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Will Ohio State football also see its distant quarterback future against Youngstown State?
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Everyone knows Ohio State football will play two quarterbacks Saturday against Youngstown State, as Devin Brown is scheduled to sub in behind starter Kyle McCord.
If things go the Buckeyes’ way against the Football Championship Subdivision opponent — and a point spread beyond 40 points suggests they should — will fans also get a look at the future of the quarterback room?
Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Thursday that Oregon State graduate transfer Tristan Gebbia will be the third quarterback into the game. He hopes to eventually play true freshman Lincoln Kienholz, who only arrived this summer, but was non-committal about whether he is ready to play already.
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“Every rep is so valuable right now,” Day said about possibly playing Kienholz. “We’ll see.”
Kienholz was a four-star prospect ranked No. 138 overall in the 2023 class out of Pierre, South Dakota. Day suggested the plan is to allow Kienholz to use a redshirt season by playing him in no more than four games.
“There are a lot of things we’re very much encouraged with Lincoln,” Day said. “He’s someone hasn’t played a whole bunch of football. He has a great feel. He’s intelligent, inquisitive, curious. It’s going to take a little bit of time for him, but he’s learning quickly and we’d love to see him get in a game for sure.”
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Among other topics on Day’s radio show and interview session:
• Coming out of the Indiana game, OSU may have “one thing here or there” in terms of injuries. He did not specify which players might be involved. The team will release a status report on Saturday morning.
• Kicker Jayden Fielding, who came to OSU as a walk-on, is on scholarship now.
• Day doesn’t want to get into changing the play calling in regards to the clock and a shorter game. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to leave with a win, and you can’t let your pride get in the way.” Wanted to score more points, naturally, but a win is a win.
• Ohio State typically defers when winning the opening coin toss, but the new clock rules have him thinking about taking the ball first. However, he also mentioned how big it is to win the “middle six” and get the double possession at the end of the first half and beginning of the second.
• On running the quarterback more: ”We’d like to be able to do that moving forward.” As with J.T. Barrett and Justin Fields, there is a process. “You don’t get a real feel for how they’re running the football until they’re in a game.”
• On hurrying up the offense with the new clock rules: “You can’t be in a rush to go nowhere. You’ve got to do what’s best for your team.” Wants to score points, but can’t rush it. Wants to play with tempo, wants to play with purpose, but wants to do it in the appropriate settings.
• On the running backs against Indiana: “There was some plays where they really didn’t have much there.”
• Was told (presumably by the Big Ten) that an officiating error was made on the Marvin Harrison Jr. touchdown catch that was waved off. Officials later said Harrison was pushed out by the defender.
• Day said Harrison is “ready to roll” and healthy for Saturday after landing hard on his shoulder vs. Indiana. (He came back in the game quickly.) Wants to get him the ball but as far as workload, “we’re always cognizant of that and try to make sure we’re doing right by each player.”
• Ohio State asked Chip Trayanum to put on more weight in the offseason “because he could provide a change of pace and do more things than some of the other backs.”
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