Ohio State will be without its starting quarterback for the stretch run of the regular season. Head coach Ryan Day confirmed Monday that Julian Sayin will miss several weeks after suffering an undisclosed injury late in the Buckeyes’ 19-15 win at Indiana on Saturday, a victory that ended the Hoosiers’ 22-game winning streak.
Sayin was removed from the game late in the fourth quarter and later returned to the sideline with a sling around his throwing arm. Speaking on the Buckeye Roundtable show on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, Day said the quarterback will be out at least several weeks. “It’ll be at least several weeks, but no update right now,” Day said. “They’re still going through some of their testing and some of their meetings.”
The loss is a major one for the Buckeyes. Sayin, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, had made 21 consecutive starts for Ohio State. He ranks tied for third nationally in passing yards per attempt at 10.5 and third in passing yards with 2,007 this season, powering one of the most efficient offenses in the country.
Ohio State will likely turn to true freshman Luke Fahey, who won the backup job over former five-star recruit Tavien St. Clair before the season. Fahey closed out the Indiana game for the Buckeyes, although he did not complete a pass in the closing minutes.
Sayin’s absence could also ripple into the Heisman Trophy race. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, viewed as the front runner through seven weeks, has 52 receptions for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns this season — 33 more catches than Ohio State’s next-leading receiver, Devin McCuin. Smith’s production now depends on a freshman quarterback getting him the ball.
The timing leaves Ohio State little room to ease Fahey in. The Buckeyes face a demanding slate in the coming weeks, with a road trip to Southern California followed by home games against Oregon and Northwestern, a run that will shape both the Big Ten race and the College Football Playoff picture.
For now, the program is offering no timetable beyond Day’s several-weeks estimate, and no final word on whether Sayin could return before the end of the regular season. The Buckeyes’ next update is expected as the team moves through its preparations this week, with Fahey taking the first-team repetitions in practice.
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