Ohio State got smacked 30-18 by USC on Saturday, and they did it with a freshman quarterback, Luke Fahey, under center because 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin is out indefinitely with a throwing arm injury. This isn’t just a tough loss, folks, this is a whole new layer of drama for the College Football Playoff committee to chew on. The Buckeyes slid to No. 11 in the AP Poll and No. 10 in the Coaches Poll after that beatdown, sitting at 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten. The big question is how the CFP committee will view them when those first rankings drop tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. You know everyone’s gonna be watching that one.
Fahey’s Debut Under the Microscope, and FSU’s Ghost in the Room
Fahey’s first start was rough. He went 21 of 38 for 260 yards and one touchdown against the Trojans. His connection with Heisman Trophy contender Jeremiah Smith is already getting picked apart, even with Smith snagging 10 receptions for 83 yards and a score. The real killer? Fahey was only 6 of 20, a brutal 30 percent, for 151 yards on passes of 10 yards or more. Compare that to Sayin’s seven games, where he was 50 of 85, a solid 58.8 percent, averaging 176 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and three picks on those same deep balls. That’s a huge drop-off in downfield accuracy, and the committee watches every single one of those throws.
This whole situation has a nasty echo of Florida State in 2023. Remember when the Seminoles were 10-0 and No. 4 in the CFP rankings, then Jordan Travis went down in Week 11? The committee straight up told us what was coming, dropping FSU behind Washington the next week. Then Alabama, 12-1, leap-frogged 13-0 Florida State in the final rankings after FSU won the ACC championship with backup Brock Glenn. That was the most controversial snub of the four-team era, hands down. Could this be FSU 2.0? The Buckeyes, with Fahey in charge, are gonna face similar scrutiny, no doubt.
More Than Just the QB: What’s Next for the Buckeyes
Now, to be fair, Fahey wasn’t the only reason Ohio State got punched in the mouth by USC. The Buckeyes racked up a season-high 11 penalties, which is just sloppy football. And USC dropping 30 points? That’s the most any team has scored against Ohio State since Matt Patricia took over as defensive coordinator last season. They actually out-rushed the Trojans 204-116 and still put up 438 total yards. Sometimes, a good team just gets beat. USC was simply better in what felt like a must-win for them.
But here’s the kicker: this isn’t exactly the same as Florida State’s nightmare. Ohio State still has four regular-season games left: Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska, and that huge Michigan game. Fahey has more time to develop, more runway to prove he’s the guy. And with the 12-team playoff format now, there’s a bit more wiggle room for the Buckeyes to show they are legitimate, even with a freshman under center. Plus, let’s be real, backup quarterbacks are becoming a trend in the Big Ten, with UCLA rocking an unbeaten record with Ty Dieffenbach after Nico Iamaleava went down, and Indiana even benching Josh Hoover for Grant Wilson. So, the committee is gonna be busy with these QB dilemmas, but for Ohio State, it all comes down to how Fahey slings the ball in these next few weeks. They have to prove they can still win big with him at the helm.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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