Ohio State spring game: Time, TV and how to watch Buckeyes QB battle, new transfers, freshmen

Ohio State spring game: Time, TV and how to watch Buckeyes QB battle, new transfers, freshmen

The Ohio State spring game is always a huge draw.

Last year, an FBS-best 75,122 fans were in attendance. That number might increase Saturday given the Buckeyes’ impactful roster changes and quarterback battle heading into a pivotal 2024 season for Ryan Day.

Day enters his sixth season at Ohio State with a 56-8 career record, but three consecutive losses to Michigan have increased the pressure in Columbus. The spring game will offer a chance look at transfers Will Howard, Caleb Downs and Quinshon Judkins, the offense under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and a talented freshman class.

The LIFEsports spring game is 12 p.m. ET Saturday at Ohio Stadium. The game will be televised on Fox.

A preview of this year’s game with all the need-to-know information.

MORE: New Ohio State transfers talk life in portal, title shot

When is Ohio State’s spring game? 

Time: 12 p.m. ET

Date: Saturday, April 13

Place: Ohio Stadium

How to watch Ohio State spring game 

TV: Fox

The Ohio State spring game will be televised by Fox and be streamed on the Fox Sports app and any service that offers Fox, such as YouTubeTV, Hulu Live and Fubo TV.

Ohio State spring game format 

According to Cleveland.com. Ohio State will have a unique spring-game format, which is common. Offensive scoring is standard, but defense will be awarded six points for a TD, three points for a turnover or three-and-out, two points for a sack and one for forcing a punt.

The first three quarters will be 12-to-15 minutes with stoppages. The fourth quarter will be 10 minutes with a running clock.

Three things to watch in Ohio State’s spring game

Who is Ohio State’s starting quarterback in 2024? 

Howard, a fifth-year senior from Kansas State, was considering USC and Miami in the transfer portal – not to mention the 2024 NFL Draft – but he decided on Ohio State. Howard (6-5, 242) will be the favorite to be the starter, but the spring game will serve as an audition for that. Kyle McCord – who was the Buckeyes’ starter last season – had an uneven spring game but still won the starting job.

That’s because Devin Brown suffered a finger injury and missed the spring game. Brown started in the Cotton Bowl Classic against Missouri, which he left with an ankle injury. Brown has repeatedly made it clear he has no intention of transferring, but can he push this competition into the fall with Howard? Five-star freshman Julian Sayin also is going to get some attention here, but the more likely scenario is he remains a backup for one year. Sophomore Lincoln Kienholz and freshman Air Noland also will get reps. Will any of these quarterbacks hit the portal after spring football? The spring game could be a barometer for that.

MORE: Ranking the ACC quarterbacks | SEC quarterbacks

The Chip Kelly effect on Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson 

Don’t get it confused with Kelly. At UCLA last season, the Bruins ran 56.2% of the time, and two running backs had 150-plus carries and averaged 5.0 yards or more. That suggests there is more than enough room for Judkins, an Ole Miss transfer who totaled 2,725 yards and 31 TDs the last two seasons. Henderson had 1,497 yards and 17 TDs the last two seasons while battling through injuries.

Ohio State has the most talented backfield tandem in the country – one that combines experience and play-making ability. Expect Kelly to use that at least 60% of the time this season. The spring game will offer a look at that tempo Kelly has used at every stop, and the running backs stand to benefit the most.

Caleb Downs in Ohio State’s defense 

Downs had 107 total tackles as a freshman from his safety position, and he joins a defense that returns most of its talent from a unit that allowed 11.2 points per game last season. Downs transferred to Ohio State after Saban retired, and he is one of the best all-around players in the country.

How does he mesh with safety Lathan Ransom, another top returner in the secondary? Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will be creative with Downs in those alignments, and that could be fun to watch in a spring game that has defensive scoring.

Downs also might be used as a punt returner, though that likely won’t be showcased at the spring game.

Ohio State freshmen to watch in spring game 

Jeremiah Smith, WR 

Look at this catch during spring practice:

Smith was the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports.com. The Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, Fla.) receiver has been compared to Julio Jones with his 6-foot-3, 214-pound frame. Jones had 58 catches for 924 yards and four TDs as a freshman with Alabama in 2008. Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and Jayden Ballard are among the experienced receivers on the roster, but Smith will find reps on the field and may be the rare Ohio State freshman WR to start. Tate was a star in last year’s spring game. Don’t be surprised if Smith is that player this year.

Julian Sayin and Air Noland, QBs 

Will Sayin – the five-star quarterback who transferred from Alabama after Nick Saban retired – work into that conversation with Howard and Brown? Sayin – a 6-foot-1, 203-pound quarterback from Carlsbad (Calif.) High School, is the only quarterback on the roster with a five-star rating in high school. Noland – a four-star quarterback from Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.) adds even more depth at the position. While the starting job in question, the head-to-head battle between these freshmen quarterbacks is another intriguing subplot to this year’s game.

Aaron Scott Jr., CB 

Scott – a 6-foot-2, 190-pound cornerback from Springfield (Ohio) HIgh School, was heavily recruited by Ohio State and Michigan. He stuck with the home-state Buckeyes, and he’s next in line at a position group that routinely develops All-Americans and first-round picks. The Buckeyes have an experienced secondary returning, so Scott might have to wait a year. He’s still a player worth tracking in the second half.