Ryan Day reveals critical stride QB Julian Sayin made for Ohio State football

Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day recognizes good talent when he sees it. Having coached quarterback Julian Sayin through the season's first 10 weeks as the starter, Day sees massive improvement from Week 1 until now.

In the lead-up to the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes' (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) road contest this Saturday (1 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network) against the Purdue Boilermakers (2-7, 0-6 Big Ten), Day complimented Sayin for the way he has steadily taken greater command of the offense. According to the defending national championship coach, it's a standard he hopes Sayin continues to follow rather than a strict expectation.

"He's made some tremendous throws, made good decisions, taken care of the football," Day told reporters Tuesday. "It's clear to see that he is now playing at a level we can reach our goals with. That's exciting for everybody."

Ryan Day on Julian Sayin:

"He's made some tremendous throws, made good decisions, taken care of the football. ... It's clear to see that he is now playing at a level we can reach our goals with. That's exciting for everybody."
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 4, 2025

Last week's win against the Penn State (3-5, 0-5 Big Ten) was indicative that Day's words about Sayin are holding steady. A 38-14 triumph against former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles saw Sayin finish 20-for-23 for 316 yards and four touchdowns, completing 87 percent of his passes.

Day says not only is Sayin's improvement evident from a mechanical standpoint, but also his ability to make plays in pressure-filled situations when a big gain is a necessity.

Ryan Day on Julian Sayin’s deep ball ability: “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out he has anticipation, touch, and a strong arm.”

Also mentioned how the WR’s obviously help as well in this department. pic.twitter.com/VQiQd8FYc2
— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) November 4, 2025

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out he has anticipation, touch, and a strong arm," Day said.

Sayin's numbers are already impressive enough as the season officially has hit its November climax.

An in-game graphic from Fox Sports saw Sayin outshine former college football royalty through eight starts. Sayin topped the likes of Joe Burrow (LSU Tigers), Bo Nix (Ole Miss Rebels) and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan Wolverines) in completion percentage. Sayin topped the rare list at 80.7 percent, while, respectively, Burrow's 2019 spree (78.8 percent), alongside Nix and McCarthy's 2023 seasons (78.3 percent and 78.1 percent).

Julian Sayin is off to a historic start.
[ via FOXSports ] pic.twitter.com/udAh2Fba2D
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 1, 2025

Considering all three names Sayin beat out are in the NFL, with each starting for the Cincinnati Bengals (when healthy), Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings, it appears evident that the sky is the limit for Sayin's true potential.

Within the last several days, the Ohio State football social media pages have gotten to work crafting promotional posts encouraging those to get behind a Heisman Trophy campaign for Sayin.

The nation’s QB1. #WeSayinHeisman https://t.co/8E69w0Q7PH pic.twitter.com/FxIB32Wh7A
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 2, 2025

"The nation's QB1," the caption read.

Sayin has another opportunity to ball out this Saturday against one of the nation's worst defenses, as the unit ranks near the bottom 100 teams in the FBS.

Unlike the Buckeyes, who are on a fast track toward a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth at season's end, Purdue has suffered seven-straight losses in Barry Odom's first season in West Lafayette. Its last win came in September, a 34-17 outing against Southern Illinois to wrap up the nonconference slate.

For now, though, something has to give.