The Game is a different beast.
It operates in a different biome where the atmosphere is hotter and the predators are more violent. The stakes of each play are amplified to their maximum. For the first time this Saturday, Julian Sayin will face the beast as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. It comes with all the pressures and pain of four straight Buckeye losses to Michigan.
Sounds complicated and overwhelming. Quarterback often is. But Ryan Day is keeping it straightforward.
“Lead the team to a victory,” Day said of his message to Sayin. “That's it, at the end of the day. And what does that look like? It depends on how the game plays out. But he's got to do his job, make great decisions and ultimately be the guy that leads the team to victory. And that's the number one goal. The rest of it is gravy.”
Sayin’s shown nothing but poise under center since his first career start in Week 1 against then-No. 1 Texas. In that game, he finished 13-of-20 passing and didn’t turn the football over. That last point feels paramount in The Big House this weekend.
Many interceptions have turned the tide of The Game, most recently in 2023, when Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord tossed one on the Buckeyes’ first series to set Michigan up for its first touchdown. In a game decided by a one-score 30-24 final, it loomed large. A Wolverine pick also sealed their win on Ohio State’s final drive, though McCord wasn’t at fault as a hit forced the errant throw.
Michigan is third in the Big Ten for interceptions this season, with 12 total. The Wolverines have a turnover margin of +4 on the season, two behind the Buckeyes’ mark of +6.
“They’ve created a lot of turnovers,” Day said.
Much of the success in taking care of the football and pushing the offense down the field will come from weekly preparation for Sayin. He’s been an excellent student of the game this year, but once more, it’s another level this week.
“He's got to do as good a job as anybody in the building this week of getting out in front of it,” Day said. “He's got to communicate, handle the environment and what comes with it. He's shown composure this year, but again, now he's got to be at his best.”
Sayin’s preparation, poise and talent have guided him to be one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in 2025, in fact, one of its best players as he’s considered a major contender for the Heisman Trophy. His performance against Michigan and whether he accomplishes that top goal of winning will play a huge role in his chances. He still leads the nation in completion percentage by a 5.1% margin at 79.4%, and he’s tied for fourth in yards per pass attempt at 9.4. He has 2,832 passing yards and 27 touchdowns with four interceptions in total.
“Lead the team to victory. That’s it.”– Ryan Day's message to Julian Sayin
It’s not all on Sayin’s shoulders, of course. It’s on his offensive line protecting him. It’s on his defense upholding the standard it's set all season as the best in the country. And it’s about his receivers getting open. Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate’s availability will have a lot to do with that last point, though things seem to be trending in the right direction for Ohio State’s star wide receiver duo to play.
“It's not just the quarterback,” Day said. “It's everybody involved, and that's what we all need to understand. I think sometimes we look back, we want to point the finger at one thing or another, but it's everybody. And that's why when we play in matchup games like this, it can come down to one play. So everybody in the entire building has got to be on point this week, and that's special teams, and that's on offense and defense, and everybody involved with it. So, certainly the quarterback gets a lot of the attention, but we need everybody.”
The weather is forecasted to be the harshest Ohio State has experienced all season, with temperatures projected around 30 degrees at kickoff and a chance of snow that will increase throughout the game. Whatever the elements, whatever the circumstances, whatever happens on that field in Ann Arbor, Day wants the immortal words of Al Davis to ring in Sayin’s mind.
“Just win. Just win. Like, that's it,” Day said. “Just lead the team to victory, whatever that looks like and however that is. And that's the number one goal. So these guys are going to prepare all week, and we're going to put together a great game plan for them to be successful, and that's it. And they’ve got to go put it on the field.”
