Ohio State Loses QB Julian Sayin Indefinitely After 17-TD Shoulder Injury

Q: With Sayin sidelined, will Urban Meyer's favored high-upside backup steal the starting job before Ohio State faces USC?

Probably not before USC, though Tavien St. Clair now has a real opening to change the pecking order during the bye week. The strongest evidence still points to Luke Fahey keeping the job for now. Ryan Day said Fahey “has been ahead of Tavien in terms of what we’ve seen,” and Fahey already won the backup role in preseason camp. When Julian Sayin went down against Indiana, Day turned to Fahey, not St. Clair, which is the clearest in-game signal of the current depth chart. That said, Day also made clear the competition is being reopened in practice. Both Fahey and St. Clair will get extensive reps during the off week, and Day said Ohio State will play whoever gives the Buckeyes the best chance to win at USC. That leaves room for St. Clair, the more highly touted former five-star prospect, to make a push if he shows more command, consistency and readiness than he did earlier in the year. Urban Meyer’s preference for St. Clair appears to be rooted in upside, not current standing. Publicly, Meyer called it “perplexing” that St. Clair was not the first replacement, but Ohio State’s staff has so far trusted Fahey more. That matters more than outside opinion. So the most likely scenario today is Fahey starts at USC, with St. Clair pushing hard enough to either narrow the gap or force a shorter leash. A full takeover before that game is possible, but based on Day’s comments, it is not the most probable outcome.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 21

Ryan Day said Ohio State is planning as if Julian Sayin will miss the rest of the regular season and College Football Playoff after the quarterback was ruled out indefinitely.
The injury happened when Indiana defender Mario Landino hit Sayin’s throwing shoulder on a sack in Saturday’s 19-15 win; Sayin left the field in a sling and no specific diagnosis was disclosed.
Luke Fahey, a true freshman, will remain the starter as the No. 3 Buckeyes use a bye week to adjust before a Halloween road game at No. 16 USC.
Sayin had thrown for 1,772 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions, making the loss a major blow to Ohio State’s playoff push and his NFL draft trajectory.