Day Pushes Sayin for Steadier Play as Ohio State Opens Big Ten Slate

The Buckeyes turn to conference action against Illinois on Sept. 26 with their head coach calling for sharper, more consistent quarterback play.

Ohio State enters Big Ten play this week with coach Ryan Day pressing quarterback Julian Sayin to deliver a cleaner performance level. "We have a high level of expectation for everybody," Day said, adding that greater consistency is the goal across the roster.

Sayin, the only returning Heisman Trophy finalist, has opened 2026 with 839 passing yards and six touchdowns across three games. The stretch has not been flawless, though, most notably during Ohio State's late collapse at Texas on Sept. 12, when a 20-point advantage slipped away in the nonconference showdown. In the second half against the Longhorns, Sayin connected on only 5 of 16 throws for 29 yards and missed receiver Devin McCuin on a possible scoring pass.

He bounced back the next week in a blowout win over Kent State, going 18 of 22 for 241 yards and two touchdowns while distributing the ball to additional targets. Day still noted several plays that were "out of sync" and said the team aims for perfection in pursuit of its goals. The bulk of the misses came during one second-quarter stretch: after linebacker Riley Pettijohn's interception gave the Buckeyes a first down at the Kent State 13, Sayin threw two incompletions and absorbed a sack on fourth down, having missed an open Brandon Inniss in the end zone. Sayin acknowledged the miss himself on the sideline, according to Day, who said the play represented a chance to develop.

A later drive ended when Sayin rolled right and threw high intended for wideout Jeremiah Smith. Day said pass protection has generally held up, but stressed throwing on time, trusting his feet, and converting in third-down and red-zone situations. Ohio State hosts Illinois to begin its conference schedule on Sept. 26.