian Hartline mapping out a more conservative approach, especially as OSU clung to a seven-point lead in the fourth. "So hindsight says we did the right thing."
Sayin looked strong from the jump, minus failing to see an open Smith, who uncharacteristically dropped two passes before looking more like his old self.
"Early on he threw some good balls and we had a few drops, which is rare around here," Day said. "I was impressed with his poise. He had a good look in his eye, and what he was saying and seeing was exactly what was going on. That's a great sign."
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Day and Hartline intentionally kept a lot off of Sayin's plate, not wanting to put him in a tough spot, but in the afterglow of a rare win – it was the first time since 1984 that a first-time starting quarterback defeated a No. 1 opponent – Day admitted his inexperienced QB could have handled a more complicated game plan.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) runs during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.
Afterward, Sayin wasn't saying much. He is as reserved with his words as Howard was effervescent. Maybe it's being a first-time starter? Maybe it's his personality? Maybe it's California cool ?
"Just going out, focusing on my job and … just keep stacking plays," Sayin said of his steady performance.
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Julian Sayin won't be saying anything to get OSU in trouble
Two thoughts: 1. You don't need to worry about Sayin providing opponents with billboard material; and 2. The scoreboard doesn't award bonus points for being the life of the party. Just keep winning and the fans will love you.
Jermaine Mathews, meanwhile, is the mouth that roars. And the OSU cornerback did enough talking for both him and his QB.
"He played a great game for his first game," Mathews said of Sayin. "He managed the game for us. He was very poised. I've seen him two years now and I knew he was ready for this moment."
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More ready than Manning, as it turned out. You can exhale now, Buckeye Nation. You have a good one.
Sports columnist Rob Oller can be reached at roller@dispatch.com and on X.com at @rollerCD .
Read his columns from the Buckeyes' national championship season in "Scarlet Reign," a hardcover coffee-table collector's book from The Dispatch. Details at OhioState.Champs.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Arch Manning comes up short vs. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin
