Ryan Day Name-Drops Joe Burrow in Discussing Ohio State Football QB Competition

The Ohio State Buckeyes are figuring out their quarterback situation, and Ryan Day likened it to when Joe Burrow was in Columbus.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterbacks, from left, Joe Burrow, Tate Martell and Dwayne Haskins warm up prior to the NCAA football game against the Army Black Knights at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Sept. 16, 2017. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes have a quarterback battle on their hands, and all indications are that it is an actual battle.

While many, myself included, came into the preseason thinking that Julian Sayin was the guy, it appears Ryan Day still feels the jury is out. Lincoln Kienholz was dubbed an "Iron Buckeye," and he seems to be doing well throughout training camp. The jury is still out.

Day did this last season as well, but as the season inched closer, it was obvious that Will Howard was the next guy up. Howard was a multi-year starter with the Kansas State Wildcats and transferred to Columbus to take the Buckeyes to the next level. While last season did have its up and downs, the Buckeyes ended up on top of the college football landscape.

This time feels different, and Day recently likened it to the Joe Burrow-Dwayne Haskins decisions that were made last decade. Burrow went on to have one of the best collegiate seasons of any quarterback in the history of the sport, but he did that at LSU.

Here's how he broke it down for the press.

Ryan Day says this QB battle between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz reminds him of the battle between Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow. #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/c1eflcAhj1

— Kellyanne Stitts (@KellyanneStitts) August 11, 2025

"I remember, kind of, with Dwayne and Joe, it was similar," Day said. He goes on to talk about the skill sets and other parts of their game that were similar. That means, in Day's eyes, that Sayin and Kienholz are relatively similar quarterbacks, which is intriguing as well.

The unfortunate part, for Day, is that there isn't much film to work with. Neither has been a consistent starter at the collegiate level, and both have performed well in camp. Sayin has 24 yards, all of which were in just four games last season. Kienholz, who has spent the last two seasons with the Buckeyes, didn't complete a pass last season and ended with 111 yards in three games the year before. Both seem more than qualified to be the starter for Ohio State.

Who will Ryan Day choose to be the Buckeyes' starter?

While we don't know who the starter will be, we do know that it is will be known soon. Day clearly wants to name a starter in the coming days and have them preparing for Texas on August 30.

Starting against the top team in the country right out of the gate is going to be easier said than done. Nonetheless, whoever Day goes with will need to compete on the brightest stage, so this opener should just help further that cause. Expect an announcement in at least the next couple of weeks.