Losing your starting quarterback, who was a Heisman Finalist a year ago, is never ideal. Yet, that's exactly the ordeal that the Ohio State football program finds itself in. Julian Sayin was knocked out in the fourth quarter against the Hoosiers, and Luke Fahey had to finish the game.
Sayin is out for the foreseeable future. That means the fate of the Buckeyes' national championship hopes falls on Fahey, who is a true freshman. However, there are reasons why fans should be optimistic that the team will be able to weather the storm with him running the show.
Ohio State has a reason to be confident in Luke Fahey
Despite being a three-star recruit, Fahey has some serious talent. He threw for a ton of yards in the state of California. As a sophomore, he led his team to a state championship while throwing for 2,184 yards and 26 touchdowns in 16 games. In his high school career, he threw for over 7,000 yards.
Fahey also didn't make many mistakes as a starter in high school. He threw 68 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Taking care of the ball will be a priority for the Buckeyes with Fahey under center. He completed over 70 percent of his passes, as well.
It wasn't just his arm that impressed while he was a high school prospect. Fahey was also able to run the ball a little bit. He ran for almost 500 yards as a sophomore. He showed off his wheels against IU when he scrambled for some yards before getting drilled, which led to an IU penalty.
Of course, Fahey's success will hinge on what the coaching staff can cook up to help him. He's not the most naturally talented player, but Ohio State will help him find open receivers. That might be the biggest reason for fans to be optimistic about him being able to keep the ship afloat.
Ohio State should be more prepared for this than they are
Coming into this season, it was widely assumed that Tavien St. Clair was going to be the backup. He is a former five-star recruit who looked like the next great Ohio State quarterback. His physical traits are extremely impressive. However, Fahey took the job from him as a true freshman.
Now, the Buckeyes are caught with their pants down a bit. Neither Fahey nor St. Clair has the experience to feel good about replacing Sayin. Ohio State did get Justyn Martin in the Transfer Portal, but he isn't good, either. He is the only one of the three backups to have started a game, though.
Ryan Day is going to have to put together the best coaching job of his career to keep Ohio State in the title hunt. The bye week couldn't come at a better time for them. However, Fahey's first start will come at USC in what will almost certainly be a night game. Then, he has to face Oregon.
The outcome of those two games will determine whether or not this team will make the College Football Playoff. Day will have to lean on the defense to win those games. It would be shocking to see Fahey come out of the gate and sling it around.
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