Ohio State is in the midst of a starting quarterback competition for the second offseason in as many years, with this time redshirt sophomore Devin Brown, fifth-year senior Will Howard and true freshman Julian Sayin a;l duking it out for the position.
Unlike last season, however — when the battle between Brown and now Syracuse gunslinger Kyle McCord spilled into the first two weeks of the regular season — head coach Ryan Day wants to find the right guy sooner rather than later.
“I think the way things turned out last year, it kind of went into the first couple games of the season, that’s not ideal,” Day said during an appearance on 97.1 The Fan’s “Bishop and Friends” this Wednesday. “I wouldn’t like to do that again this year. But it’s going to come down to playing the best players.”
While Day did not comment on who is currently in the lead for the starting role, the coach said that one way to facilitate a quicker decision-making process with the quarterback position this offseason is to be more intentional and strategic with how reps are handed out throughout fall camp.
“There have been conversations about it for sure, and we’re going to have to be creative,” Day said. “We’ve done some things. (Last fall camp we) had two fields going to make sure we’re getting enough reps for everybody involved. But we’re going to have to be really good and execute a good plan.”
Despite these efforts to speed up the process, Day still does not want to put a strict deadline on when he wants a decision to be made. Instead, he wants to let the process play out throughout the summer — without spilling into the fall — to see which quarterback can rise to the top before making a decision, one which he acknowledged can go a long way in determining the direction of the season.
“(Quarterback play) is going to be a huge part of our season,” he said. “We know that…We’re not shying away from that. The defense is going to be strong and how well they play late in the season is going to be critical, but it always comes down to the quarterback.
“It’s going to come down to playing the best players. And I say that all the time: We don’t have time to not play the best players. So they’ll be in competitive situations, and may the best man win.”
