Experience or Potential? Why Ohio State’s 2025 Season Could Hinge on the Most Crucial Choice Ryan Day Has Faced Yet
The line between experience and potential is razor-thin at the highest level of college football. For programs like Ohio State, where expectations stretch no less than a national championship, that line can make or break a season. The Buckeyes, yet again in the national spotlight for 2025, find themselves at a familiar crossroads: choosing between seasoned veterans who have been through the wars and younger players whose ceilings are sky-high. The decision looming before head coach Ryan Day and his staff is more than just a roster move — it’s a philosophical stance on how this team wants to win.
At the center of the discussion is the quarterback room, which has become the epicenter of uncertainty, opportunity, and intense debate among fans and analysts alike. On one hand, there’s experience in the form of graduate transfer Will Howard, the former Kansas State quarterback who led the Wildcats to a Big 12 title and brings with him leadership, command of an offense, and a proven track record in pressure situations. On the other, there’s Devin Brown, a third-year Buckeye with high expectations since arriving on campus, and Julian Sayin, the five-star freshman who flipped from Alabama and is already turning heads with his quick release and poise beyond his years.
It’s not simply a question of talent. All three are talented. It’s about what the team needs most — stability or upside. Howard has started over 25 college football games. He’s dealt with adversity, adjusted to hostile environments, and shown the maturity to win close games. That kind of leadership under center is rare, and something that can often mean the difference in Big Ten slugfests, where one bad decision can derail playoff hopes. Howard’s familiarity with big moments and his understanding of the grind of a Power Five schedule makes him a secure option.
Yet, there’s an unshakable sense that Ohio State’s offense might need more than just security. It might need firepower. Brown, with a stronger arm and a deeper familiarity with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s system, arguably offers more explosive play potential. Then there’s Sayin, who may be raw in experience but shows flashes that are impossible to ignore. There are whispers inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center that Sayin could be ready sooner than expected — his reads, his poise, and his leadership as an early enrollee all drawing high praise. In most programs, Sayin would be redshirting. In Columbus, he could end up starting a College Football Playoff semifinal.
The risk in playing a young quarterback is obvious — turnovers, inconsistency, and growing pains that could cost critical games against Michigan or Penn State. But the reward? A high-octane offense that could finally get over the hump after three straight years of watching rivals hoist hardware. The Buckeyes haven’t won the Big Ten since 2020, and their patience with “almost” seasons is growing thin. The fan base is restless, and Ryan Day knows better than anyone that the next loss to Michigan could be his last. That pressure adds another layer to this decision: can he afford to gamble on potential in a make-or-break year?
Quarterback isn’t the only position where this debate rages. Along the offensive line, returning starter Josh Fryar is being pushed hard by sophomore standout Luke Montgomery. In the secondary, junior Denzel Burke offers experience and physicality, but freshman corner Miles Lockhart is the kind of twitchy, ball-hawking defender that could change the complexion of big games. Even at running back, TreVeyon Henderson is back for one final campaign, but five-star recruit Jordan Marshall is generating serious buzz.
Everywhere you look, Ohio State is having to choose between what they know and what they dream could be. It’s a unique kind of wealth, but wealth that must be managed wisely. There’s a school of thought that the best teams blend experience with youth — that the ideal championship roster features battle-hardened seniors who can stabilize a game and young playmakers who can tilt it. For Ryan Day, the challenge is not just about who is better now or who will be better later, but who can elevate this team in the moments that define seasons.
Complicating matters further is the return of Michigan as a national powerhouse. The Wolverines have beaten Ohio State three straight times, including in two playoff-implicating games. Their formula — toughness, defense, and timely offense — hasn’t been flashy but has been effective. It has exposed Ohio State’s inconsistencies, particularly at the line of scrimmage and in second-half execution. Day has responded with changes on the staff, including the addition of Kelly and a recommitment to winning in the trenches. But he knows that Michigan, and perhaps even the surging Oregon Ducks, won’t be out-schemed — they have to be outplayed.
And that’s where potential enters the equation. Howard may be the safest choice, but is he the best weapon to take down a team like Oregon or Georgia, programs that will require elite-level play to beat? Can Brown finally live up to the five-star billing and become the dual-threat assassin Ohio State envisioned when they signed him? Or will Sayin do what C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields did before him — grab hold of the offense early and never let go?
Inside the locker room, players are watching. Team leaders like Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, and J.T. Tuimoloau are putting their final seasons on the line, and they want to know the staff is making the decision with the national title in mind, not just program continuity. It’s a unique balance, trying to honor the veterans while also giving a platform to generational talents waiting in the wings. If handled poorly, it can splinter a locker room. If handled well, it can supercharge a season.
The conversation also reflects broader changes in college football. The sport has never been younger, and players are more prepared coming out of high school than ever before. The transfer portal and NIL have shortened timelines and patience. Teams like Georgia and Alabama have leaned into young talent and reaped the rewards. The days of waiting until year three to take the field are fading fast. If you can play, you play. But that doesn’t make the decision easier, especially for a coach like Day, who already wears the scars of near-misses.
Day has shown he can coach quarterbacks. He’s also shown that he can make tough calls. But this one feels different. This one might define not just a season, but his legacy. With a national championship-caliber roster returning, including a reloaded offensive line, one of the best WR rooms in the country, and a potentially elite defense under Jim Knowles, the Buckeyes can’t afford to come up short again. They have to get the quarterback decision right, and everything else might fall into place.
Ultimately, the debate between experience and potential isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about fit. The right fit for this team, this year, in this version of the Big Ten. The expanded College Football Playoff adds some leeway, but Ohio State isn’t playing for a semifinal berth. It’s playing for a ring. It’s playing for redemption. And the path to both goes directly through the quarterback room.
Fans, boosters, and college football insiders alike will be watching Ryan Day closely this offseason. Every press conference, every spring practice report, every glimpse from fall camp will be dissected for clues. Who’s taking first-team reps? Who’s got the body language of a leader? Who’s making the throws in two-minute drills? There won’t be a perfect answer, but there must be conviction in whichever one is chosen.
Ohio State doesn’t need just a quarterback. It needs the quarterback — the one who can carry this immensely talented roster to the top. Whether that’s the proven presence of Will Howard, the matured dual-threat of Devin Brown, or the precocious brilliance of Julian Sayin remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: that decision, more than any other, could define not just the 2025 Buckeyes — but the entire Ryan Day era.
