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Ohio State expected to start Luke Fahey at quarterback at USC, per report
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Ohio State is going with Luke Fahey on Saturday night at USC as the replacement at quarterback for the injured Julian Sayin, according to a report on Friday night by On3 insider Pete Nakos.
If Nakos’ report is true, then the 2nd-ranked Buckeyes will be going with a true freshman behind center as they try to press on without Sayin, who injured his throwing arm 2 weeks ago at Indiana. Sayin is out indefinitely, so after a bye last week head coach Ryan Day had 2 weeks to evaluate who was going to fill Sayin’s big shoes.
It looks like that will be Fahey, who also came in for the injured Sayin in Week 7 after that gruesome injury he suffered against the Hoosiers. The injury happened during the fourth quarter, so Fahey didn’t have to do too much as Ohio State held on for a 19-15 victory that put a happy result on an otherwise concerning afternoon in Bloomington.
Fahey would be getting the nod on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC) over sophomore Tavien St. Clair. Neither signal-caller has much of any experience, with Fahey throwing just 13 passes all season with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Meanwhile, St. Clair is just 5 of 7 for 52 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception on the season, so Day ultimately had to choose a quarterback from what he saw in practice and not from any true game experience.
Assuming Sayin doesn’t return during the regular season or potentially the postseason, the Buckeyes have been backed into a corner and forced to put a plan in place assuming the worst with Sayin.
Day has done just that, and life without Sayin will officially begin in primetime on Saturday in the city of Los Angeles, as Ohio State tries to stay on the road to a College Football Playoff berth without its star quarterback.
It appears that Fahey will get a shot, or the first shot at least, to help make that happen for the Buckeyes.