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The Ohio State Buckeyes scored a 19-15 road win over Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers that led to a startling admission from coach Ryan Day about moving on without injured QB Julian Sayin. Sayin was seen with his arm in a sling on the sidelines as Luke Fahey replaced him in a game that the Buckeyes would have lost if not for missed opportunities by the Hoosiers.
Day admitted Ohio State will have to “put their heads together” during the upcoming bye week and figure out how to move forward with Fahey at the controls of his Arthur Smith-led offense with Sayin expected to miss multiple weeks.
How Ohio State prepares and integrates Fahey into its offense over the course of the bye week is paramount. Ohio State still has a great opportunity to make a College Football Playoff run, but the schedule is where things get complicated.
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Oct. 31 at USC looks daunting
The loss of Sayin shortly before Halloween’s road game at USC is looking like the most challenging game on the Buckeyes’ remaining schedule, especially as Fahey starts to get his feet wet with the Arthur and Jeremiah Smith-led Buckeyes offense.
Fahey did enough to help the Buckeyes beat Indiana, but it was bad news , statistically speaking. The Buckeyes backup was 0/2 passing for zero yards and rushed twice for -2 yards. Fahey has played in limited action so far this season, passing for 203 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Against Lincoln Riley’s high-flying, high-scoring Jayden Maiava-led passing attack, Ohio State could find themselves unable to score enough points to keep up unless Fahey plays way, way better than he did in Week 7 against the Hoosiers.
Tavien St. Clair, who ranked just behind number one recruit Bryce Underwood when Underwood came in before last season, should get a chance to compete for the starting job in practice, because Ohio State might need him if Fahey falters in Los Angeles.
Oregon, Northwestern games also looming
Games against Oregon and Northwestern following the USC game will test Fahey and the Buckeyes defense, as both are offense-oriented spread option teams capable of giving defensive coordinator Matt Patricia’s unit big headaches.
The Oregon game will be at the Horseshoe in Columbus on November 7, and while the Ducks have been struggling lately, they will be out for revenge against a team that has spoiled their season many times.
November 14 will bring another familiar face to Columbus as former Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s Aidan Chiles-led unit will get a chance to spring the upset against Fahey and Day’s Buckeyes.
Kelly has shown that he still has the magic touch as a play-caller so far this season.
Matchups look tough for Fahey-led Buckeyes
Fahey is a gritty player and a game manager who can help the Buckeyes to win games for the rest of the season, but it’s hard to ignore the matchup problems Ohio State suddenly faces.
Their entire identity as a team changes with Sayin out, as they’ve gone from a high-flying offensive focused football team to one that will have to rely more on running and defense. Against teams that can score points in bunches like the Ducks, Wildcats, and perhaps even the Tommy Carr-led Michigan Wolverines in the final game, Day and his staff’s coaching acumen will be tested like never before.
Don’t be surprised if St. Clair gets extra reps in practice for the coming stretch, as the Bucks will need to score 20 or more points to win in some of these games. Ohio State’s College Football Playoff plans aren’t doomed just yet, but they are looking a lot less set in stone after the events of Week 7.
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