Steve Sarkisian Reacts to Ohio State Naming Julian Sayin the Starting QB originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
In what can only be described as one of the more exciting games of the college football season, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns are taking a trip to Columbus in Week 1 to face off against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 1.
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It’s a rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff Semifinal in the Cotton Bowl, which saw Ohio State notch a 28-14 victory before taking down Notre Dame in the title game to be crowned champions. Among the 26 combined players Texas and Ohio State had selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, both teams saw their starting quarterback take the leap to the next level.
Although Texas tabbed Arch Manning as the starter back in February, the Buckeyes’ decision wasn’t nearly as easy. Both former four-star Lincoln Kienholz and former five-star Julian Sayin were competing for the gig throughout the offseason, but ultimately it was Sayin who Ryan Day announced as the starter on Monday.
Steve Sarkisian Reacts to Julian Sayin Being Selected as Ohio State’s Starter
When Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about the decision following the news, he had nothing but praise for Sayin.
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“Ton of respect for Julian,” Sarkisian said. “We recruited him hard here. He was a very gifted passer, really good player. Came to camp with us, I think, two years in a row. So we got a lot of familiarity with him. Obviously, a California kid…Very good player, elite passer, very good arm talent, very quick release, really accurate guy. Obviously, he’s got great weapons around him so he’s the type of guy that can utilize those weapons in a good system. So, it poses a heck of a challenge.”
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian.Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
The Longhorns and Buckeyes will face off on Aug. 30 on FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff,” while also having ESPN’s “College GameDay” in attendance for what will be Lee Corso’s final game at the desk.
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The oddsmakers at ESPN BET currently favor the Buckeyes (-2.5), but the expectation for this game is that it will be as tightly contested as one could imagine.
Related: Julian Sayin Earns Fresh Nickname from College Football Fans After Ohio State’s Decision
Related: Ohio State Makes Major QB Decision Before Week 1 Matchup Against Texas
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
