Ohio State is giving quarterbacks Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair first-team reps during the Buckeyes’ bye week as the coaching staff evaluates who will start in place of injured starter Julian Sayin. Head coach Ryan Day announced Tuesday that Sayin is out indefinitely after hurting his throwing arm in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 19-15 win over sixth-ranked Indiana, a result that pushed Ohio State to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten.
The timing of the injury gives Ohio State a full week to sort out its quarterback plan before the Buckeyes travel to face No. 16 USC on Oct. 31. Day said the staff will use that time to settle on a starter based on performance rather than seniority or recruiting pedigree.
Fahey And St. Clair Get Equal First-Team Reps
Fahey, a true freshman, entered Saturday’s game when Sayin went down and finished 0 for 2 on 10 snaps against Indiana. Over three games this season, he is 9 of 13 for 203 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
St. Clair, a former five-star recruit who grew up 45 minutes from Ohio State’s campus and committed to the Buckeyes on June 21, 2023, has appeared in two games. He is 5 of 7 passing for 52 yards with one touchdown and one interception. At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, he has not yet taken the field as much as Fahey this season.
Day acknowledged the gap in playing time between the two but said the bye week changes the competition. “Luke has been ahead of Tavian, but now that there is a bye week these guys are going to get plenty of reps,” Day said. “We’re going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win.”
What The Coaching Staff Has Said
Day framed the quarterback battle as more than a practice formality. “This is a challenge for both Luke and Tavian to step up in a big way,” he said. “The plan when both those guys came here was to play, and here they are.
A coach can say you’re one snap away until it is real. They have to perform at a high level.”
He also pointed to the stakes facing the Ohio State Buckeyes program without Sayin under center. “We’re going to need them to win a championship,” Day said. “It’s been done before, and it’s a challenge to them and the team to pick up the slack for losing Julian.”
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said the gameplan will shift depending on which quarterback wins the job. “You try to play to the strengths of the offense,” Smith said. “You can have Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning and still need a run game.
With Luke, I like the way he prepares. For a guy who is young, he has a pro mindset. Tavian has a big arm and can extend plays.
Both have strengths that you like,” according to FOX Sports.
What The Change Means For The Offense
Smith’s comments suggest Ohio State will tailor its scheme to whichever quarterback starts rather than ask either freshman to run the full version of the offense Sayin ran. The Buckeyes still have Heisman Trophy favorite Jeremiah Smith at receiver and an experienced offensive line, pieces that can support a less experienced passer.
The Buckeyes have been here before. In 2014, Braxton Miller suffered a preseason shoulder injury and J.T. Barrett later broke his ankle, opening the door for Cardale Jones to win three straight games and the program’s first College Football Playoff national championship.
The last time an Ohio State quarterback started because of injury was 2021, when Kyle McCord played against Akron in place of C.J. Stroud.
Ohio State climbed to No. 1 in the CBS Sports Big Ten Power Rankings after beating Indiana, even as the publication noted the quarterback uncertainty now facing Columbus.
What’s Next
Ohio State’s bye week leads into a stretch that includes a road trip to USC on Oct. 31, a home game against Oregon on Nov. 7, a matchup with No. 24 Northwestern on Nov. 14, a trip to Nebraska on Nov. 21 and the regular-season finale against Michigan on Nov. 28. The Buckeyes could also play in the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis on Dec. 5 if they qualify.
According to Sports Illustrated, St. Clair could see action against Michigan even if he is not the starter by then, a scenario similar to how Ohio State has used redshirt freshmen in that rivalry game in the past. Whoever wins the job coming out of the bye week will make his first start against USC on the road.
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