The Ohio State Buckeyes are stuck in a situation that they could have avoided. Julian Sayin is likely done for the year after suffering an injury against Indiana. Now, Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair will be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. This team still has national title aspirations.
The only other quarterback on the roster is Justyn Martin, who was brought in from the Transfer Portal. Martin is mainly relegated to scout team duty. However, had the Buckeyes prepared better, they would have been able to prevent the scenario they find themselves in.
Ohio State should have used the portal better in the offseason
Had Ryan Day used the Transfer Portal better, they would have a quarterback with some starting experience ready to go. Martin is the only other quarterback who has started a game, playing against Penn State in 2024. Instead of going after someone who has started real games, that's who they brought in.
Why didn't the Buckeyes try to go after a G6 QB who had started games at a lower level? That would have given them confidence that at least a guy could come in and not be scared. Fahey looked terrified in the fourth quarter when he had to replace Sayin against the Hoosiers.
Fahey is a true freshman who was a three-star recruit. If he is the guy they use, that is an indictment on Tavien St. Clair. St. Clair is a former five-star recruit who already has a year of experience in the program. Why wasn't he ready to take over? And if Ohio State knew he wasn't ready to take over, why didn't they get another guy from the portal?
It's not often that Day has had to use a backup quarterback in any real scenario. Justin Fields would come out for a couple of plays every now and then, but he started every game. The same goes for C.J. Stroud, Kyle McCord, and Will Howard. This is an unprecedented situation for him. Still, it's one he should be prepared for.
Ohio State likely won't make this mistake again
It's highly unlikely Day makes this sort of mistake again. Even if Sayin decides to return to Columbus next season, it wouldn't be surprising to see them go into the portal to get a starting-caliber QB. At the very least, he could be a backup with experience that they feel good about if Sayin gets knocked out again.
Of course, if Fahey plays well moving forward, they might not do that. Fahey would be a backup they trust if Sayin does return. However, if Sayin either heads to the NFL or transfers again, then they would need a quarterback from the portal to either start or back up Fahey.
Ohio State is going to make sure they aren't caught with their pants down again. That is the requirement for a program that is always in the conversation to win a national title. If quarterback play is why Ohio State can't win a championship this year, that will be a massive own goal.
Add us as a preferred source on Google