They say when you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. Ryan Day‘s living that cliché in real time in Columbus. With Will Howard off to the NFL, Ohio State’s QB room is down to two names that are causing more questions than answers. 

“It’s a two horse race,” Ryan Day admitted. The Buckeyes’ QB battle between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz is probably one of the most discussed topics this offseason. Even the HC is scratching his head, saying, “I feel like Lincoln was ahead of Julian going into the spring game, and I thought Julian had a better spring game than Lincoln. So, it’s back and forth.” But there’s one place that makes the best QB, and it’s not on the field. 

On June 8, WBNS 10TV brought in the big names to discuss Ryan Day’s QB dilemma ahead of a crucial season opener against Texas — Dom Tiberi, Adam King, DeVier Posey, and Tim May. While the tape favors both QBs in different ways, King dropped a truth bomb about the importance of going into the opener with a clear-cut QB. “I would argue it’s more important in the locker room than it is on the field,” he said. “In the locker room, you need to find your leader… When you get into a scenario like this, you don’t want to split in the locker room. You don’t want half the guy saying I want Lincoln and the other half saying Julian. You want one guy to establish himself so that when they walk into Texas, everybody knows that’s our guy.” This is a game about who owns the huddle. CJ Stroud had it. Will Howard had it. And that’s what made them great QBs. 

So, who is the guy in command right now? Let’s put the bet on Julian Sayin who’s got the majority votes for this race even from Will Howard  The former 5-star Alabama commit showed he can play football with his high school stats — 7,824 yards and 85 TDs. Cbssportscfb’s Dave Biddle is high on him saying, “He’s got a very quick release. He’s got a special quick release. He’s very accurate with the ball... I think he’s probably got a stronger arm than Will Howard.” And yet, you can’t overlook his competitor in line. 

A dual-threat QB, Lincoln Kienholz finished his senior high school at Riggs High with 4,857 total yards. 1,435 yards came from the ground. QB whisperer Jordan Palmer singled him out as one of the three spring’s breakout arms during the QB summit alongside Julian Sayin and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. But no matter who wins the starting job behind center, one slip could cost the opener.

Will Ryan Day enter the Texas opener with no clear-cut QB1?

This isn’t Kent State or Ball State. It’s the Texas Longhorns who contended for the 2024 SEC title in their first year in the conference. It’s Arch Manning’s team. And this is going to the first impression of the post-Howard era. And the pressure’s not just on the QBs. It’s on Ryan Day to get it right. Because anything less than decisiveness could fracture the locker room before the first snap. And the QB room is still receiving mixed verdicts. 

DeVier Posey, once a WR1 in scarlet and gray, leaned toward Sayin but didn’t hide his respect for Lincoln’s athletic upside. “I have a love and affinity for Lincoln Kienholz as a young player growing up in terms of being an athletic quarterback, “ he said. “But my money, I have to put that on Julian Sayin. He’s becoming a leader. He had a great spring and on top of that he has a rapport with Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss and Carnell Tate from their SFE days back in 707 when they played in high school.” But whoever gets the ultimate nod has a real sense of urgency. The pressure of winning a National Championship is real. And if they falter in their foundation, serious doubts are going to loom. And that opener isn’t a cakewalk. 

Ryan Day still has a month to figure out who his alpha is. But if neither becomes the guy, Ohio State could be walking into Austin with talent and turbulence.