Ryan Day's quarterbacks at Ohio State weren't built in one day, but Julian Sayin certainly got off to a good start in his starting debut.
Not counting Will Howard, who played four years at Kansas State before transferring to Ohio State for the 2024 season, five different quarterbacks in the Ryan Day era have made their debut as a full-time starter in a season opener, with Sayin being the latest to do so.
All five quarterbacks have not only led the Buckeyes to victory in those games, but they have performed well in victory, with numbers ranging from eye-popping stats to mistake-free football and everywhere in between.
While Sayin's stats on paper were by far the lowest of the five, the other four gunslingers didn't play an opponent anywhere near the powerhouse that was then-top-ranked Texas. After playing just 27 snaps as a freshman in 2024, all of which came when the game was already in hand for the Buckeyes, the second-year quarterback was a superb game manager against the Longhorns, remaining composed while playing mistake-free football in the win over Texas.
After the game, Day compared Sayin's performance on Saturday to that of when C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields made their starting debuts at Ohio State.
"A ton," Day said of the room Sayin has to build. "But I was impressed with his poise. He had a good look in his eye. And what he was saying and what he was seeing was exactly what was going on. That's a great sign. I remember C.J. (Stroud)'s first start. I remember Justin (Fields)'s first start. And when I mean first start, like in big games."
Sayin completed 13 of 20 passes (65%) for 126 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, a game that he hopes to build on after going against one of the best defenses in college football this season. (Note: The passing charts are categorized by how many yards the quarterback threw the ball in the air past the line of scrimmage on each attempt and whether the ball reached its target inside or outside the hashes, though the stats listed include yards gained after the catch on each completion.)
“We felt like he took care of the ball. Made some good throws,” Day said on Monday after having time to watch film of the game, one in which Sayin graded out as a champion. “I don’t think he ever flinched.”
As the season progresses, Sayin will continue to improve as he gains more experience and learns about himself, both in-game and through film study.
But before then, let's compare his stats in his first career start to the other four quarterbacks who have made their respective first starts as full-time starters in the season opener since Day took over in Columbus in 2019.
| QB | STATS |
|---|---|
| Julian SAYIN (VS. TEXAS) | 13/20 (65%), 126 YARDS, 1 TD; 2 CARRIES, 2 YARDS |
| KYLE MCCORD (AT indiana) | 20/33 (61%), 239 YARDS, 1 INT; 2 CARRIES, 9 YARDS |
| C.J. STROUD (AT MINNESOTA) | 13/22 (59%), 294 YARDS, 4 TD, 1 INT; 3 CARRIES, 13 YARDS |
| JUSTIN FIELDS (VS. FAU) | 18/25 (72%), 234 YARDS, 4 TD; 12 CARRIES, 61 YARDS |
| DWAYNE HASKINS (VS. OREGON STATE) | 22/30 (73%), 313 YARDS, 5 TD, 1 INT; 2 CARRIES, 24 YARDS |
| AVERAGE (NOT COUNTING SAYIN) | 18/28 (64%), 270 YARDS, 3 TD; 1 INT; 5 CARRIES, 27 YARDS |
Kyle McCord
McCord appeared in five games in 2021 and seven in 2022, including a start against Akron in the fourth game of the 2021 season after Stroud suffered an injury in the game before. That said, his lackluster performance to begin the 2023 season left plenty to be desired and also left the door open for a quarterback competition with Devin Brown to start the campaign.
McCord's performance against Indiana featured some good, some bad and some ugly, but it was the good plays that gave Day hope in the future that the mistakes can be fixed. While McCord only completed two of 10 passing attempts over 10 yards through the air, he was also an efficient 8-of-11 for 138 yards on play-action passes.
McCord finished his lone season as Ohio State's starting quarterback by completing 229 of 348 passes (66%) for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games. He then took his talents to Syracuse, where the gunslinger completed 391 of 592 passes (66%) for 4,778 yards, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 13 games with the Orange.
C.J. Stroud
Stroud appeared in just three games and didn't attempt a pass during his first season in Columbus. Then, in 2021, he won the starting job over McCord and Jack Miller. Stroud completed 13 of 22 passes for 294 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in the season opener at Minnesota that season. Like McCord, Stroud had much more success in that game on throws within nine yards of the line of scrimmage (10-of-12) than on throws of 10 or more yards through the air (3-of-10).
Given Stroud's inconsistencies in the first three games of that season – 63 of 101 passes for 963 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions – some fans and analysts were clamoring for McCord to take the starting job after the latter filled in for an injured Stroud against Akron and completed 13 of 18 passes for 319 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Day stuck with Stroud, though, and the rest is history, as the quarterback threw for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and six interceptions and finished fourth in Heisman voting following his first season as Ohio State's starter. He went on to become the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft after his second year as the starter.
Justin Fields
After transferring to Ohio State from Georgia following his freshman season, Fields won the starting job in his first year as a Buckeye in 2019. In an impressive Ohio State debut against Florida Atlantic, Fields completed 18 of 25 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns, showing plenty of ability to make plays as a downfield passer by completing seven of his 11 passing attempts of 10-plus yards for 129 yards and four touchdowns.
Fields went on to throw for 3,273 yards, 41 touchdowns and three interceptions and also ran for 484 yards and 10 touchdowns during his first season leading Ohio State's offense. He led the Buckeyes to a 13-1 record and finished third in Heisman voting that season, his first of two seasons as Ohio State’s starter before eventually being selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Dwayne Haskins
While backing up J.T. Barrett, Haskins appeared in eight games in 2018, completing 40 of 57 passes for 565 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, including an efficient 6-of-7 for 94 yards against Michigan while filling in for an injured Barrett.
He was given the keys to Ohio State's offense in 2018, leading the Buckeyes to a 13-1 record that included a win over Washington in the Rose Bowl. In his first start in OSU's season-opening win over Oregon State, Haskins completed 22 of 30 passes for five touchdowns and one interception. While Haskins would become known for his deep passing ability, his first game as a starter featured far more completions within nine yards of the line of scrimmage than deep balls, as 18 of his 22 completions were thrown nine yards or fewer past the line of scrimmage.
Haskins broke the school records for single-season passing yards and touchdowns with 4,831 and 50, marks that still stand as Big Ten records, in his lone season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. The late, great quarterback finished third in Heisman voting and was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
