Ohio State is running it back with Luke Fahey in Week 10.
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said at his Tuesday news conference that the freshman quarterback would make his second start of the season against Oregon. Fahey started No. 11 Ohio State’s 30-18 loss to USC.
With Julian Sayin potentially out for the rest of the season because of a right shoulder injury, the defeat to the now-No. 18 Trojans was the first start of Fahey’s career. He was 21-of-38 passing for 260 yards and a TD pass to wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
However, much of that yardage came in the fourth quarter as Ohio State was down multiple possessions. Before Ohio State’s final two possessions, Fahey had 134 passing yards.
To be fair to Fahey, making your first start on the road against a good opponent is a very difficult ask. And Ohio State played its worst game of the season around him. The Buckeyes defense gave up a 69-yard TD to open the game and then a 70-yard catch-and-run later in the game. And Ohio State also committed 11 penalties. It was the first time since Oct. 7, 2023, that Ohio State had at least 10 penalties in a game. Tuesday, Day called the penalties and mistakes “ridiculous.”
If Fahey wasn’t going to start in Sayin’s absence, Tavien St. Clair would have gotten the nod. Fahey was Ohio State’s No. 2 QB behind Sayin for the first half of the season while St. Clair had been the team’s No. 3 QB.
At 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, Ohio State still has a very real chance at making the Big Ten title game thanks to its win over Indiana. While UCLA is atop the conference at 5-0 (and 8-0 overall), the Hoosiers and Buckeyes are the only two teams with one conference loss. Oregon, meanwhile, is among seven teams entering Week 10 with two conference losses.
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