Ryan Day talks strategy to prepare Julian Sayin for blockbuster matchup against Arch Manning's Texas in 2025 season opener

After recording a major milestone in his career and lifting the ninth title for Ohio State, Ryan Day and Co. are set for a new season and hope to win the national championship again.

Last year, it was Will Howard who silently coursed his way into the final game and lifted the golden trophy. But this season, Day will have a new QB after Howard's departure to the NFL.

Looking at the current scenario, it is going to be former Alabama transfer QB Julian Sayin who starts for the program. Although Day hasn't made an official announcement yet, he is keeping the options open for Lincoln Kienholz to compete for the starting role. However, Day has a plan ready for Sayin if he intends to go deep into the season.

Day, who was speaking to Colin Cowherd from Sin City on Tuesday at the Big Ten Media Days, mentioned that Sayin will be given multiple opportunities to get used to the environment and the live experience. It will start from the day when the Buckeyes face Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns for a blockbuster matchup at home.

“It starts early," Day told Cowherd on his podcast (Timestamp: 0:30). "When you start off with a game like this, the first game of the season, it just has your attention, even in July.

“And then we got to have a great August. I think in the spring, we made a lot of progress. We try to put him in as many game situations as possible and then go from there. ... Lincoln Kienholz is right there with him, too. ...

"So the two of these guys are going to compete all summer, and we'll kind of see how that all shakes out, but put them in as many competitive situations as possible and see how they react to it. ... They get the big blue team plays take care of the football. And then you know when his fourth and two final way to get three yards.”

Ryan Day claims he has no pressure of defending the national championship

While speaking to the reporters at Las Vegas, Ryan Day mentioned that his team was under no pressure to defend the title. The season was over and now it’s a new campaign. They look forward to going into an attack mode as if they had never won the title and making their way into the national championship.

The dynamics have changed a lot for the team, especially when over 15 players have left the team either via the NFL draft or the portal. With more fresh faces, Day has a big challenge to build team chemistry in a very short time before the Buckeyes take over Texas at home on Aug. 30.