Luke Fahey didn’t exactly get the slow-burn introduction most quarterbacks dream about. His first public comments since enrolling at Ohio State in January came after he was suddenly handed the starting job, stepping in for the injured Julian Sayin and finding himself in the middle of the spotlight almost immediately.
“It was definitely something that I dreamed of, but I definitely didn’t dream of it happening that quick,” Fahey said on The Ryan Day Show on 97.1 The Fan. “But I love it, and God put me in a position to go out there and play football and do what I love, so I’m grateful.”
The freshman’s first two outings showed just how fast the job came at him. Against Indiana, when he entered for Sayin, Fahey finished 0-for-2 passing and was sacked once, though Ohio State still pulled out a 19-15 win in Bloomington. After the bye week, he had more time to get ready for USC and turned in a much bigger workload, going 21-for-38 for 260 yards and a touchdown in a 30-18 loss.
Even with that extra preparation, Fahey said the whole stretch still felt like a blur.
“My mind was going in all kinds of different places, so I was kind of thinking about a lot of different things,” Fahey said of playing against Indiana. “And then before I knew it, it was one week before we were playing (against USC).
And then before I knew it, we were taking off. So it happened pretty quick.”
Fahey also leaned on Sayin during the transition. The two California natives already had a strong bond before the injury, and Fahey said Sayin has been a steady presence over the past two-and-a-half weeks.
“He’s definitely like one of my best friends here. When I came up for my visit here, he was the guy that was hosting me and he kind of did a really good job of helping me, showing me around, giving me the way,” Fahey said.
“And then throughout this whole process, since I first got here, he’s been helping me a lot, teaching me the Ohio ways, the Ohio State culture and all kinds of things. So he’s been great.”
His next start comes in Ohio Stadium against Oregon, though the Horseshoe itself won’t be completely new territory. Fahey already got on the field there in non-conference play, checking in once the game was out of reach against Ball State and Kent State.
In those appearances, he completed 9 of 11 passes for 203 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
“Being from California and just dreaming of this opportunity to play in a stadium like that in front of the fans is definitely something that is unreal,” Fahey said. “And I couldn’t put words into it after the game.
I remember going and sitting in the locker room and just like thinking, ‘I can’t even believe this really just happened.’ So I’m super excited to get out there this weekend and have The Shoe rocking.”
Fahey said the first start gave him a clearer picture of what he needs to clean up.
“I think after the first start, I will hopefully start to settle down and stuff like that,” Fahey said. “That first week was definitely rough, but I’m excited to move forward.”
The Ohio State connection runs deeper than just football for Fahey. He grew up a Buckeyes fan, in part because his grandparents were students at Ohio State and met in the library on campus.
“It played into it a big time just because I grew up an Ohio State fan,” Fahey said of his grandparents. “I think since I can remember, I’ve been watching Ohio State on TV.
I’ve cried so many times for some games, but all I know is Ohio State football. So when this opportunity came around, I had to take it.”
The USC result didn’t go the Buckeyes’ way, but Fahey now gets another shot to help put things back on track against Oregon. With November demanding wins every week, he said the urgency inside the building is clear.
“There’s definitely been a lot of enthusiasm this whole kind of week, knowing that there’s a lot of urgency in this building of what needs to get done,” Fahey said. “I’m super excited for this team this weekend to go out there and show it on Saturday.”
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