Insider confirms Ohio State’s plan at quarterback for first game without Julian Sayin at USC
Ryan Day has officially handed the keys to Ohio State’s offense to the next man up following Julian Sayin’s injury.
All week, Ohio State coach Ryan Day has declined to name a starting quarterback for Saturday night’s primetime matchup with USC on the road. That always felt like it was going to be the case leading up to this game once he made it clear both guys would get reps during the bye week.
The Buckeyes gained nothing by publicly naming a starter between Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair ahead of the trip to face the Trojans. Ohio State needs to win this game on the road, and it will be its first game without quarterback Julian Sayin since the 2024 college football season.
Sayin suffered an injury against Indiana in the Buckeyes’ last game that all but knocked him out for the rest of the season.
Keeping USC guessing made sense from a strategic standpoint. Still, the latest intel suggests the Buckeyes have made their decision.
Luke Fahey expected to start for Ohio State against USC
Ohio State hasn’t officially named a starter, but CBS Sports college football insider Matt Zenitz reported that Ohio State is expected to start Fahey against USC on Saturday night.
It’s a big opportunity for Fahey, who has been the Buckeyes’ No. 2 quarterback all season. Fahey won the backup job over St. Clair during fall camp, and that decision is now paying off for Ohio State in a way nobody wanted heading into the season.
Fahey was a three-star recruit from the state of California. Saturday’s game against USC will serve as a homecoming of sorts for the Ohio State backup, and it’s quite the stage for him to make his first big impression with the program.
Additionally, the matchup gives Fahey a chance to show the Buckeyes’ coaching staff that its fall camp evaluation was the right call. St. Clair remains in the picture as the backup, but Fahey has had the edge all season and the depth chart has shown that.
What Fahey has done so far in limited action
Fahey hasn’t had a ton of opportunities to see the field this season, but he’s made the most of some of his reps. So far, Fahey has completed 9-of-13 passes for 203 yards, two touchdown passes, and two interceptions.
That’s a small sample size, but there’s some production to work with. Fahey has shown he can create explosives with 203 yards on only nine completions. Ohio State’s defense should be good enough in this game where the Buckeyes don’t have the young quarterback in a spot where he has to go and win it late.
The Buckeyes have enough talent around the quarterback position to lean on, and Day will likely build a game plan that puts Fahey in a position to succeed early on by getting the ball to Jeremiah Smith.
A win in this spot would show Ohio State can continue chugging along without Sayan at the helm. Fahey should be motivated by the opportunity to play in front of a home-state crowd. A three-star recruit stepping into the spotlight in a Big Ten road game is what recruits dream of.
We now have it confirmed who Ohio State will be starting Saturday, and Fahey will be expected to go out there and get a win in his first career start for the Buckeyes.
