COLUMBUS — Ohio State starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who was injured in the fourth quarter against Indiana on Saturday, is out indefinitely, Ohio State coach Ryan Day said after practice Tuesday night. Day said the Buckeyes are preparing plans for Sayin to miss the entire regular season, or to miss the entire season, including the College Football Playoff.
The Ohio State head coach said immediately after the game that Sayin would probably be out for several weeks. In a brief radio appearance Monday, Day said the quarterback was undergoing tests.
This is a even more serious assessment for Sayin.
Sayin is 18-3 as a starter over a season-and-a-half, throwing 52 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions in his career while completing 73.4 percent of his passes and averaging 267 passing yards as a starter.
The consensus No. 2 quarterback recruit in the Class of 2024, Sayin committed to Alabama, but transferred to Ohio State in January 2024 after the retirement of Nick Saban. He won the job in his second year in Columbus and was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year.
He was also playing likely the worst game of his OSU career against the Hoosiers, completing 15 of 29 passes for 235 yards, with two touchdowns, two interceptions and three sacks before the injury.
On a first-down play, Ohio State right tackle Phillip Daniels was beaten outside by Indiana defensive tackle Mario Landino. Landino’s hit from Sayin’s right, as Sayin was looking to throw left, compressed Sayin’s elbow at an awkward angle.
That leaves the Buckeyes staging a quarterback battle before playing at USC on Oct. 31. Immediately after the loss, Day spoke as if true freshman Luke Fahey, who had clearly been the No. 2 quarterback, would take over for Sayin.
Tuesday, he indicated a quarterback battle between Fahey and second-year QB Tavien St. Clair is at hand. The Buckeyes have an extra week off to figure out a QB plan. Day said without the bye, the Buckeyes would have to roll with Fahey.
“Now that we have the bye week both these guys are going to get a lot of reps,” Day said. “We’re going to start to put together a plan on how we’re going to move forward, and we’re gonna play the guy that gives us the best chance to win.
“We’ll get both these guys some reps and get an idea of how these next couple of days go.”
It’s reasonable to consider the circumstances and how they have evolved from Sayin missing several weeks, as was the case Saturday.
If this decision was a QB to get the Buckeyes through until Sayin returns, Fahey would be the answer as a young player who can run the offense. If the decision is who has a chance to lead the Buckeyes to a national title, which appears may be the case, then the upside of St. Clair as a 6-foot-4, former 5-star recruit enters the equation.
Sayin will be out for a long time. A quarterback battle to replace him is underway.
Pleasantly surprised to hear they are having a real QB competition over the next week. No reason not to, who knows Tavien might be the kind of kid who is checked out when he knows he has no chance of playing
According to Day, we’re are going to be treated to a Fahey and St Clair playoff.
Let’s see: it’s late Oct, and we’re now just deciding who was Number 2 QB??