During an interview with Big Ten Network on Thursday for the Ohio State stop of the Big Ten Fall Camp Tour, Buckeye head coach Ryan Day said he wants the quarterback competition to be settled at least two weeks before the season opener against Texas.
“I’d like to see them continue to compete throughout this week, maybe into next week. But you’d like to have an idea of who that guy’s going to be for at least a couple weeks heading into the first game,” Day said.
To this point, Day and quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler have said that the battle is still ongoing and is a close one between redshirt freshman Julian Sayin and redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz.
Niether of the two has much in-game experience, so Day is trying to simulate that as much as possible so he can see which of the two is more ready for the game against Texas, which was ranked the No. 1 team in the country in the coaches poll that came out recently.
Currently, Day is scheduled to speak with the media on Aug. 11 and Aug. 18, which puts the likely date of a starting quarterback being named publicly as the 18th, 12 days before kickoff against the Longhorns.
Day is no stranger to quarterback battles in fall camp. In both 2023 and 2024, he didn’t name a starter until the fall. Will Howard won the job about two weeks before the season opener against Akron, and the battle the year before between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown actually went into the season.
But with the Longhorns waiting Week 1, Day wants to have his lineup fully set before Aug. 30 so the first team players can get as many reps as possible.
Offensive coordinator Brian Hartline spoke about the battle on the Big Ten Network broadcast as well.
“It’s a true battle, and they have that opportunity for one to make the other one better,” Hartline said. “Competition can breed the best out of individuals. So if you really have a room or a position like that, it really allows you to maximize the individual. So good for the team, frankly. And the guys are competing prep-wise, on the field, in the weight room, they’re doing a phenomenal job and they are pushing each other.
“And I’m not saying they both don’t play. Coach Day and I have talked a little bit about that. Ultimately, it’s going to be a conversation. But they’re both doing a really good job.”
