Title: “Under the Horseshoe Lights: A Battle Forged in Columbus”
The air in Columbus carried a weight unlike any other July in recent memory. Ohio Stadium, silent and still beneath a cobalt sky, stood as a coliseum awaiting its gladiators. Inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, two young quarterbacks, Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz, were deep into a battle that would define not only their careers, but the trajectory of Ohio State’s 2025 season.
Head Coach Ryan Day stood near the 50-yard line, arms crossed, his eyes scanning each rep with precision. The Buckeyes were just weeks away from opening the season in Austin against a top-ranked Texas Longhorns team hungry for revenge after last year’s playoff snub. There was no time to ease into the season — the quarterback who took the field in September would need to be surgical, poised, and fearless.
Sayin, the five-star transfer from Alabama, had the polish. Every motion was textbook, his dropbacks smooth as if scripted. His ball placement in 7-on-7 drills was near perfect, threading needles between defenders, hitting Marvin Harrison III’s heir apparent — sophomore phenom Xavier Wynn — in stride over and over. He was the technician, cerebral and quiet, letting his spirals speak volumes.
But Lincoln Kienholz, the redshirt sophomore, had the grit. A multi-sport standout from South Dakota, he brought a fire to the field that turned heads. Where Sayin played like a symphony, Kienholz played like a jazz improvisation — unpredictable, electric, and bold. He danced out of collapsing pockets, fired sidearm lasers on the run, and wasn’t afraid to challenge even All-Big Ten safety Malik Hartford in practice skirmishes.
Ryan Day addressed the media after the team’s latest closed scrimmage — an intense, padded affair where both QBs led multiple scoring drives. “We’ve got two guys who are competing their tails off,” Day said, his voice steady but urgent. “Julian’s command of the offense is growing every day. Lincoln’s leadership and playmaking are undeniable. It’s going to come down to who can take control when it matters most.”
Inside the locker room, the team was split — not in division, but in anticipation. Offensive linemen praised Kienholz’s moxie. Receivers marveled at Sayin’s precision. Both were earning trust. Still, whispers of a potential two-QB system swirled, especially with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly rumored to be experimenting with new tempo packages.
The final test came in a Saturday night scrimmage — lights on, Horseshoe empty but for staff and alumni scouts. Sayin opened sharp, dissecting the second-team defense with a surgeon’s patience. But Kienholz answered with flair, scrambling for a 35-yard gain and capping the drive with a daring back-foot touchdown to tight end Bennett Christian.
In the post-scrimmage huddle, Day didn’t name a starter. Not yet.
“We’re close,” he told the team. “But Texas is coming. One of you will lead us. Both of you will prepare like it’s yours.”
Back in his office, Day watched the scrimmage tape in silence, eyes flicking between plays, decisions, and body language. The pressure was immense, but in Columbus, championship hopes always rested on the shoulders of quarterbacks. Whether it was Sayin’s perfection or Kienholz’s fire, one thing was certain — the battle was forging something sharper than either man alone.
And come September 1st in Austin, one of them would walk through the tunnel, the face of Ohio State football.
