Predicting Who Ryan Day Will Name Ohio State Buckeyes' Starting QB

The Ohio State Buckeyes have quite the quarterback controversy brewing in Columbus following the departure of Will Howard to the NFL.

Ohio State entered the offseason likely assuming that Julian Sayin would be its starting quarterback heading into 2025, but a rather uneven showing in spring practice has opened the door for Lincoln Kienholz to step in and provide some fierce competition.

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day has called the quarterback battle a "two-horse race," revealing that Kienholz was actually ahead of Sayin, but that the latter drew even with the former after an impressive showing during Ohio State's spring game.

That begs the question: who will be starting under center for the Buckeyes next fall?

Well, here's the thing: Sayin was previously the clear favorite, and you have to think that Day would prefer the 19-year-old to win the job.

After all, Sayin was a five-star recruit when he arrived at Columbus last year, and Howard even indicated that the youngster was up next. Heck, Sayin was generating Heisman Trophy buzz earlier this offseason, demonstrating just how much talent and potential he possesses.

Obviously, that won't mean a whole lot if it doesn't translate onto the field, and we have certainly seen players receive monstrous hype only to fall flat in the past.

Still, Sayin's tremendous raw talent probably gives him the edge over Kienholz, even if Kienholz is the more experienced player.

A true dual threat, Sayin owns terrific arm talent to go along with eye-opening athleticism, and with a bevy of weapons at his disposal, he should be able to establish himself as a phenom in 2025.

The Buckeyes just won a national championship, so Howard will represent a tough act to follow. It's not just how well Howard played on the biggest stage; it's the fact that he was also an outstanding leader and was incredibly respected in the locker room.

Sayin will have to live up to that. It's not just about ability; it's also about his capability to lead, and that's something he will have to further develop throughout the rest of the spring and summer.

That being said, regardless of the fact that Sayin has been pretty disappointing overall this spring, he has to be considered the favorite to emerge as Ohio State's starting quarterback.

Prediction? Day eventually picks Sayin as his starter.