Every Monday, Land Grant Holy Land will take you beyond the box score and what stood out in Ohio State’s latest game. These are notes and observations that don’t show up directly in the box score. These are subtle details that helped shape the game’s outcome.
There are so many things that happen throughout the course of a three-hour football game that it’s easy to miss them, but that’s why we’re going
beyond the final box score to make note of the other subtle details of the game.
Here’s the deal: The stat sheet typically tells the story when the No. 1 team takes on an FCS team. That was the case in the No. 1 Buckeyes’ 70-0 win over Grambling State Saturday afternoon.
That said, there was one element that stood out beyond the stat sheet from Saturday’s blowout win…
Ryan Day’s coaching of Julian Sayin’s has been excellent
Call Ryan Day a quarterback whisperer. That’s not an overreaction. The way he has managed Julian Sayin through the first two weeks of the season — as well as his track record of quarterbacks at Ohio State — has earned him that status as a head coach.
Sayin came into this season with limited experience. Right out of the gate, he was thrown to the wolves against then-No. 1 Texas and their stingy defense. As the game unfolded, Day quickly knew he only had to make sure Sayin wasn’t put into positions where he could lose the Buckeyes the game. The only big pass Sayin attempted was his 40-yard touchdown to Carnell Tate early in the fourth quarter.
The Buckeyes’ defense was going to win them that game against the Longhorns, so Day didn’t have Sayin too much. It was a game plan that worked to perfection, and Texas’ game plan was clearly the opposite.
Sometimes, protecting your quarterback is not just a job for the offensive line. It’s on the head coach to not put him in harm’s way, to not have him be too aggressive, and to have him just manage the game without trying to play hero ball.
More often than not, the quarterback and team with the fewest mistakes will win the game. That was the case in Sayin’s first start in Week 1.
Against Grambling State, Day unleashed Sayin. The result? A near-perfect performance with Sayin throwing for four touchdowns and over 300 yards while completing 18-of-19 passes.
Yes, that came against an FCS school. However, posting those numbers suggests that Sayin is ready to lead this offense and produce prolific numbers. Saturday was a confidence boost for Sayin. Hopefully, Day will continue to let him and the passing game cook through the next 10 games in the regular season.
Sayin is in, arguably, the best position of any quarterback in the country with the playmakers the Buckeyes have. Day may not have given him a lot on his plate against Texas, but it will be interesting to see how much he gives Sayin against Washington in the Buckeyes’ Big Ten opener and in other marquee games against Illinois, Penn State and That Team Up North.
Over the first two weeks, Day and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline have done an excellent job coaching and managing Sayin through his development.
Coaching matters in football, and Ryan Day is on a great run right now going back to mid-December of 2024. The results on the field have obviously been what has stood out the most, but how the Ohio State head coach has handled his first year starting quarterback through two weeks has been equally as important.
