The Ohio State Buckeyes spent two weeks avoiding naming a new starting quarterback.
With Julian Sayin injured, everyone knew OSU would have a new QB — it was just a case of whether it would be Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair.
But in a handful of opportunities, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day didn’t spill the beans.
The college football world was going to find out eventually. After a bye last week, Ohio State is back on the field this week to play at USC. They’ll put a quarterback out there, whether made public beforehand or not.
And now heading into Saturday night’s game, it appears the decision has been made, with one college football insider breaking the news.
Who’s Playing QB for Ohio State Today?
It appears that it’ll be the true freshman Luke Fahey who gets the quarterback start for Ohio State on Saturday.
This is what Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported on Friday:
Ohio State is expected to start true freshman Luke Fahey at quarterback tomorrow against USC, sources tell @CBSSports.
Was the clear favorite in the competition with sophomore Tavien St. Clair to be Ohio State’s new starter with Julian Sayin now injured but head coach Ryan Day has continued to decline to name a starter. However, it is expected to be Fahey.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) October 31, 2026
Fahey was the player who relieved Sayin against Indiana after the starter’s injury, so it seemed at the time he had the leg up, and that still appears to be the case.
It’s a bold call for Day to turn to the three-star true freshman from California, but Fahey has evidently impressed since arriving on campus.
It remains to be seen just how much Ohio State will have to change the offense without Sayin in there. It’ll be up to Fahey, reportedly, to make it all come together anyway.
Why Isn’t Julian Sayin Playing Today?
Sayin isn’t playing on Saturday because he’s out “indefinitely,” according to Day.
The star QB hurt his right (throwing) arm in the win over Indiana on Oct. 17. He ended the game in a sling on the sideline.
It was made clear pretty quickly by Day that Sayin would be out for a while, and the only question was who would start in his place.
It’s not clear at this point if Sayin will miss the rest of the season or not, but he’s at least missing on Saturday, and it appears Fahey will be taking his place.
Here’s Who’s Playing QB for Ohio State Today After Julian Sayin Injury