Ohio State needs to figure out a way to compete without its starting quarterback. Julian Sayin is out for a while, so the Buckeyes can do some things to help the new guy.
1. Play the most dynamic quarterback with the biggest upside
This seems obvious, but there is an important distinction. I want to emphasize going with the quarterback who offers the biggest upside, the highest ceiling. Oftentimes, coaches fall into the trap of choosing the player who they think makes the fewest mistakes instead of the one who can make the most positive plays for the team. Going with the guy with the highest upside has been done before in Ohio State history.
In 2008, Jim Tressel made a very difficult decision after Ohio State was demolished on the road at USC. He benched his senior pocket-passing quarterback, who had a Big Ten Championship and a national title game appearance under his belt, in favor of a five-star true freshman.
The main reason was that, in the loss on the West Coast, USC's defense mauled senior Todd Boeckmann. It wasn’t Boeckmann’s fault. The offensive line struggled so much that he didn’t look like the guy he was in 2007. Coach Tressel did something out of character and went with freshman Terrelle Pryor.
Starting a true freshman is always risky, but Pryor also had a higher ceiling, the biggest upside, and was the most dynamic. Pryor went 8-2 as a starter in 2008. He went 11-2 and 12-1 at Ohio State in 2009 and 2010, won three Big Ten Championships, made three BCS bowls, and won the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl.
2. Make quarterback mobility a factor
Another time Ohio State did this was when Luke Fickell replaced Joe Bauserman with Braxton Miller in 2011. A big reason for Tressel moving to Pryor and Fickell moving to Miller is that the mobility they brought to the table could help the offensive line with its struggles, boost the Ohio State running game, add an X-factor opposing defenses would have to worry about, and give the entire offense a jump start.
Julian Sayin worked on his mobility this offseason, and it showed in his play in the first seven games. This season has shown how much he needed that as an experienced player. Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair, whichever starts, will need it even more. To help them with their youth and give the defenses one more thing to worry about. Whoever can do that should have a leg up to start in L.A. on Halloween.
It’s also no secret that Ryan Day’s best offenses had a quarterback who could run the ball (2017, 2019, 2020, 2024) and/or move in and out of the pocket to help the entire offense (2018, 2021, 2022). Without a certain amount of mobility, his offenses struggle in big games (2023, 2025).
That is why, in his comments to the media this week, Coach Day said the quarterback position is almost an open competition and won't automatically go to Luke Fahey. That is why Coach Day makes the big bucks, and why Buckeye Nation will back to the hilt whoever he names starter.
3. Put your best players on the field
In the 2025 Big Ten Championship game against Indiana, Ohio State’s offense took some heat for its red-zone play. The criticism was heaviest and most valid in Indianapolis, when, closer to the goal line, they went with three tight ends instead of their all-American wide receivers, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.
OSU had been much better in that regard this season and, in a critical sequence against Indiana this past week, remembered the lessons learned. After four straight runs between the tackles from power formations went nowhere, Ohio State returned to its strengths. They went to the shotgun formation with Jeremiah Smith back on the field. Smith cleared out the defense, and Sayin hit Bo Jackson for a wide-open touchdown.
Ohio State needs to put its best players on the field at all times, and that means its elite receiving corps. Jeremiah Smith and Chris Henry Jr. have a ridiculous size advantage, almost as big as their athletic and talent advantage over opposing defensive backs.
The number of offensive formations and plays where these two aren’t on the field should be very near zero. This also means freshman Legend Bey needs to be on the field more, too. Bey has allegedly been kept off the field because of internal issues fans and the media aren't privy to. The team needs to get that figured out today.
4. Get the defense ready for weekly marathons
Make it clear to the defense, from Matt Patricia down to the lowest guy on the depth chart, that you’ll need to be out there a lot. Embracing the pressure and the fact that things are different will benefit your defense and the team more than trying to keep the same philosophy, attitude, and approach as before.
Ohio State’s defense needs to be on the field and effective a lot. This defense has been good most of the season and has been improving every week. Now, they have to be great. Starting on Halloween, they need to have resolved all their issues.
They’ve been finding ways to impact the quarterback lately that weren’t there at the start of the season. They’re stopping the run. Now they need to add forcing turnovers and avoiding giving the opponent favorable matchups to their arsenal.
5. Be fast, simple, and true
Offenses shift gears more easily when they have experience at the top. Part of keeping it simple is keeping it fast, aggressive, and sticking to what you know. Another part of keeping it simple is giving established stars, like Smith, chances to make plays, rather than making young guys, like St. Clair or Fahey, be Superman right away.
Be true to who you are and who you have been, especially on offense. That’s a pass-heavy team that excels most when it gets the ball to its playmaking receivers. Ohio State will go much further by leaning on Jeremiah Smith, Devin McCuin, Brandon Inniss, Chris Henry Jr., and Brock Boyd than on power running with multiple tight ends.
Ultimately, I’m content with what Coach Day said in his press conference this week. He said, “We’re gonna play the guy that gives us the best chance to win.” That’s good enough for me. No coach or team bats 1.000 on personnel decisions, but Ryan Day does pretty darn well. Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair, whoever Ohio State goes with, will be because they've earned their head coach's trust more than any other quarterback on the roster. With so much football left to play, that’s good enough for Ohio State.
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