The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk

Episode: Julian Sayin, Tavien St. Clair and How Ohio State Should Develop Quarterbacks in This Era

Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Doug Lesmerises & Bill Landis
Podcast Network: Blue Wire

Overview

In this in-depth episode, Doug and Bill take a listener question and branch into a wide-ranging discussion on Ohio State’s quarterback pipeline—specifically focusing on Julian Sayin and Tavien St. Clair. They analyze the changing landscape of college football, where experience and transfer quarterbacks are increasingly prized, and debate whether the Buckeyes should stick to developing elite, home-grown quarterbacks or adapt and go to the portal for older, proven passers. The show makes broad comparisons with other programs, digs into NIL and roster-building challenges, and examines wider implications for college football development.

Main Themes and Purpose

• Examine the future for Ohio State’s quarterback development pipeline as the sport prizes experience and transfer QBs.
• Debate whether Ohio State should adapt to the trend of playing older, portal-sourced starters, or remain a destination for 5-star, developed quarterbacks.
• Discuss risks of highly-rated QBs like Tavien St. Clair transferring if they are blocked by older players or portal additions.
• Dissect the unique challenges (and potential advantages) Ohio State has, given its ability to recruit multiple elites at the most important position.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening: Listener Question + Framing the Debate

(03:10)

• Doug introduces a question from “Gavi S.”: Will Tavien St. Clair transfer if Julian Sayin continues to start, or if the Buckeyes keep favoring older, more experienced QBs from the transfer portal?
• Frames two main scenarios:
  1. Sayin keeps the job so long, St. Clair is forced to sit multiple years and potentially transfers.
  2. When it’s St. Clair’s turn, OSU goes portal shopping for an experienced QB rather than taking ‘first-year lumps’.
• Sets up a broader debate: Should OSU risk early struggles with new QBs, or always play it safe with older, proven players?

How Ohio State Fits in the National Context

(06:26)

• Bill asserts, “I kind of think it’s business as usual until they show me otherwise…some truths about the sport are not necessarily truths about places like Ohio State.”
• Ohio State can afford to be different than most programs—they get and keep 5-star QBs, while others (Indiana, Miami) rely on the portal.
• They contemplate if OSU should align with national trends, or if peerless recruiting/development means they have a right to “be the exception” with how they handle QBs.

Bill (06:26): “Some of these things that are truths about the sport are, are not necessarily truth about places like Ohio State…I think that opportunity…transition of quarterbacks is still out there for Ohio State.”

Portal vs. Development: The Miami/Indiana Example

(10:43)

• Doug highlights how schools like Miami and Indiana avoid risk by only taking veteran QBs, which has worked: “Miami got Cam Ward, the No. 1 draft pick. Indiana got Fernando Mendoza, Heisman winner, No. 1 pick.”
• However, OSU’s talent acquisition model means they shouldn’t have to rely on the portal for a starter.
• Acknowledges the counter-example: OSU did win a title with transfer Will Howard, but it was because they lacked a young elite to develop at that point.

Doug (11:42): “Ohio State didn’t say, ‘We want a transfer over a new starter.’ They picked the transfer over year two of Kyle McCord…It didn’t throw off their development track at quarterback.”

The “Wait Your Turn” Era—Is It Over?

(12:36)

• The dynamics for QB patience have changed—lack of immediate opportunity drives quick transfer moves. St. Clair’s Ohio roots likely help keep him in town, at least for now.
• Bill: “If Tavien was from Florida, I don't think he’d be on the roster right now.”

Risk Assessment: How Should OSU Approach 2027 and Beyond?

(17:18, 18:01)

• They break down the hypothetical choice: Should OSU always take the “older, ready-made” portal guy—or stick with the blue-chip waiting in the wings?
• Bill: “I would take the young guy and play him because there just aren’t a lot of teams that have access to that kind of quarterback talent.”

The Importance of Snaps for the Backup

(21:03–24:02)

• In this new environment, you can’t evaluate QBs solely on practice; game reps are vital for quarterback retention and development.
• Doug: “The era of playing slow to save snaps on your starters has...come to an end at Ohio State.”
• Bill points out repeated OSU mistakes of not playing their backup QB enough: “C.J. Stroud, Kyle McCord, Julian did not play a ton…There are more difficult decisions that need to be made after every season now. You’d be doing yourself a disservice by not playing those guys more.”

