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The Ohio State Buckeyes secured a critical Big Ten victory over Indiana on Saturday, but the win came at a significant cost. Starting quarterback Julian Sayin, a 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist, is anticipated to be sidelined for multiple weeks due to a right shoulder injury sustained in the fourth quarter, head coach Ryan Day announced postgame.
Sayin was injured with 8:05 left in the fourth quarter when Indiana's Mario Landino sacked him, causing his right arm to be pinned awkwardly against his body. The quarterback left the game and did not return, later appearing on the sideline with his arm in a sling as Ohio State closed out the win.
With Sayin out, the question becomes: who will step in? Many expected former five-star recruit Tavien St. Clair to be the first option off the bench. However, against Indiana, it was freshman Luke Fahey who took over. Fahey attempted two passes, both incomplete, and the offense stalled under his direction, though quarterback play was inconsistent for much of the game on both sides.
Ohio State has a bye week before facing USC on October 31, giving the team two weeks to prepare. Given that Fahey was trusted in a high-stakes game against a Big Ten rival, it is reasonable to expect him to start again versus the Trojans.
Who Is Luke Fahey?
Fahey, a former three-star recruit, joined the Buckeyes in July 2025. The first indication that he had surpassed the more heralded St. Clair came during the season-opening win over Ball State, when Fahey was the first quarterback to enter after Sayin was pulled with the game in hand.
At 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds, Fahey is slightly undersized but was considered one of the more accurate passers in the 2026 recruiting class and possesses the ability to extend plays with his legs. In 2026, he has completed 9 of 11 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, mostly in relief against Ball State and Kent State.
Coach Day remained coy about his future quarterback plans but expressed confidence in Fahey, noting that the game initially seemed fast for him. "It's not the same when you come in as a young freshman like that in that spot," Day said. "But one thing about Luke, and you could see on that scramble he made, I mean, he stepped right up. 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, and if he had a few more drives, he would've found the speed of the game."
The toughest part of Ohio State's schedule is behind them, but two ranked teams—USC and Northwestern—remain, along with matchups against unranked but dangerous Big Ten foes Oregon and Nebraska, and the annual showdown with Michigan. The narrow win over Indiana kept the Buckeyes at one loss, providing a larger margin for error in the coming weeks. Having Jeremiah Smith, arguably the best player in college football, as a target certainly helps. Nonetheless, the freshman quarterback will be thrown into the Big Ten fire as Ohio State pushes for a College Football Playoff berth.