Ohio State already knows who will open the season at quarterback, but one pundit has floated a strange twist that would only matter if Julian Sayin comes back for another year.
Sayin enters his second season as the Buckeyes’ starter after a freshman year that made him a Heisman Finalist. The expectation is simple: he takes another step, pushes Ohio State toward a national title, and if everything breaks right, heads to the NFL as a first-round pick.
If that happens, Tavien St. Clair would be next in line.
That much is straightforward. The odd part comes if Sayin stays.
Jeremy Birmingham of 97.1 The Fan raised a hypothetical in which Ohio State has a rough season, Sayin returns, and the Buckeyes are suddenly forced to weigh him against St. Clair for the 2027 job.
"If Ohio State has an opportunity to retain Julian Sayin, and the season doesn't go well, then Ohio State is the one that basically has to answer the question about whether or not year four of Julian Sayin is more valuable for them than year one of Tavien St. Clair as a starter...either way, this is a question that Tavien and his family are going to have to consider."
Birmingham’s scenario goes even further, suggesting Sayin could play poorly enough to miss out on the NFL and still end up in a battle with St. Clair.
He also doesn’t sound certain St. Clair would automatically win the job in 2027.
That’s where the whole thing starts to feel off.
If Sayin returns, he would be the starter. Period. After what he did last season, there’s no real reason to project a sudden collapse, and he would need a disastrous 2026 for Ohio State to look anywhere else.
St. Clair, meanwhile, is preparing to be the backup this season, which is exactly where he is expected to be.
Next year, he would be the favorite to win the job. The one caveat is that he could consider transferring if he doesn’t land the starting role, and that only becomes a real possibility if Sayin comes back or Ohio State brings in a strong transfer.
For now, though, this is all just a hypothetical. Ohio State is focused on the season ahead, not a quarterback puzzle that may or may not exist in 2027.
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