The Ohio State Buckeyes didn’t play well offensively in Week 7 against the Indiana Hoosiers. Still, Ohio State football squeaked out of Bloomington, Indiana, with a 19-15 win. The bigger story coming out of the game is the status of quarterback Julian Sayin, who exited in the fourth quarter with an injury.

Ohio State led 10-7 at halftime and got a late stop on Indiana’s final drive. The Hoosiers nearly took the lead when wide receiver Nick Marsh hauled in a potential game-winning touchdown, but he wasn’t able to stay inbounds. The Buckeyes can feel good about winning on the road despite a poor performance. 

However, there’s real reason to worry about the quarterback position.

Ryan Day gives update on Julian Sayin

Sayin wasn’t having his best day before he left the game. He completed 15-of-29 passes for 235 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions. Even so, he is an important part of this offense, and there’s a huge dropoff after him. The Buckeyes could be without him for a while.

Sayin was seen in the fourth quarter with his right arm in a sling. Following the game, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day gave an update on his starting quarterback.

“You know, I don’t have a ton of details but he’ll probably be out for several weeks,” Day stated. “So, you know, we’ll have to come up with a plan there.”

That’s bad news for Ohio State with their two-year starter set to miss time. The good news is the Buckeyes have a bye week next week. That extra time will help the cause if Sayin indeed only misses several weeks.

Ohio State’s schedule doesn’t get any easier

Coming out of the bye, Ohio State travels to face USC in Week 9 in another game the Buckeyes need to win. The Trojans are 6-1 and a top-20 team in the country. From there, Ohio State takes on Oregon in Week 10, another tough matchup.

The Buckeyes close the regular season with Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan. There isn’t an easy game left on the schedule, and Ohio State is officially in the meat grinder portion of its season. Timing matters here, and losing the starting quarterback right before this stretch is about as rough as it gets.

Luke Fahey’s first action didn’t inspire confidence

Ohio State very well may have to lean on true freshman quarterback Luke Fahey against several good teams, and that’s going to be tough for the offense.

Entering the game against Indiana was a difficult spot for Fahey, and he looked overwhelmed. The freshman went 0-of-2 passing and didn’t leave a whole lot on the field in terms of confidence. That’s understandable for a young quarterback thrown into a tight road game in the fourth quarter. Now the Buckeyes have two weeks to get him ready for a much bigger stage.

Ohio State’s coaching staff has to go back to the drawing board and build a plan around Fahey for the trip to USC. The offense already struggled against Indiana with Sayin on the field, so finding a way to move the ball with a freshman under center is going to take work.

Meanwhile, Ohio State fans have to hold their breath on how long Sayin will be out, and exactly how long several weeks turns out to be. The bye week should bring more clarity and comes at a key time for the Buckeyes.