Ohio State's season -- and its College Football Playoff aspirations -- now rest in the hands of a backup quarterback.
With Heisman hopeful Julian Sayin sidelined indefinitely with an injured right throwing arm, the Buckeyes will turn to either true freshman Luke Fahey or sophomore Tavien St. Clair to lead their offense. Fahey won the backup job during preseason camp and replaced Sayin in the fourth quarter of Ohio State's 19-15 win over No. 5 Indiana. Coach Ryan Day, however, plans to give both quarterbacks reps during the Buckeyes' bye week.
"We're going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win," Day said Monday. "Going into the last few games, Luke's been ahead of Tavien in terms of what we've seen, but now that we have a bye week, these guys are both going to get a lot of reps, and we're going to start to put together a plan on how we're going to move forward. We're going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win."
The decision comes with little margin for error. The Buckeyes travel to No. 16 USC on Oct. 31, giving Day less than two weeks to determine which inexperienced quarterback is best equipped to lead a team with big ambitions. Matchups with Oregon Ducks, No. 24 Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan loom for a Buckeyes team that has already lost once this season to Texas.
So, what does each quarterback bring to the offense, and which one gives the Buckeyes their best chance to win?
How they got here
Fahey: A high three-star prospect who ranked as the No. 32 quarterback in the 2025 class, Fahey was productive in high school, throwing for 7,021 yards, 68 touchdowns and just nine interceptions at Mission Viejo in California. He visited Indiana, Stanford, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Oregon State before committing to Ohio State in July 2024. Before entering Saturday's win over Indiana, Fahey had completed nine of 11 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in mop-up duty against Ball State and Kent State.
St. Clair: A product of Bellefontaine High School in Ohio, St. Clair threw for more than 10,000 yards and was an Ohio Mr. Football finalist in 2024. His recruiting pedigree was more in line with expectations for an Ohio State quarterback. A consensus five-star prospect, he ranked No. 10 overall and No. 3 among quarterbacks in the 2025 class, trailing only Bryce Underwood and Keelon Russell. He also went toe-to-toe with Russell at the 2024 Elite 11 Finals.
St. Clair was Ohio State's third-string quarterback as a freshman behind Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz, appearing in one game and throwing two incompletions against Grambling State Tigers. This season, he appeared in the same two wins as Fahey, completing five of six passes for 52 yards and a touchdown against Ball State before throwing an interception on his lone attempt in Ohio State's 59-3 win over Kent State.
Scouting Fahey's fit
While Fahey doesn't have St. Clair's physicality or arm talent, he has made his mark with his maturity and ability to process the game. The 5-foot-11, 206-pounder is on the shorter side but fits more in the mold of former Buckeye J.T. Barrett.
Fahey's live arm is his best trait and he has a quick release. The ball jumps out of his hand, and he can get it out quickly under duress. Despite being a freshman, Fahey likely moved ahead of St. Clair because of his decision-making and comfort in Ohio State's offense.
Scouting St. Clair's fit
At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, St. Clair certainly looks the part. He's athletic and a better running option than Fahey. Coming out of high school, St. Clair had a big arm and could make all the throws but was also very raw fundamentally. If Ryan Day's decision was based solely on physical ability, St. Clair has the higher ceiling.
Who gives Ohio State the best chance to win?
The bye week could not have come at a better time for Ohio State to evaluate and set the stage for a heated quarterback battle over the next two weeks. Both will now see a significant increase in reps -- at least for this week -- which will be heavily charted and scrutinized by the coaches before tailoring the reps to the starter next week leading into the USC game.
The biggest question for St. Clair is whether he can operate the offense, make good decisions and protect the football. Fahey entered the game against Indiana over St. Clair precisely for those reasons. Fahey might not be as physically talented, but the coaches trust him and he's the steadier, more consistent option.
Ohio State should start Fahey and prepare St. Clair to play, potentially with a goal-line or short-yardage package designed to take advantage of his running ability.