Okay, let’s talk about figuring out the Ohio State Buckeyes QB depth chart. It’s something I spent a bit of time digging into recently, especially with all the movement and spring practice wrapping up. It wasn’t like someone just handed me a neat list, you know?
First off, I just started by doing some general searching. Popped open my browser and typed in stuff like “Ohio State QB situation” or “Buckeyes spring practice QB news.” You get a lot of noise, the usual sports chatter, but I was looking for reports from folks who actually watched the practices, not just opinion pieces.
Looking at the Main Guys
I knew we had a few key names floating around. There’s Will Howard, the transfer kid from Kansas State. Big guy, lots of experience. Then Devin Brown, who’s been around the program, got that start in the bowl game before getting hurt. Can’t forget Lincoln Kienholz either, another guy who got some unexpected snaps last year. And then the new freshmen, Air Noland and Julian Sayin – though Sayin transferred out pretty quick, so I mentally crossed him off the immediate depth chart race for OSU.
So, my next step was trying to see how these guys were stacking up against each other based on what happened this spring. I looked for articles summarizing the spring game, even though you gotta take those games with a grain of salt. Coaches aren’t showing their whole hand.
Digging into Practice Reports
I tried to find more detailed practice reports. Sometimes local beat writers give little nuggets – who took reps with the first team, who looked sharp, who was maybe struggling a bit. It’s like piecing together a puzzle.
- Read through summaries of different practice sessions.
- Looked for quotes from Coach Day or the offensive coordinator about the QBs. They usually speak in code, but you can sometimes get a feel.
- Paid attention to mentions of Howard’s experience and leadership, seemed like a recurring theme.
- Noted how Brown was performing, especially coming off that injury. Was he getting significant snaps too?
- Checked if Kienholz or Noland were getting mentioned beyond just being there.
Putting it Together (My Take)
After sifting through all that, here’s kinda how I processed it. Howard, with his starting experience in the Big 12, seemed like the most logical guy to step in right away. He didn’t transfer to sit on the bench, right? So, I put him penciled in at QB1.
Devin Brown feels like the clear QB2. He’s got talent, knows the system better than Howard initially, and provides real competition. He battled hard in the spring from what I could gather. It wouldn’t shock me if he pushes Howard or gets meaningful snaps.
Then you’ve got Kienholz and Noland. Kienholz got thrown into the fire briefly last year. He’s probably QB3 right now, still developing. Noland is the freshman, super talented, but likely needs a year to learn and adjust. So, he slots in probably at QB4 for now, maybe gets some late-game action if things go well.
So, that was my process. Just reading, watching for clues, and trying to put the pieces together based on experience, reports, and a bit of common sense. It wasn’t rocket science, just took some time sifting through the info that’s out there. Of course, things can change fast once fall camp starts, but that’s my current read based on the work I put in.
