As Ryan Day and Ohio State push for a College Football Playoff berth, the attention centers around quarterback Julian Sayin. Yet, beneath the surface of the depth chart lies a calculated strategy that FOX Sports analyst RJ Young believes could define the Buckeyes’ long-term championship sustainability.
RJ Young Explains Ryan Day’s Strategy for Ohio State’s Depth Chart
Young, appearing on his podcast “Adapt & Respond,” explained how a blueprint was designed to give 5-star redshirt freshman Tavien St. Clair live, high-stakes game reps without sacrificing the health of the primary starter.
Young said, “Tavien St. Clair might get the Kyle McCord treatment. So, if you remember, Kyle McCord’s first start did not come when he became the starting quarterback at Ohio State. It came to rest C.J. Stroud.”
On Sept. 25, 2021, Ohio State didn’t desperately need a new quarterback, but it desperately needed to preserve one. Starting signal-caller C.J. Stroud was nursing a shoulder injury after a grueling, early-season 45-31 Thursday night victory at Minnesota.
Day chose a matchup against Akron to unleash a true freshman named Kyle McCord. In a 59-7 destruction of the Zips, McCord went 13 of 18 for 319 passing yards, throwing 2 touchdowns against 1 interception.
“Ryan Day has been really ahead of the curve in trying to get his quarterbacks live reps against other people,” Young said. “A, you get that dude experience and B, you get to rest the guy that’s going to carry you the rest of the way. There’s no if Ands or buts that Julian Sayin is starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes.”
Young highlights the upcoming matchup against Kent State as the exact moment Day will deploy this hidden tactic. While Sayin is the undisputed starting quarterback for the Buckeyes, the modern, expanded playoff format requires a deeper roster than ever before.
If St. Clair proves himself through the preseason, the Kent State game represents the ultimate developmental laboratory. Playing against a lesser opponent alongside a heavy rotation of twos on the depth chart allows Ohio State to accomplish two things simultaneously: It shields Sayin from unnecessary hits ahead of brutal Big Ten stretches, and it gives St. Clair crucial, live-game snaps to accelerate his processing speed.
The trickle-down effect of managing the roster this way extends far beyond the quarterback position. Young said that putting St. Clair on the field opens the door to unleashing Ohio State’s next wave of terrifying skill talent.
Chief among them is true freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., an elite 6-foot-5 prospect Young describes as “an alien” and the literal “heir apparent” to superstar Jeremiah Smith.
By pulling Sayin, Day will likely sit his primary perimeter weapons like Smith and Brandon Inniss. This creates an environment where St. Clair can distribute the ball to vertical threats like Kyle Parker, Brock Boyd, and Henry Jr.
Currently, PFSN’s CFB Playoff Meter gives the Buckeyes a 68% chance to make the College Football Playoff.
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