Ohio State is scheduled to host Texas in week one, in what should be the game of the opening weekend. With the #1 team heading to Columbus, the biggest question for the Buckeyes remains unanswered: Who is going to start at quarterback?
Head coach Ryan Day has yet to decide who will be leading his team. The competition between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz is the closest battle in Columbus, and both quarterbacks provide a different style of play. The following is a breakdown of the pros and cons, with Day ready to make a season-defining decision.
Julian Sayin: Poised and Polished, But Unproven
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The fan favorite going into the fall is Julian Sayin, and it is not difficult to understand why. The former five-star Alabama transfer had a great Spring Game. He went 16 of 25 with 178 yards and a TD through the air. He demonstrated excellent mastery of the offense and connection with Ohio State’s top receiving threats (Eleven Warriors). Sayin also has chemistry with his star receivers Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, and Carnell Tate, as they have spent their seven-on-seven days together, which provides him with an inherent advantage in the Buckeyes’ high-powered passing game.
But the greatest liability of Sayin is experience. He has only thrown 12 passes in actual college gameplay- five of them successfully (84 yards, one touchdown), which makes him a relative unknown when the heat is on in Big Ten games.
Lincoln Kienholz: Athletic and Ascending, But Raw
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Kienholz also issued a declaration of his own in the Spring Game, where he came in over Sayin and ended with 5-for-5 passing in the second half, with 94 yards and two touchdowns. His stats in the first half were less impressive (8-of-13, 70 yards), but the way he was able to play without flinching in the face of pressure was impressive.
Kienholz brings a two-way threat to the offense that Sayin does not. He flashes RPO skill and usable athleticism on broken plays. His career resume is still slim, however, as he has only completed 10 passes in 2023, 111 yards in total, and he had zero snaps during the 2024 season. Kienholz’s primary concern is the same as Sayin’s; he just doesn’t have much experience in the game. Another issue that jumps out is that in three years with the Buckeyes, he has gotten three chances to start, yet still has limited playing time.
Ryan Day thinks that the race is neck and neck going into Week 0, and no leader has yet been formally designated, according to On3. Sayin can provide polish, timing, and on-the-spot chemistry with top prospects, and Kienholz adds mobility and growing confidence. Faced with a choice of going with the polished passer or the ascending star, Day must choose between Texas and Week 1.
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