The Ohio State Buckeyes haven’t really given anyone any indication of why they aren’t playing Tavien St. Clair.
Their answers have all been in the affirmative about Luke Fahey, who has gotten all the quarterback snaps since Julian Sayin went down with an injury against Indiana.
But through two starts and two losses for Fahey, and a season that likely won’t be ending in the College Football Playoff now, there are more calls than ever from the fanbase and media to consider starting St. Clair.
There’s no indication that Ohio State is going to make the change, but one prominent Buckeyes beat writer — Stephen Means of Cleveland.com — thinks it’s time.
Reporter Calls for Tavien St. Clair to Start for Ohio State
Means wrote a column after Saturday’s game with two versions of its headline:
- Ohio State should start Tavien St. Clair against Northwestern
- Ohio State can’t let St. Clair walk out the door without ever giving him a real shot
This is what Means wrote on X to plug his story:
At this point, you owe it to yourself, the Ohio State program and the fanbase to leave no stone unturned about this players on this roster:
https://t.co/a2vHuadhI4
— Stephen Means (@Stephen_Means) November 8, 2026
While not knowing the full scoop on St. Clair, Means’ point is simple: The Buckeyes have a former five-star QB recruit from Bellefontaine, Ohio in their building. If this is a lost season, they can’t let St. Clair transfer out without first seeing what he can do.
Maybe that page has already turned, but if it hasn’t, Ohio State still has a few more chances to play St. Clair.
Would Ohio State Bench Luke Fahey?
Means goes on to write that he doesn’t think this should be viewed as benching the true freshman Fahey.
Instead, it would be about both Fahey and Ohio State’s future.
“This isn’t about benching Luke Fahey,” Means writes. “He hasn’t been the primary reason why the Buckeyes haven’t won a game since Oct. 17. The fact that he’s thrown 88 passes in his first two games as a starter is tangible evidence of how much every other part of this team, not named Jeremiah Smith, has failed him. However, the reality is, he also didn’t play well enough to prevent those losses, and the last thing you want is this spiraling to the point that an already rattled true freshman quarterback is forever scarred by the experience and never bounces back.”
Fahey’s future still has a lot to be determined, but Ohio State has to consider its entire program, too — and getting quarterback right is crucial, no matter who ends up winning the role.
Ohio State Called to Start Tavien St. Clair at QB