COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s entire spring practice schedule went exactly how it needed to go, and now the next few months can be a build-up to Week 1.

The Buckeyes’ quarterback battle needed to become that. The entire world came into this spring having already anointed one player the winner, but that guy needed to prove those assumptions right.

He needed to do what C.J. Stroud did during the 2021 spring game where everyone left the stadium thinking they’d seen everything they needed to see.

That’s what Julian Sayin spent Saturday afternoon doing. No, he didn’t do anything that forced Ryan Day to officially name him the starter. Neither did Stroud four years ago, mainly because the spring isn’t set up for anyone to ever do that. But a quality spring game performance would at least put the fan base at ease that they weren’t off base with how they think this battle with eventually play out.

For Stroud, that was a 16 of 22 day for 185 yards and two touchdowns, highlighted by a deep ball to Chris Olave.

For Sayin, it was a 14 of 20 first half for 165 yards and a score while leading three touchdown drives, highlighted by a throw to Max Klare over the middle for a 25-plus-yard touchdown. He should’ve had another touchdown pass, but Mylan Graham — who still had a quality day — dropped a catch in the end zone on a fade route.

Lincoln Kienholz played his role this spring, too. Three years into the program, this was always going to be his first legitimate window to go win the job. He couldn’t just lie down and let Sayin have it. He needed to make him earn it, by making things interesting all spring in a way that would lead to the idea that Day was comfortable with either being the guy who takes the field against Texas.

The former four-star 2022 recruit accomplished that. In the only other two chances the media got to see the quarterbacks in a competitive setting, he was the better option. Day making the quarterbacks live on April 5 even provided a chance for Kienholz to show off his entire skill set, and he thrived.

Day wants the entire quarterback room to be of quality, not just the guy at the top of the food chain. Kienholz’s play this spring went a long way in assuring that goal is accomplished.

But the spring game is about statements. It’s about a fan base being able to overreact to every little thing that happens. Every assumption starts to either be validated or torn to shreds. The former happened on Saturday, punctuating the spring.

Day was never naming a starting quarterback during the spring, but that doesn’t mean a public statement couldn’t be made.

If you thought Sayin would be Ohio State’s next starting quarterback, the spring game more than validated that feeling. But Kienholz did his part in making sure that Sayin had to earn that job this summer. That was always the best-case scenario for the spring. Consider that mission accomplished.

Sayin made his presence felt as the potential next QB1. Now comes the most important part by closing the door behind him this fall.