Ohio State Football: Ryan Day’s quarterback decision looms large

Ryan Day has a very important decision to make that will not only affect the future of some of his players but quite possibly his own as head coach of the Ohio State football team. The quarterback room will no doubt be the most scrutinized on the team this off-season, and rightfully so given the obvious drop in production following the departure of C.J. Stroud to the NFL.

While Stroud has been helping to turn around the Houston Texans franchise, his backup turned starter Kyle McCord has become the scapegoat for many Ohio State football fans following a 30-24 loss to their bitter rivals to the north. Although Stroud didn’t fare any better against TTUN, his poor performances get excused by Buckeye Nation thanks in large part to the cheating scandal that rocked Ann Arbor and Jim Harbaugh this season.

Many people point to the two interceptions in this past Saturday’s game as to the most significant reason why the Ohio State football team lost their third consecutive game to the Maize and Blue. Those two plays obviously didn’t help, but McCord can’t be the only reason for the loss. Day’s non-aggressive decisions also played a part, along with lack of protection by the offensive line, and the defense’s inability to get off the field on fourth down and in the fourth quarter.

Believe it or not, McCord’s numbers this season haven’t been terrible. His 11-1 record as a starter this year was better than Stroud’s in 2021 when it was his first year. Plus, his 3,170 yards passing this year is the seventh greatest all-time in school history. But no matter how good those numbers look, no matter how I try and swing the narrative, the fact remains that the quarterback play was lacking when Day needed it the most.

Which is why he is forced to make a big decision. That being whether or not he needs to hit the transfer portal to find a new starting quarterback for 2024 or ride with McCord for another season.

If Day decides to be ruthless and go after the top quarterback who hits the portal this off-season, he no doubt will be sending a signal to McCord that he is no longer needed, which means McCord himself will also hit the transfer portal. This decision would send shock waves not only throughout the team but throughout college football. McCord’s name, his 12-1 record, and his starting experience will have plenty of head coaches and offensive coordinators salivating.

That decision may also affect the other current quarterbacks on the roster. How would Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz view Day going after a transfer to undoubtedly compete for the starting position?

Then there is the wildcard to consider. Incoming freshman Air Noland looks poised to make some noise right away. His most recent tweet has many fans believing that he will be on campus in January, getting a head start on his collegiate career.

Nolan is the real deal. His junior and senior season highlight films are the best I’ve evaluated since Justin Fields for an incoming Ohio State quarterback. His dual-threat ability has some comparing him to another left-hander in Steve Young. At 6-3 and 195 lbs., Noland is considered one of the best quarterbacks and overall athletes in the 2024 recruiting class. The 5-star is the fourth highest ranked signal caller according to the 247sports composite rankings.

If Day decides to stay clear of the transfer portal, he may only lose one of the backup quarterbacks to the portal. He could also swing it as an open competition once again, which would give Noland an opportunity to compete right away.

Day could also be ruthless, head to the portal to snag a one-year starter and let Noland know he has one year to get himself ready as the backup before he becomes the next Ohio State football starter in 2025. That decision might completely turn over his quarterback room. It would be hard for me to see any of the current quarterbacks stay to compete when it is obvious that Day doesn’t believe any of them are good enough to start over a transfer.

Either way, no matter what decision Day makes, this is going to be another crazy off-season full of quarterback talk, speculation, and second-guessing. This might be the most important, and possibly the final, decision Day makes if he doesn’t choose correctly.