Ohio State’s quarterback situation looks like it has reached the point where the Buckeyes need to try something different.
After Saturday’s 41-28 loss to Oregon at The Shoe, the case for sticking with freshman Luke Fahey got a lot harder to make. Ohio State jumped out to a 14-point lead, then watched the game slip away as the Ducks took control and left the Buckeyes with a loss that dropped them to 6-3.
Fahey’s final line - 360 yards, two touchdowns and one interception - looks solid at a glance. But the timing tells the real story. He was largely ineffective until the game was already getting away, and both of his touchdowns came with under four minutes left while Ohio State trailed by more than 20 points.
That kind of performance has only sharpened the questions that have followed the Buckeyes since Julian Sayin went down with a season-ending injury. Fahey ended up getting the nod, but plenty of people around the program expected Tavien St. Clair to at least get a chance to show what he could do.
Instead, the former five-star prospect has stayed on the sideline while the staff leaned into the first-year quarterback.
Now, with Ohio State out of the BIG Ten title race and sitting in an unlikely spot for a College Football Playoff bid, the argument for a change is getting louder. Fahey has put up 620 yards and three touchdowns over the last two games, but the Buckeyes are 0-2 in that stretch, and his play hasn’t been enough to steady the offense.
St. Clair, meanwhile, has had two full seasons behind Sayin and should know the system well by now. He may still be raw in some areas, but he’s been around the program long enough to have built chemistry with the players around him.
That familiarity matters, and it’s part of why there’s a real belief he could give Ohio State competent snaps right away.
The limited sample is small, but St. Clair has completed five of nine passes for 52 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He’s also carried the ball twice for eight yards.
His high school résumé is what made him such a coveted recruit in the first place. In his senior season, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound quarterback threw for 29 touchdowns and more than 2,500 yards while adding nine rushing scores.
That kind of dual-threat profile is exactly what has made Ohio State’s offense dangerous in the past, and St. Clair has the tools to bring that element back. With only three games left, the Buckeyes have little time to keep waiting for the current setup to click.
At this stage, the question is simple: what does Ohio State have to lose by giving St. Clair a shot?
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Jeremiah Smiths Frustration Just Raised A Bigger Ohio State Concern
Jeremiah Smiths frustration during Ohio States loss to Oregon was hard to miss, and it came in a game that already carried major weight for the Buckeyes playoff hopes. Even in defeat, Smith was one of the few bright spots, finishing with seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, but the bigger takeaway was how visibly the moment seemed to wear on one of the teams most important playmakers.
For Ohio State, the concern goes beyond one heated sideline reaction. Smiths production showed why he matters so much to the offense, but an analysts speculation that he might not play again this season only adds another layer of uncertainty around a team trying to steady itself after the 41-28 loss. For now, it leaves the Buckeyes with more questions than answers about how they move forward. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Big Ten Path Just Got A Lot More Complicated
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For the Buckeyes, the margin for error has shrunk to the point where every conference result matters, even games they are not playing in. Day also said quarterback Julian Sayin is still recovering from elbow surgery and will not be back soon, leaving Ohio State to keep sorting through its own health questions while the bigger picture in the Big Ten keeps shifting around it. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Defensive Grades Expose Who Actually Showed Up Vs Oregon
Ohio States defense had a long afternoon against Oregon, and the film and grading only sharpened the picture from the 41-28 loss. Still, there were a few Buckeyes who at least held up their end, and Eddrick Houston stood out among them with five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two pressures while earning a Pro Football Focus grade of 75.4.
The rest of the defensive grades paint a more uneven story, with snap counts and performance varying widely across the unit as Ohio State tried to keep pace. For a defense that needed steadier play in a marquee matchup, the numbers make clear which players were active and which ones were left searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]