It took two spring game drives for Julian Sayin to put Ohio State's QB battle to bed

While there are plenty of questions for Ohio State to answer ahead of the start of its national title defense in 2025, the biggest by far is at quarterback, where Will Howard's departure left a trio of inexperienced youngsters in his wake. Former five-star Julian Sayin, who transferred from Alabama last offseason after Nick Saban's retirement, figured to be the heir apparent, but whispers in the spring had been less than impressive, suggesting that redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz had a real shot at stealing the job.

All of which made the Buckeyes' televised spring game on Saturday a huge early test. This would be the first time the fan base at large could really get an extended look at Sayin and Kienholz and assess where they were at. Was Kienholz really pushing for the starting job, or was Day just being a good politician? Should this position be something to worry about ahead of the spring transfer portal?

Turns out, Ohio State would get an emphatic answer to all of those questions right off the bat. And it was as positive as fans could've hoped for.

Julian Sayin makes major statement in Ohio State spring game

Sayin wasn't the first quarterback to take the field, ceding that honor to Kienholz. But from the very first snap, it was crystal clear who's really QB1 for the Buckeyes right now.

Kienholz oversaw a three-and-out on the Scarlet team's first possession, but Sayin had no such trouble, completing five of seven pass attempts while leading Ohio State to a touchdown on his first drive. He stayed hot on his next possession, firing a 25-yard touchdown pass down the seam to transfer tight end Max Klare:

And he was very far from done. His most impressive throw of the day came in the second quarter, a laser over the middle to budding star wideout Mylan Graham. If there were any questions about whether Sayin had the requisite build and arm strength to play at the highest level, this one likely put them to bed;

Sayin completed 14-of-20 passes for 180 yards and a score in the first half alone, looking far more composed and accurate than Kienholz throughout. Of course, as is his wont, Ryan Day was diplomatic after the game, saying only that his young quarterback has "had some good days, he's had some days he's learning from" while declining to give any passer any edge on the depth chart.

To everyone else, though, the takeaway from Saturday was clear: Sayin is QB1 in Columbus, and will likely remain so for the entire season.

A little over their skis? Perhaps; Sayin has still yet to take a meaningful college snap, after all, and spring games often prove illusory. But he physically looked the part, and his pedigree speaks for itself. It should set up one heck of a showdown when Arch Manning and Texas come to town in Week 1.