Ohio State football has an intense QB battle between Sayin and Kienholz heating up

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2 days ago

Ohio State's quarterback race is full throttle as Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz battle for the starting job. Head coach Ryan Day knows the feeling all too well of what it is like to battle for a spot under center, sharing his perspective during a recent press conference. During his playing days at the University of New Hampshire, Day was in a tight quarterback race with Matt Cassano, an experience that now helps him relate to what both Sayin and Kienholz are going through.
'It's a great question. When I think back on that, one of my close friends to this day is one of the quarterbacks that was in that room,' Day said. 'You spend so much time together, and the easy thing when you're early on is to kind of hate the guy you're going against. And then you spend so much time with them, they kind of become your best friends. All that said, you want to play.'
In recent interviews, both Sayin and Kienholz made it clear there's no tension between them. While each hopes to earn the starting job, they're focused on pushing each other to improve.
'When you're in high school, you're used to being the guy,' Day said. 'And there's a certain level of comfort that comes with that. And when you're competing with somebody, you're kind of always looking over your shoulder. And that's not a great feeling, but it's a healthy feeling because you know that you have to hold yourself to a certain standard. You're not allowed to have a bad day, and you certainly can't have bad plays.'
'So when you're going through that competition, it's not a comfortable feeling, but that's OK,' Day said. 'That's part of the process. And just go back to that, if I could talk to my former self in that spot I would say, 'Be the hardest worker. Outwork the room. But control the things that you can control. Things like the team, commanding the huddle, commanding the line of scrimmage, your body language, your leadership.'
'Those things make a big difference. Probably more than just being 12-of-15 during 7-on-7, if that makes sense.'
Ryan Day offers meaningful perspective, not just on the quarterback battle unfolding in Columbus but also on how he faced his own as a player and how he approaches competition and adversity today as a coach.
With just 23 days until Ohio State takes on Texas, the pressure is building. Head coach Ryan Day will soon have to make the call between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz as his starting quarterback.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State QB Battle: Sayin vs Kienholz Fight for Starting Role