The 2025 QB Class: National Trends and Ohio State’s Uniqueness

(24:52–37:18)

• They review the top 10 QB prospects from Tavien St. Clair’s class:
  • 3 started as true freshmen (Underwood, Washington, Givens)
  • 3 have already transferred (Longstreet, Knight, Baker)
  • Remaining either have a clear path to the job or may get squeezed out
• No one is in a situation quite like St. Clair: Sitting behind another five-star with no direct path to start soon, yet also not transferring.
• The comparison: “Of the top 10 quarterbacks in his class, nobody is in the situation that Tavian Sinclair is in.”
  (Bill, 35:39)

NIL Realities: Can You Afford Two Elite QBs Anymore?

(27:26–31:32)

• Serious discussion about the cost (NIL) of keeping two five-stars on roster, especially as a backup.
• Bill: “How much are you really willing to pay your backup quarterback?...Can we actually afford to have two five-star guys on our roster at one time?”
• Programs may space out elite recruits to keep budgets and locker rooms manageable.

What If Julian Sayin Doesn’t Leave After 2026?

(38:07–41:10)

• Toughest scenario: Sayin plays well, but not well enough to go pro, blocking St. Clair a third year.
• Doug: “A third year of Julian Sayin means no years of Tavien Sinclair as a starter. That’s the rubber hits the road time for Ryan Day.”
• Bill: “That scenario is the far more difficult one for Ohio State…What would I do? I’d play them both. Two quarterback system…” (joking)

OSU as the Exception: Is This Sustainable?

(43:16–48:00)

• OSU likely to be an exception—a place that develops (and waits for) 5-star QBs.
• “You just might be the exception and…one of the last places that wants to develop quarterbacks, wants to play young quarterbacks, does not want to rely on the portal.”
• Whether results hold up over time remains to be seen; key is making the right evaluation, trusting their system.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bill (06:26): “Some things that are truths about the sport are not necessarily truths about places like Ohio State… I’m still operating under that premise.”

• Doug (11:42): “Ohio State didn’t say, ‘We want a transfer over a new starter.’ They picked the transfer over year two of Kyle McCord…It didn’t throw off their development track at quarterback.”

• Bill (12:36): “If Tavien was from Florida, I don’t think he’d be on the roster right now.”

• Doug (21:03): “I think the era of playing slow to save snaps on your starters has [come to an end].”

• Bill (22:43): “There are more difficult decisions that need to be made after every season now…You’d be doing yourself a disservice by not playing those guys more to give yourself more information.”

• Bill (27:26): “How much are you really willing to pay your backup quarterback?...Can we actually afford to have two five-star guys on our roster at one time?”

• Doug (35:39): “Of the top 10 quarterbacks in his class, nobody is in the situation that Tavian Sinclair is in.”

• Doug (38:43): “If Julian Sayin doesn’t want to go to the NFL, then it’s year three…that’s the rubber hits the road time of Ryan Day. It’s Ryan Day’s choice.”

• Bill (40:04): “That scenario…is the far more difficult one for Ohio State to encounter than the ‘should we go bring in a transfer?’ [If] Julian goes to the league. Unless Tavien’s not the player we think he is…I think he’s the starter in 2027 as long as Julian decides he wants to go to the NFL.”

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 03:10 — Listener question setup; outlining the Tavien scenario
• 06:26 — OSU as a business-as-usual outlier
• 10:43 — Portal trend versus elite development
• 12:36 — Impact of retaining St. Clair as an Ohioan
• 17:18 — Should OSU ever prefer experience over upside?
• 21:03 — The imperative of playing backup QBs
• 24:52 — National 2025 QB class breakdown
• 27:26 — NIL & two-elite-QB challenge
• 35:39 — No analog for St. Clair nationally
• 38:43 — The tough scenario: Third year Sayin or St. Clair jump
• 43:16 — OSU as the exception; future trends
• 48:00 — Episode wrap

Takeaways for Fans & OSU Observers

• Transfer QBs are the norm—except at a few rare places blessed with constant elite talent and deep NIL pockets.
• Ohio State’s recent and future QB plans are unique and a little risky, but possibly more rewarding—IF they make accurate evaluations and keep roster harmony.
• The key realignment isn’t just strategic, but financial: paying (and keeping happy) elite backups is a new and challenging frontier.
• The “wait your turn” era may be over everywhere, except for a few—Ohio State included, as long as they remain a true blue blood.
• Ultimately, OSU’s success as a development program hinges on spacing out blue-chips better and using every available snap to evaluate the future signal-caller.

[End of Summary]