Ryan Day has a quarterback problem, and Urban Meyer isn’t buying his solution. After Julian Sayin suffered a right-arm injury in Ohio State’s narrow 19-15 win over Indiana, Day appears ready to hand the offense to Luke Fahey. But Meyer isn’t convinced. With former five-star recruit Tavien St. Clair sitting behind Fahey on the depth chart, the former Buckeyes coach is publicly questioning why one of Ohio State’s most highly rated quarterback recruits isn’t getting his shot.
Speaking on his weekly show, The Triple Option, Meyer questioned why the highly rated sophomore quarterback wasn’t getting the opportunity. Meyer openly expressed confusion over the coaching staff’s decision.
“It’s perplexing why he (Tavien St. Clair) is not the quarterback,” Meyer said.
He also stressed the importance of using practice time to prepare the next quarterback, especially with Ohio State facing a difficult stretch of its schedule.
The drama comes at a terrible time for Ohio State, as Julian Sayin is expected to miss several weeks after leaving the Indiana game in the fourth quarter. Ryan Day said after the game that his starting quarterback would “probably be out for several weeks.”
While Luke Fahey emerged as the primary backup during camp, the situation has quickly turned into a debate over whether the true freshman or former five-star recruit St. Clair should be leading the offense!
Although neither quarterback has started a college game, both have already seen limited action. Fahey has completed nine passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns across four games this season, while St. Clair has completed five passes for 52 yards and one touchdown across two appearances in 2026. St. Clair also appeared in one game during the 2025 season.
Still, it has been quite surprising for some Buckeye fans that Ryan Day has favored a less-heralded freshman over a local five-star prodigy like St. Clair.
Fahey, standing at 5-foot-11, was a less celebrated prospect than St. Clair, although Ohio State’s official biography identifies him as a four-star recruit. Meanwhile, St. Clair was a top-10 national recruit in the 2025 class and the third-highest-rated quarterback in the modern recruiting rankings era to join Ohio State.
It’s a bold decision for a head coach to favor a freshman who arrived in 2026 over someone who has already spent an additional season learning the system and playbook!
However, according to reports, Fahey lost his freshman “black stripe” remarkably quickly, and Ryan Day acknowledged during camp that the newcomer was “putting a lot of pressure” on St. Clair.
Well, if you know anything about Ryan Day, he has shown that recruiting stars alone won’t determine who gets the opportunity. Fahey’s development and performances in practice have helped him climb the depth chart.
Even after Fahey struggled and the offense went backward against Indiana, Day didn’t panic. The freshman finished 0-for-2 passing after replacing Sayin, but the head coach defended him during his postgame press conference.
“One thing about Luke… he’s got confidence, he’s got athletic ability… he’s a competitive kid. So, I don’t think the moment was too big for him, it was just moving fast for him.”
However, Meyer wasn’t entirely convinced about Ohio State’s situation and expressed further concerns during an October 19 appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
When Cowherd questioned whether the Buckeyes could survive the coming weeks with Fahey under center, Meyer admitted it was a gamble.
“I think it’s a flip of the coin,” Meyer said, pointing out that Fahey hadn’t been practicing as the starter and that Ohio State’s offense went backward after he entered against Indiana.
To make matters more alarming, Meyer highlighted just how heavily Ohio State has relied on superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith’s exceptional playmaking ability.
Discussing Sayin’s 38-yard fourth-down touchdown throw to Smith against Indiana, Meyer criticized the quality of the pass and argued that Smith’s ability helped turn it into a touchdown.
His assessment raises another concern for the Buckeyes. With Fahey potentially taking over, Smith’s ability to make difficult catches could become even more important while the offense adjusts to a new quarterback.
This quarterback uncertainty could not come at a worse time for Ryan Day’s squad. The Buckeyes have a well-timed bye week to evaluate their options, but right after that, they face a massive road test against the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 31.
Meyer also warned against overlooking Lincoln Riley’s USC team, highlighting the Trojans’ improvement and ability to win difficult games on the road. He used the term “Rubicon moment” while discussing USC’s progress, rather than specifically describing Ohio State’s upcoming trip to Los Angeles.
Still, the warning carries serious implications for Ryan Day. With Sayin sidelined and the quarterback situation unsettled, the Buckeyes will have to prove they can survive a dangerous USC matchup without their established starter.
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