Ohio State Plans to Play On Without Julian Sayin Through the Postseason

Ohio State Says Julian Sayin Is Out Indefinitely

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is out indefinitely with an injury to his throwing arm, coach Ryan Day announced Tuesday, and the Buckeyes are planning to move forward without him through the rest of the year, including the postseason, ESPN reported. Sayin hurt his right shoulder in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 19-15 win at Indiana, when he was sacked and fumbled, and he left the locker room with his arm in a sling.

We're going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win.

True freshman Luke Fahey has been the No. 2 quarterback, and Day said sophomore Tavien St. Clair will also get first-team snaps during the bye week. Fahey is 9-of-13 for 203 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Sayin, a Heisman finalist last year, is completing 71.2% for 1,772 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Ohio State vs. USC Odds: Where the Market Stands

There is nothing to compare yet. ESPN's scoreboard feed carried no odds for the October 31 game at USC as of October 21 at 9:00 AM ET, so we have no opening line to measure against. Ohio State is third and USC 16th in the latest AP poll, per ESPN's rankings feed.

The feed does not say when or where a line will appear, and we will not guess one.

Our Read: What Losing a Quarterback Like Sayin Means

Here is how we would think about the news before a number exists.

• The gap is in efficiency, not just talent. Sayin has thrown two interceptions in 17 touchdowns, while Fahey has two in 13 attempts. The samples are very different in size, so we would not call it a verdict on Fahey.
• The bye helps, and it hides things. Two quarterbacks get a full week of first-team reps, but the competition also keeps the plan quiet until the USC game itself.
• Ohio State's defense and receivers set the floor. The Buckeyes beat the No. 5 team on the road with 19 points, and Jeremiah Smith caught the fourth-and-1 touchdown that made it 19-7. A strong supporting cast can shrink the drop-off, though a backup rarely matches a Heisman finalist.
• The season-long framing is a big commitment. Day saying the postseason is included reads as realistic about the arm injury, but it also shapes how the market, the committee and the Buckeyes' own plan treat each remaining game.

The evidence points both ways: a team that won at Indiana without its starter for the last stretch has shown it can function, yet a 9-of-13 sample is thin.

What to Watch Before the USC Game

• Who Day names the starter, Fahey or St. Clair, and when.
• When a line for Ohio State at USC first appears and how it compares with where the Buckeyes sat before the injury.
• Whether the play-calling shifts toward the run and short passes for Smith.
• Any update on the timeline or the type of injury to Sayin's throwing shoulder.

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