Julian Sayin, Ohio State’s quarterback, is likely out for the rest of the season after suffering an arm injury against Indiana, immediately throwing a huge wrench into the Buckeyes’ plans. Head coach Ryan Day confirmed the devastating news Tuesday night, stating Sayin is “out indefinitely” and won’t be available for either the regular season or the postseason. This is a gut punch, no doubt about it, and now Day and the Buckeyes are scrambling during their bye week to figure out how to move forward without their guy.
The Next Men Up: Fahey and St. Clair’s Shot
With Sayin sidelined, all eyes are on true freshman Luke Fahey and five-star, second-year quarterback Tavien St. Clair. Fahey was the first one in against Indiana after Sayin went down, but he only played one full series and finished 0-of-2. Day has been pretty clear that Fahey had been ahead of St. Clair in practice for the last month, and that’s why he got the first call. But now, with a whole bye week ahead, both guys are going to get a ton of reps. Day’s putting it simply: they’re going to play whoever gives them the “best chance to win.”
Neither quarterback has seen extensive action this season. Fahey is 9-of-13 for 203 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. St. Clair has been 5-of-7 for 52 yards, picking up one touchdown and one interception. Day isn’t confirming anything just yet, but the signs point to Fahey being the front-runner. Still, St. Clair is going to get every chance this week to prove he can lead this offense. It’s clear that Day knows he might need both of them at some point through the back half of the season.
Championship Mindset in a Tough Stretch
This isn’t just about finding a new starting quarterback, it’s about the entire team stepping up. Day even brought up the old Cardale Jones story, the third-stringer who led them to a national championship. It’s a “challenge” to both young quarterbacks, but more than that, it’s a “challenge to the entire team.” Every single player needs to do their part and “upgrade across the board.” That’s the kind of talk you hear when the stakes are sky-high, and it’s awesome to hear Day laying it out for them.
The decision on who starts won’t just fall on Day. He’s said that Arthur Smith, Billy Fessler, the other coaches, the guys on defense like Matt Patricia, and even the players, including receivers and linemen, will all have some say in it. Coming out of this bye week, Ohio State faces a gauntlet of a schedule. They travel west to take on No. 16 USC, then have back-to-back home games against Oregon and Northwestern. After that, it’s a road matchup at Nebraska before the massive season-finale against Michigan. It’s going to be a wild ride, and every rep in practice this week matters more than ever.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply