The bye week news hasn’t been kind to Ohio State.
Julian Sayin is now out indefinitely. He technically hasn’t been ruled out for the season, but my guess is we won’t see him again this year.
With Sayin out, both Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair will get first-team reps over the next two weeks before Ohio State travels to USC.
Injury news
The two quarterbacks couldn’t be more different.
St. Clair was a five-star recruit and the No. 3 quarterback in the 2025 class, and he’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds. In limited action, he’s 5-of-7 for 52 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Fahey was a three-star and the No. 36 quarterback in the 2026 class, listed at 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds. He’s 9-of-11 for 203 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Whoever wins it, the offense will have to lean on the run game and Jeremiah Smith.
That run game took a hit too. Ja’Kobi Jackson needs surgery and will be out about a month. The hope is that he’s back for Michigan, which puts even more on Bo Jackson’s shoulders in the meantime.
Midseason position grades
Cole and Joey go position by position, comparing what was expected of each group heading into the season with how they’ve actually performed through the first half of the year.
From the running backs and wide receivers to the defensive front and special teams, they evaluate which units have lived up to expectations, which have exceeded them, and which still have work to do.