Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes have a huge question left to answer before the start of the 2025 college football season.
With their matchup against Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns coming up quickly on August 30, the Buckeyes still need to name a starting quarterback. Julian Sayin was expected to take that role, but he has been unable to win the job to this point.
All offseason long, Sayin has been battling with Lincoln Kienholz for the job. Day has not seen enough from either player to name a starter.
Head Football Coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes is seen during warmups before a college football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Head Football Coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes is seen during warmups before a college football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
After transferring to Ohio State from the Alabama Crimson Tide last offseason, Sayin appeared to be the clear replacement for Will Howard. Of course, Howard left after one season and winning the national championship and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Despite the hype surrounding Sayin, a surprising new update has been given about the competition.
Pete Nakos of On3 Sports has reported that the Buckeyes’ quarterback competition is just that. There is a real question about which player will win the job.
“The Notre Dame and Ohio State quarterback battles are legitimate, and no true leader has emerged to this point, sources have told On3,” Nakos wrote. “While Lincoln Kienholz has emerged as a leader in the Ohio State locker room, Julian Sayin has an arm that sources have raved about.”
Clearly, this is not great news for Sayin. It might not be good news for Ohio State either.
While winning a national championship was amazing last season, a team without a legitimate starting quarterback doesn’t stand much of a chance of repeating. Day and company need one of the two players to step up and take hold of the job.
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Neither player has a lot of experience during game action. Sayin completed five of his 12 passes last season for 84 yards and a touchdown. Kienholz has completed 10 of his 22 career attempts for 111 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions.
As the Texas matchup continues to draw closer, Buckeyes fans can only wait for an answer at quarterback. Sayin still could win the job, but Kienholz is not letting it go easily.
Expect to hear more clarity about the situation from Day in the near future.
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