The Ohio State football team will begin its 2025 season on Saturday with a massive clash at home against No. 1 Texas. Julian Sayin was recently named the starting QB for the Buckeyes, and his first test will not be an easy one. The Longhorns are No. 1 for a reason. They have Arch Manning starting at QB, and he is expected to be one of the best players in college football. Taking down the top team in the land will be difficult. In fact, a first-time starting QB hasn't beaten the top team in the country in their first career start since Jim Harbaugh did it at Michigan back in 1984.
Sorry to bring up Jim Harbaugh, Ohio State fans, but that is the history that Julian Sayin will be chasing on Saturday. It is a feat that hasn't been done in a long time, but Sayin has the opportunity right in front him.
“One little side note for Julian Sayin, he's looking to make history on Saturday,” Joel Klatt said during a recent episode of his podcast. “The last quarterback to beat the number one team in the country while making his first start in college football, way back in 1984. Do you remember? A one Mr. Jim Harbaugh, did it for Michigan. I'm not sure if Ohio State fans or Julian Sayin will want to be in the same sentence with Jim Harbaugh, but I'm sure he's going to want to win on Saturday.”
This feat hasn't been done in over 40 years, but Sayin has a pretty good situation lined up in front of him. He has the best wide receiver core in the country to work with, and his team is ranked No. 3 in the nation. There's a reason why the Buckeyes are favored to win this game.
“Julian Sayin, so he wins the job over Lincoln Kienholz, and now he's got the keys to Ryan Day's offense,” Klatt added. “And folks, that's a really good offense. He's got the best player in college football at his disposal in Jeremiah Smith. That's a guy that has to touch the football early and often. It might be difficult, because last year in the national semifinal, Texas largely took Jeremiah Smith away. He only had one catch for three yards.”
Texas did a great job of blanketing Jeremiah Smith last year, but the Ohio State football team still won the game. If the Buckeyes want to beat the Longhorns again this weekend, Julian Sayin and Smith need to form a strong connection early.
