Julian Sayin Confirms $2.5M OSU Asset as Main Culprit Behind Arch Manning’s Texas Humiliation

“The story of the game was the defense,” said Ohio State coach Ryan Day. “Those fourth-down stops were big.” The 2025 season opener for Ohio State and Texas was more than just a game. It was a defensive masterclass that set the tone for the Buckeyes’ national title defense. From the get-go, Ohio State’s defense took center stage, smothering Texas and rattling star quarterback Arch Manning at every turn. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, fresh from an illustrious NFL career with multiple Super Bowl wins and a $2.5M contract, showed up with a revamped defense after the Jim Knowles era.

But here’s where it gets even cooler. Julian Sayin, Ohio State’s QB making his first start, had a front-row seat to this defensive fireworks show every single day at practice. He gave major props to the guy behind it all: Matt Patricia. Sayin didn’t shy away from singing the praises of Patricia’s defense during the post-game press conference.

“They’re very fast, very physical,” Sayin said. “Coach Patricia does a great job mixing things up and keeping you on your toes as a quarterback. And it’s very hard to play against them. So you know it’s great practice going against our offense and makes my job to practice very hard.” Indeed, that was a major surprise for the Longhorns.

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