Lincoln Kienholz’s Louisville debut was the kind of performance that makes people start daydreaming fast.
Against Ole Miss in the Cardinals’ Music City Kickoff game in Nashville, the former Ohio State quarterback looked nothing like a player who had spent his college career in the shadows. In Louisville’s 41-38 loss, decided by a Rebels field goal as time expired, Kienholz piled up 376 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. He was slippery, explosive and tough to corral, using his legs to keep plays alive and his arm to punish the defense when space opened downfield.
He also became the first quarterback in Louisville football history to top 300 yards in his debut. For a heavy underdog, he nearly dragged the Cardinals to a stunning win.
That’s the part that invites the obvious reaction: what if Ohio State had this version of Kienholz right now running Arthur Smith’s system?
It’s an easy thought to have. It’s also the wrong one.
Kienholz never won the Ohio State job for a reason, and that doesn’t change because he finally flashed somewhere else. Ryan Day valued him as a leader, but he never saw him as the quarterback who could take hold of the starting role during any of Kienholz’s three years in Columbus.
Julian Sayin was chosen for a reason, too, and after Ohio State’s 56-3 win over Ball State at the “Shoe” this past weekend, Sayin’s case is pretty clear. He is 13-2 as a starter.
The Buckeyes also have no reason to rewrite the past. Nobody in Columbus is looking back and wishing Will Howard had been pulled during Ohio State’s 2024 title run.
If there’s one season where you could argue Day missed on the quarterback call, it might be 2023 with Kyle McCord. Even then, Ohio State finished 11-1 in the regular season and would have been in a 12-team CFP field.
And Kienholz, at that point, was still a true freshman.
There’s no way to know whether Kienholz would have produced the same kind of efficiency and success if he had stayed in Central Ohio and been handed the same opportunity Sayin got. Sayin came out of high school with the higher ceiling, but that alone doesn’t prove Kienholz couldn’t have grown into something special, too.
At the same time, that line of thinking can spiral into pure guesswork. Kienholz’s Louisville breakout doesn’t guarantee he would have looked this way if he never left.
Chemistry matters. So does fit.
And the change of scenery may have been exactly what he needed to show how wide his dual-threat game really is.
What is clear is that the move has worked in Jeff Brohm’s offense, which gives quarterbacks more freedom than Ohio State’s system.
Brohm deserves credit for recognizing the talent, but Ohio State’s program deserves a slice of that too. Kienholz arrived in Columbus having to earn everything. He didn’t have his black stripe removed until September of his freshman season, and the grind he went through there helped shape him into the leader he is now.
That part is another win for Day’s culture.
And if the recent quarterback pipeline looks familiar, there’s a reason for that. Syracuse had Day to thank for Kyle McCord in 2024, just as LSU had him and Urban Meyer to thank for Joe Burrow in 2019.
In Other News...
Ohio State Faces A More Dangerous Texas Test Than Last Year
The rematch on the schedule already carries enough weight, but this one comes with a different feel for Ohio State. The Buckeyes and Texas are meeting for the third straight year, only this time it is in Austin at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, with ESPNs College GameDay on hand and the Longhorns carrying a 1.5-point edge. After the last two seasons gave both programs a fresh look at each other, the matchup now arrives with even more attention and a bigger stage.
For Ohio State, the challenge is not just the venue or the buildup, but the version of Texas waiting on the other side. Arch Manning gives the Longhorns a new layer at quarterback, while new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp adds a familiar edge to that side of the ball. For a Buckeye team used to measuring itself against the nations best, this one feels less like another early heavyweight game and more like a true test of how much has changed since the last time these teams lined up. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's QB Uncertainty Just Added Intrigue To The Game
Ohio State opened its season with a comfortable win over Ball State, while Michigan had a far less reassuring afternoon in a narrow escape against Western Michigan. That alone would have been enough to keep Buckeyes fans watching closely, but the storyline got more interesting when Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham left the door open on Bryce Underwoods status at quarterback, a notable twist for a position that usually settles the tone for the rest of the rivalry week chatter.
Underwoods uneven play has only deepened the questions around Michigans offense, and it carries extra weight because of what this game means beyond one Saturday in September. For Ohio State, any uncertainty on the other sideline only adds to the intrigue heading into a meeting where the Buckeyes will be paying attention to whether Michigan can steady itself, or whether the Wolverines are heading toward a bigger change than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Left Fans With One Big Concern After Its Opener
Ohio States opener came with the usual September mix of hope and uncertainty, only this time there were more moving parts than usual. The Buckeyes rolled out significant roster changes and even new uniforms, and while Julian Sayin gave the offense a steady presence and punctuated his day with a memorable touchdown scramble, the bigger picture still felt unfinished. The offensive line had its share of hiccups, especially at right tackle, which made it hard to get a clean read on how settled this group really is.
The run game only added to the uncertainty, because the backfield usage looked different than many expected and the offense never fully settled into a predictable rhythm. On the other side of the depth chart, the quarterback situation behind Sayin is still not clear, with Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair continuing their battle for the backup role. For a team with championship expectations, the opener did not erase the lingering questions so much as sharpen them. [Read more 🡒]