Ryan Day pulled a Houdini in 2024. After those tough losses early on against Oregon and Michigan—their fourth straight L to the Wolverines—they had folks in Columbus calling for his job. Fast forward to January 20th, and Ryan Day was having the last laugh. He might have got the monkey off his back, but the expectation and bar in Columbus is natty or failure. Now, spring football has been moving like a Netflix doc—fast, dramatic, and quite unpredictable. Quarterback battles are popping off coast to coast, but there’s something different brewing in Columbus. The Buckeyes are not just picking a starter… they’re picking the next face of their program. And behind all the smoke and mirrors, one name keeps creeping up.
Five-star firecracker: Julian Sayin. Cali kid with ice in his veins. He just cooked in the Shoe, and a national analyst isn’t holding back anymore. But let’s walk it back for a second…
Back on April 15, JD PicKell hit the On3 mic and dropped a damn near declaration. No cute analysis. No fence-sitting. Just fire. When the Ohio State segment came up, PicKell laid it out and didn’t hesitate. “Ohio State had their spring game this past Saturday in the Shoe. Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz—pretty much a two-horse race. It’s not that Tavien St. Clair and what he’s going to be in the future—but that’s probably the two quarterbacks you’re looking at most closely to start next year for Ohio State. Y’all, Julian Sayin looked like the guy.” Look, he’s not whispering sweet nothings either. JD pointed to Sayin’s control of the huddle, his downfield throws, and the rhythm he had out there like he’d been doing this since Tressel was in town. It was praise with purpose.
J.D. PicKell made a strong verdict with Ohio State and Julian Sayin: “You watch Julian Sayin run the Buckeye offense in the Shoe on that Saturday on Big Ten Network, and you just say—man, that’s how the Ohio State offense is supposed to look. He was poised, he was in command, he was making throws downfield. That’s what Ohio State, I think, has to be to go back-to-back as national champs.” You heard that right. Back-to-back. Nattys. And he’s not saying maybe. He’s not saying if everything goes perfect. He’s talking like Ohio State has to look like that to run it back. That’s pressure. That’s expectations. And that’s a whole new weight on Sayin’s chest before he’s even played a real down.
But the hype is all talk. Spring game numbers don’t lie. Sayin went 14-of-20 for 165 yards in the first half, moving like he was made for this. His touch was crisp, his pocket movement got smoother as the game went on, and he led 3 TD drives like he was playing NCAA 14 in rookie mode. Meanwhile, Kienholz and St. Clair combined for 20 throws total in that same stretch. The reps? They told the real story. Ryan Day was watching closely—and he let Sayin cook.
“There’s certainly a lot to grow from, and this is why we did this,” Ryan Day said, right after giving props for how Sayin moved the team early. That’s the sandwich right there—give the kid love, point out the flaws, and then back it with belief. Classic coach talk, but it hit different this time. So yeah, JD PicKell’s take got layers. It’s not just about Sayin looking good. It’s about what that means for the whole squad. This is a natty talk now. We aren’t just naming starters—we forecasting trophies.
And now? Let’s pivot.
Ohio State 2025 season: early regular season prediction
Now it’s 2025, and the reload is real. Will Howard’s off to chase the NFL bag. Chip Kelly dipped for the Raiders. Jim Knowles snagged $3.3M to flip Penn State’s defense. But JD PicKell? He’s not scared to make big boy predictions. He still sees a route back to the throne. Why? Because if Sayin plays how he did in the spring, Ohio State has all the ingredients to cook again.
The schedule is no joke, though. Buckeyes jump straight into the fire: Week 1 banger vs. Texas in the Shoe. That’s revenge vibes for the Longhorns after getting bounced last postseason. Then it’s a soft flex game vs. Ohio, followed by a sneaky tough trip to Washington. No more Kalen DeBoer, no more Penix; it should be an easy dub.
Big Ten play starts with Minnesota, then they hit roadblocks with Illinois and Wisconsin. You know Camp Randall ain’t ever friendly. Come November, it’s all gas, no brakes. Penn State hits Columbus on the 1st. That’s your circle-it-twice type of matchup. Purdue after that? Trap vibes. Then UCLA at home, Rutgers to close the Horseshoe, and finally—The Game. Michigan.
In the Big House. You already know what that means. Four straight Ls to the Wolverines. Pain. This could be the year everything’s on the line again. Legacy game for Ryan Day. Again. The slate’s filthy. Seven home games, five on the road, two bye weeks, and enough trench warfare to make a Marine sweat. But pressure? That’s just Ohio State’s pregame playlist. Sayin got the juice, and this team’s still dripping with talent.
Prediction time: Ohio State slides through 11-1. Maybe they get clipped early by Texas or caught slipping against Penn State. But they bounce back, stack wins and slide into the CFP—this time with a top-four seed. Who knows, maybe they run it back, maybe they don’t. One thing we can guarantee: Ryan Day and Ohio State will make the playoffs.
The post Stance on Julian Sayin’s OSU Future Cleared as Ryan Day’s Dilemma Set to End in Strong Spring Update appeared first on EssentiallySports.
