Ohio State will start freshman quarterback Luke Fahey for a third straight game when the Buckeyes face Northwestern on Saturday, head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Fahey took over the starting job after Julian Sayin was injured in Ohio State’s Oct. 17 win over Indiana, The Dispatch reported. The injury has not been specified and there is no timeline for Sayin’s return.
“Luke is going to be our quarterback this week, and Tavien’s one snap away, and that mentality has got to be, continue to be his mentality and continue to grow,” Day told reporters, according to The Dispatch. Tavien St. Clair, a five-star redshirt freshman, remains the backup, Athlon Sports reported.
The Buckeyes are 0-2 in Fahey’s two starts, with losses to USC and Oregon. Against Oregon, Fahey completed 36 of 50 passes for 360 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, according to The Comeback’s recap of the game.
Day expressed frustration on Tuesday with how the season has turned out and said he is taking it on himself to fix it — this is his first Ohio State team to lose three regular-season games, Eleven Warriors reported from Tuesday’s press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Day said the staff is focused on the lineup that gives Ohio State its best chance Saturday. “We’re just gonna do whatever we can to win the game. It gives us the best chance to win the game, what gives the team the best chance to win it,” Day said, via WBNS 10TV as reported by The Comeback.
Ohio State is 6-3 with three regular-season games left — Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan — and its College Football Playoff position is in serious trouble after the consecutive losses, Athlon Sports reported. Tuesday’s quarterback answer was not the only staff matter Day addressed: he said he is evaluating his coaching staff week to week, Eleven Warriors reported, one day after Ohio State parted ways with special teams coordinator Robby Discher.
What happens next: Fahey and the Buckeyes meet Northwestern on Saturday, Nov. 14, still looking for the first win of his starting run and a way to keep their postseason hopes alive heading into the Nebraska and Michigan games.
Photo: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA