Ohio State’s season opener against Ball State is supposed to be a warm-up, the kind of game where the starters don’t have to sweat much. That’s exactly why the real intrigue sits a few rungs down the depth chart.
The most important question in this matchup has little to do with the Cardinals and everything to do with the Buckeyes’ backup quarterback race. Ryan Day said this week that Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey are both expected to get reps against Ball State at the “Shoe” if things unfold the way Ohio State wants.
"We're going to let those guys continue to split reps with the twos this week and see how the week goes," Day said this week. "And if we can get them both reps in the game, we'll try to do that. We'll just kind of see how the game goes."
That competition matters because it may help sort out who is better positioned to become the next man up behind Julian Sayin for the 2027 season.
Fahey has made the strongest impression so far. He has been a standout this offseason, and he has apparently outplayed St.
Clair in fall camp, which has turned the future of the quarterback room into a real conversation. Day has pointed to Fahey’s work ethic, and he also likes the way the former Mission Viejo High School star processes the game.
Day said Fahey "knows time, situation, score, and has good awareness."
There’s also a clean efficiency to Fahey’s resume from CIF Southern Section Division 1 football. He threw just three interceptions per year across his three seasons as a starter. If that kind of ball security carries over to the Big Ten, he could be the most natural option to take over down the line.
St. Clair, though, remains the big-name talent in the room.
He was expected to be the kind of quarterback prospect who could change everything, and it’s a tough look that he’s currently being pushed by a true freshman who had been tracking toward a more modest backup path. With his physical gifts, St.
Clair was seen as someone who could have been even better than Sayin, and he had the tools to become the next great quarterback in Day’s system.
That’s why the stakes around this battle feel bigger than a normal backup job. If St.
Clair slips behind Fahey in the pecking order for next year and beyond, his future in Columbus could get complicated fast. It’s too early to talk transfer portals with certainty, but quarterbacks carry real market value, and teams will talk themselves into believing a talent like St.
Clair can solve their problems. If he’s not locked into a path to start for Ohio State, he would have plenty of interest elsewhere.
Day will give St. Clair a chance to get back on track, and he’ll give Fahey the same opportunity to keep building on his surprising rise. The battle for QB2 this year could shape what the Buckeyes look like in 2027, and the early signs suggest the room is far from settled.
For now, Ohio State just has to get through Ball State. But the bigger story is already taking shape behind the scenes, where the future of the position is quietly up for grabs.
In Other News...
Julian Sayin Faces One Big Test In Ohio State Year 2
Julian Sayin is heading into his second season as Ohio States starter with the kind of expectations that come with wearing the job in Columbus. After a strong freshman year, he has spent the offseason drawing praise from Ryan Day and teammates for the progress he has made in mobility, leadership and physical development, all of it pointing to a quarterback who looks more comfortable taking command of the offense.
Now the attention shifts from offseason optimism to September reality, with the opener against Ball State serving as the first chance to show how much of that growth carries onto the field. Sayin already proved he can handle the spotlight once, but Year 2 often brings a different level of scrutiny, and for Ohio State the early signs from its quarterback will matter as much as the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Freshman Receiver Battle Fans Need To Watch
Jerquaden Guilfords road to Ohio State has already made him one of the more intriguing names in the Buckeyes 2026 class. The five-star wideout originally committed to Penn State before backing off that pledge, and Ohio State had to hold its ground through coaching changes and a tough recruiting stretch to keep him in the fold. Since arriving, Guilford has reportedly turned heads in preseason camp, which only adds to the buzz around a receiver group that continues to stockpile talent.
Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd are part of that same conversation, giving Ohio State a freshman battle worth following closely once the season gets rolling. The Buckeyes have no shortage of options at wideout, but the challenge now is separating promise from production and figuring out which young receivers are ready to carve out a real role. Guilfords camp showing suggests he is at least in the mix, and the competition among that trio could end up shaping the early depth chart in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Oregon Showdown Just Got One More Edge For The Ducks
The Ohio State-Oregon matchup on Nov. 7 is already carrying the kind of weight that defines a Big Ten showdown in November, with league title positioning and College Football Playoff stakes attached to it. Add CBS to the mix, and it becomes the sort of nationally watched stage where every possession feels amplified for both programs.
Oregon will also arrive with a little extra edge from the betting board, where the Ducks are listed as six-point underdogs in the latest DraftKings Sportsbook odds. For Ohio State, that kind of line is a reminder that this is still a top-tier road test against a team with plenty to play for, and one more reason the buildup to this one figures to stay interesting. [Read more 🡒]