COLUMBUS — Ohio State will have a new starting quarterback against USC on Saturday night. It will either be true freshman Luke Fahey or sophomore Tavien St. Clair. We have 72 combined snaps from both to analyze and determine what each player brings to the table and what the Buckeyes might emphasize depending on who gets the nod.
A reminder: Replacing Julian Sayin is a difficult task.
Here are some national ranks for Julian Sayin after seven games:
No. 1 in yards per attempt (10.5)
No. 3 in yards per completion (15.3)
No. 3 in first downs per passing attempt (46.4 percent)
No. 7 in EPA per dropback (0.41)
Sayin has seen some dips in his play this year. His completion percentage is down to 68.2 percent after nearly tying the FBS record with a 77-percent completion rate last year. Notably, his off-target percentage is up from 8.4 percent last year (5th nationally) to 12 percent this year (42nd). He’s worse on third down this year, ranking 90th in third-down passer rating after ranking 9th last year.
Still, OSU is handing the reins to a green quarterback, replacing one of the best passers in the country.
Can either Fahey or St. Clair handle it? We can only learn so much from snaps played mostly in the second half of blowouts against overmatched competition. But let’s dive in anyway and see what we can glean.
What’s on Fahey’s tape
Fahey has played 40 snaps this year, including a season-high 15 in the season opener against Ball State. He’s completed 9-of-13 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions while averaging 15.6 yards per attempt. He’s been pressured five times and hasn’t taken a sack. He’s scrambled twice for 11 yards and has no designed carries.
Fahey's best attribute so far is his feel in the pocket.
On the play above, Ohio State is running Y cross with Phillip Bell in the slot running the deep crossing route. Fahey doesn’t panic when the blitzing linebacker knocks over the running back in pass protection; he simply shuffles his feet and keeps playing with his eyes up as the bodies close in on him. Then, instead of retreating or bailing at the first sign of pressure, he climbs — an instinct young quarterbacks struggle to master.