With the No. 1 Ohio State football team taking on Illinois on Saturday, the program has been led by the impressive play of sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin. As fans lock in their bold predictions for the Ohio State football game against Illinois, former head coach Nick Saban would give flowers to the signal-caller.
Saban was on “The Pat McAfee Show” when asked about the Buckeyes and if he were head coach Ryan Day, what he would want to see from everybody. One of the aspects that Saban highlighted was Sayin and how accurate and efficient he has been, completing 80.2 percent of his passes through six games.
“And they've talked about Julian Sayin, nobody in the country is completing 80% of his passes but him,” Saban said. “And I know he's got some good receivers, but they've been able to run the ball. The offensive line has played pretty well. So I think the emphasis for Ryan Day has got to be focused on improvement and consistency, and performance, so we don't have ups and downs during this season.”
"Ohio State has been one of the most consistent teams in College Football..
They've been dominant against good teams like Texas and Washington..
Julian Sayin is completing 80% of his passes and nobody else is doing that" ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/IZ1cl4kell
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 10, 2025
Aside from the completion percentage, Sayin has thrown for 1,313 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions, showing the talent he has in his first year starting at the collegiate level.
Ohio State football's Julian Sayin gets encouraging outlook from Ryan Day
There's no denying that the Ohio State football team has a huge outlook for Sayin, especially Day, who has given a lot of trust to the sophomore quarterback. He would say, via The Athletic, that he has been impressed with the “way he's responded in some big moments,” even teasing that there is a “long way to go” in terms of his development.
“To see the way he’s responded in some big moments, we can build off of that,” Day said. “People see that and get excited about it. It’s just the beginning, a long way to go, but it’s very encouraging.”
Looking at the Buckeyes, Saban would go on to say how they have been “one of the most consistent teams.”
“I mean, look at their defense,” Saban said. “They've only given up what, 25 points for the whole season, and been dominant. And they played two really good teams, Texas and Washington, and dominated both those games.”
Subsequently, Ohio State looks to stay undefeated, taking on the No. 17 Fighting Illini on Saturday.
