Ohio State has some big decisions to make. After the Buckeyes took down the Hoosiers, the thought immediately shifted to the quarterback position. Julian Sayin is out for a while, and Luke Fahey had to finish that game. The Buckeyes now have a bye week to figure things out.
As things stand, it looks like Fahey will start in two weeks when Ohio State takes on USC. That has been confirmed as a night game, too. However, Ryan Day should consider that Fahey might not be ready for the moment. A two-quarterback system with him and Tavien St. Clair should be considered.
Why a two-quarterback system could work for Ohio State
I know what you're thinking. Yes, two-QB systems almost never work. The Chris Leak/Tim Tebow thing is the exception, not the rule. However, teams don't have much film on either guy. Both Fahey and St. Clair have almost exclusively appeared during mop-up duty.
St. Clair is a former five-star recruit. He can be used as a run-pass threat. He ran for nine touchdowns and averaged 7.5 yards per carry during his senior year of high school. Sure, the competition at Bellefontaine High wasn't great, but those are some impressive numbers.
Playing both quarterbacks could take the pressure off Fahey. It's hard for a true freshman to come in and pick up where Sayin left off. If there is a set package for St. Clair as well, Fahey won't have to look over his shoulder, wondering if he will get pulled for a single mistake.
Fahey isn't as athletic or as big as St. Clair is. It seems that the main reason he won the backup job is that he seems to make better decisions than St. Clair does. That's certainly important, but playing each QB could end up being the better option until one of them clearly emerges.
Ohio State will likely move forward with Luke Fahey
While I think my idea would work, I acknowledge that it is likely not the way that Ryan Day will choose to handle things. This bye week will be about getting his guys healthy and having Fahey ready to go. Fahey likely won't be getting a lot of rest during the bye week.
With USC and Oregon on the docket in back-to-back games, the Ohio State Buckeyes have to be ready to go right out of the bye week. He did throw for over 7,000 yards in high school, so he can sling it around. At the same time, TSC threw for 3,983 yards in his junior year alone.
If Fahey doesn't play well early against USC, it wouldn't be shocking to see St. Clair come in. Neither Fahey nor St. Clair has enough equity built up to be exempt from getting yanked for poor play. St. Clair needs to be ready to go anyway in case of another injury.
If Phillip Daniels plays, there's a chance another injury could happen. Ohio State needs Austin Siereveld to get over his illness quickly. That way, the offensive line can have the best possible combination out there to block for Fahey. It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks.
Add us as a preferred source on Google