Ohio State’s playoff picture just got a lot more complicated.
Ryan Day said Tuesday that quarterback Julian Sayin is out “indefinitely,” and that could mean the Buckeyes may have to finish the season without him. The injury came in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 19-15 win over Indiana, and Ohio State is now preparing to move forward with Luke Fahey and Tavien St.
Clair getting first-team snaps during the bye week before the Oct. 31 matchup with No. 16 USC.
“Based on the nature of the injury we are putting together a plan for him not being available for the regular season and him also not being available for the postseason,” Day said. “If he's not able to return this fall, we're putting together a plan for that, as well.”
That is a massive development for a team sitting at No. 3 and already in strong position in the College Football Playoff race. Ohio State is projected as the No. 2 seed in CBS Sports’ CFP bracket, but the committee is required to weigh “the unavailability of key players and coaches that may have affected a team's performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason performance.”
In other words, the Buckeyes may not be judged the same way if they’re operating without Sayin.
Before the injury, Sayin was putting up huge numbers, ranking third nationally with 2,007 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. If he misses the rest of the regular season, Ohio State would go on without him against USC, Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan.
And that’s where the real uncertainty starts. If Sayin is back later in the year, the Buckeyes might get some benefit of the doubt for any stumble with Fahey or St.
Clair at quarterback. But if he’s out for good, a loss in one of those games could carry much more weight in the committee’s eyes.
The comparison that hangs over all of this is Florida State in 2023, when Jordan Travis went down and the undefeated Seminoles were left out of the four-team playoff. That situation is now the clearest warning sign for Ohio State.
The Buckeyes still have plenty to lean on. Jeremiah Smith remains a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, and the defense has been one of the nation’s best, allowing just 13.4 points per game.
But the biggest question attached to Ohio State now is not about its record. It’s about how the committee will view the Buckeyes if Sayin isn’t there.
In Other News...
Nebraskas Big Ten Path Just Got Stranger At The Perfect Time
The Big Ten race is getting a little more unpredictable just as Nebraska settles into the heart of its schedule. Several league teams, including upcoming Cornhuskers opponents, are dealing with injuries at quarterback, and the timing could matter plenty as Nebraska tries to steady itself after recent losses and map out the path ahead. Around the conference, teams are now juggling depth charts and recovery timelines, which can change a game plan fast this late in the year.
Among the most notable developments, Ohio State is already bracing for a stretch without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who is sidelined for several weeks with a throwing-shoulder injury. For Nebraska, that kind of uncertainty around opposing quarterbacks can alter scouting, prep and expectations in a hurry, especially with more tests still ahead. The larger question now is how much these injuries will reshape the conference picture before the Cornhuskers ever get to kick off again. [Read more 🡒]
Former Huskers Made Two NFL Moments Nebraska Fans Will Love
Week 6 offered Nebraska fans a little bit of everything from the former Huskers scattered across the NFL, with familiar names popping up in ways that always tend to grab attention back in Lincoln. Maliek Collins got home for a sack with the Cleveland Browns, Emmett Johnson added kick return work for the Kansas City Chiefs, and a few other Nebraska alumni chipped in around the league as well, giving the fan base another reminder of how many Huskers are still carving out roles on Sundays.
Nate Boerkircher supplied the clearest headline of the bunch, turning in a moment every former college player waits for when he found the end zone for the Jacksonville Jaguars for the first time in his NFL career. For Nebraska supporters, it was the kind of across-the-league update that makes a routine Sunday feel a little more personal, with alumni production showing up in pass rush, special teams and the most memorable stat of all, a first touchdown. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska's Response To A Costly Loss Became A Snowy Statement
The conditions were hardly ideal in Ames, but Nebraska treated the afternoon like a chance to make a point after a costly setback the week before. With Dan Alexander making his first start, the Cornhuskers leaned on the run early and often, and Alexander rewarded them with 110 rushing yards and three touchdowns while Eric Crouch added his own dimension with 91 yards on the ground and 44 through the air in a 42-7 rout of Iowa State.
Nebraskas defense made sure there was no doubt about the response. The Cornhuskers intercepted three passes, and Joe Walker turned one of them into a touchdown as the snow kept falling and the game kept slipping away from Iowa State. For a team looking to steady itself, it was the kind of complete, cold-weather performance that fit the moment perfectly. [Read more 🡒]