Ohio State Prepares to Play Without Injured Julian Sayin

Ohio State is preparing to finish the 2026 season without starting quarterback Julian Sayin after he injured his throwing arm during Saturday's 19-15 victory over No. 5 Indiana. Coach Ryan Day announced Tuesday that Sayin is out indefinitely, with the Buckeyes planning to proceed without him through the remainder of the season, including the postseason.

With Sayin's return timeline uncertain, Ohio State will evaluate backup quarterbacks Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair during its bye week. Day said both players would receive first-team repetitions as the coaching staff determines who will lead the offense for the team's upcoming games.

The Buckeyes are scheduled to visit No. 19 USC on Oct. 31 after their weekend off. Sayin's absence comes as Ohio State enters the final stretch of the season without its established starter.

Day said the coaching staff would base its decision on which quarterback gives the team the strongest chance of winning.

"We're going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win," Day said. "Going into the last few games, Luke's been ahead of Tavien in terms of what we've seen, but now that we have a bye week, these guys are both going to get a lot of reps, and we're going to start to put together a plan on how we're going to move forward. We're going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win."

Day's comments indicated that Fahey entered the evaluation period ahead of St. Clair based on the coaching staff's previous observations.

Sayin sustained the injury in the fourth quarter against Indiana when Mario Landino hit his right shoulder while sacking him and forcing a fumble. Sayin later left the locker room with his right arm in a sling, according to the game account.

Despite the injury, Sayin finished the game with two touchdown passes. One was a 38-yard completion to Jeremiah Smith on fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter, giving Ohio State a 19-7 advantage in a game the Buckeyes ultimately won 19-15.

Sayin was a Heisman finalist last year during his first season as Ohio State's starting quarterback. This season, he has completed 71.2% of his passes for 1,772 yards, with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Smith expressed confidence in the team's ability to respond after Fahey entered the game against Indiana.

"Next man up," Smith said after the Indiana game, praising the way Fahey handled the pressure in Bloomington.

Fahey, a true freshman from Mission Viejo, California, earned the No. 2 quarterback position during the preseason after competing with sophomore St. Clair. The 5-foot-11, 206-pound three-star recruit committed to Ohio State over Indiana and Stanford.

Fahey's first appearance against Indiana came after Sayin's fumble, when Ohio State faced second-and-28. Fahey scrambled for 8 yards and drew a late-hit penalty against Indiana, giving the Buckeyes a first down. He then went 0-for-2 passing, and Ohio State did not gain another first down on the possession.

Across the season, Fahey has completed 9 of 13 passes for 203 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Senior guard Luke Montgomery said the team trusted the freshman to step in if needed.

"We wouldn't have Fahey out there if we didn't have full trust in him," senior guard Luke Montgomery said Saturday. "Whatever happens with Julian, it's next man up. ... It's Fahey's time right now."