Through two starts, Luke Fahey has done little to settle Ohio State’s quarterback picture.
That matters because this is the kind of situation that eventually circles back to Ryan Day. When a starting quarterback goes down, keeping the season on track becomes a test of coaching as much as talent.
Sometimes a staff survives it. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Right now, Day looks like he may be on the wrong side of that line, though the story behind the Buckeyes’ quarterback shuffle is more complicated than it first appeared.
The first wrinkle came with Tavien St. Clair.
He had clearly worked his way into the No. 2 spot during spring ball, and after his spring game showing, there was even a case to be made that he should have been pushing Julian Sayin for the job. But once the season began, the backup race seemed to disappear from the conversation, with most people assuming St.
Clair would remain the next man up.
That changed against Ball State. When Ohio State had the game in hand and the reserves entered, it was Fahey who got the snap. That was a surprise to plenty of Buckeye fans.
Then came the reports that Fahey had been turning heads, showing up every day and winning the competition. He passed St.
Clair on the depth chart, and fans bought into that version of events. When Sayin’s season ended against Indiana because of his arm injury, Day had no choice but to finish the game with Fahey.
At that point, it seemed obvious Fahey would be the starter coming out of the bye week before USC. Instead, Day said he would hold a competition between Fahey and St.
Clair. It was an odd move from a coach who could have simply backed his true freshman quarterback.
Fahey ended up starting against USC and Oregon, and the early returns have not been encouraging.
To be fair, he walked into a brutal setup: two difficult opponents in two difficult situations. Even so, he has not taken hold of the job. His numbers are respectable enough on paper - 65 percent completions, 823 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions - but the play itself has told a different story.
He has struggled with where his best weapons are on the field. He has not shown a clear feel for when to take chances. And when he has tried to attack downfield, the deep ball has not been there.
He looks like what he is: a true freshman.
Fahey has competed and battled, and the circumstances around him have not been easy. But he has not done enough to make anyone comfortable handing him the job moving forward, even with Sayin in the picture or not.
There is still time, and Ohio State has three games left for him to settle in and show the staff more. But for now, his story is still being written, and there is a lot of work left to do.
In Other News...
Ohio State Fans Have A New Reason To Worry About Legend Bey
Legend Bey arrived at Ohio State with some buzz, but his first season has not gone the way many Buckeyes fans hoped. The freshman running back has seen limited playing time, and his path has already been complicated by a suspension early in fall camp. Even with the season moving along, Bey has not been able to carve out much of a role in a backfield that has been difficult to crack.
Bey added another layer of uncertainty this week by posting a cryptic message on social media, which naturally sparked concern about where things stand. Nothing official has been announced, and there is no confirmation that he is entering the transfer portal, but the timing of the post is enough to make people around the program pay attention. For a player still trying to find his footing, and for a fan base watching the running back room closely, it is the kind of development that raises more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]
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Head coach Ryan Day has already acknowledged the problems and made clear the responsibility does not rest with Discher alone, which suggests this is as much about broader accountability as it is about one staffing change. For a program with Ohio States standards, special teams has become too familiar a source of frustration, and the latest move only adds to the sense that more adjustments could still be coming. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Owns Ohio State Collapse As Pressure Builds Fast
Ohio States latest setback was the kind that lingers, because it began with control and ended with a collapse. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 14-0 lead against Oregon, then watched the Ducks reel off 38 unanswered points as the offense stalled and the game slipped away, leaving Ohio State at 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play.
Ryan Day did not try to soften the aftermath. He acknowledged the teams problems on offense, where the Buckeyes have struggled to find consistent production on the ground and through the air, and said coaching changes, play calling and personnel adjustments are all under consideration. With the season moving deeper into November, the pressure around the program is only getting louder, and the next steps now matter as much as the loss itself. [Read more 🡒]