Ohio State’s season took a hard left turn after Julian Sayin’s injury in Bloomington, but the road is still very much open. The Buckeyes have at least six games left, enough talent to stay in the College Football Playoff mix, and a finish that could still turn the whole year into something big.
One of the biggest reasons is Jeremiah Smith. His production has been outrageous all season, and he’s sitting as the current Heisman Trophy favorite.
With Luke Fahey now stepping in for Sayin, Smith’s workload figures to stay heavy - maybe even heavier. Ohio State’s offense is going to lean on its best player even more now that its second-best offensive player is out, and that kind of usage could keep Smith at the center of the Heisman conversation all the way through.
The prediction here is simple: Smith wins the trophy, giving Ohio State its first Heisman winner since 2006.
The more dramatic stretch run prediction has Ohio State taking a loss coming out of the bye week, then recovering to finish 10-2. The trip to Los Angeles to face USC is the first major hurdle, and expecting Fahey to match Jayden Maiava in his first career start is a lot to ask.
That game is the projected loss. From there, though, Ohio State is expected to regroup, beat Michigan, and punch its ticket to the Big Ten Championship Game for a second straight year.
That brings the Buckeyes back to Indianapolis, where Indiana would await again. Ohio State already beat the Hoosiers in Bloomington with Sayin turning in the worst game of his career, but the prediction here is that a repeat of that kind of outcome is unlikely. Indiana is projected to win back-to-back Big Ten titles, while Ohio State still does enough to reach the playoff and would have to open the first round on the road.
The quarterback picture for 2027 is still in flux, but the forecast here keeps Sayin in Columbus. Before the season, the view was that he would either play well enough to head to the NFL draft or fall short and get passed by Tavien St.
Clair. Sayin’s 2026 season landed somewhere in between, and not at a level that would make for an easy decision to leave early.
St. Clair also isn’t ahead of Luke Fahey on the depth chart, much less pushing Sayin.
Ohio State could still look to the portal next year, but Sayin returning for a third season is the more likely outcome.
For now, though, the bye week looms as the key turning point. Ohio State still has plenty in front of it, and how the Buckeyes handle the next stretch will decide whether this season keeps moving forward or slips away.
In Other News...
Lee Corso Update Leaves Ohio State Fans With One Big Concern
Lee Corso has been mostly out of public view since his final College GameDay appearance in 2025, but a recent update from Kirk Herbstreit gave fans a clearer picture of where things stand. Corso, who turned 91 in August, has dealt with several physical ailments, though Herbstreit said his mind remains sharp. For Ohio State fans who spent years seeing Corso bring his famous energy and loyalty to the programs biggest stages, the news is a reminder of how much the longtime ESPN personality meant to Saturdays in Columbus and beyond.
Corso has made only a few public appearances lately, including receiving the Governors Medal of Freedom and spending time at events with former colleagues. Even so, the latest comments leave one lingering concern for Buckeyes fans who have followed him for decades: how much more of him theyll get to see in public going forward. His presence has always been larger than life, and while the voice and personality are still there, the physical side of his health remains the part to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State May Already Be Losing Grip On Top 2027 QB Options
Ohio States quarterback planning for 2027 is already getting complicated, and the Buckeyes may not have the clean runway they hoped for in that cycle. With uncertainty swirling around both the current room and future options, the staff is reportedly weighing veteran transfer possibilities as it keeps an eye on the broader market and how it might fit the offense.
One name that makes sense in that mix is Drake Lindsey of Minnesota, a potential target whose skill set appears to line up with what Ohio State wants to do. The problem is that the picture around the top quarterback options is getting murkier by the day, with Braden Atkinson expected to stay at Oregon State and rumors tying Arch Manning to a possible move from Texas to Ole Miss, leaving the Buckeyes to navigate a changing board. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Fans Just Got Another Reminder About The Future At Receiver
Ohio States bye week has given the program a little breathing room on the field, but it has also offered another chance to watch the future take shape. Five-star receiver Jamier Brown, already committed to the Buckeyes in the 2027 class, put together a standout high school performance with multiple touchdowns, the kind of reminder that recruiting wins can be just as important as anything happening on Saturdays in Columbus.
Browns outing fits the larger picture around Ohio State, where the receiver room keeps producing and the recruiting pipeline keeps humming even through coaching changes. For Buckeyes fans, it is another look at a position group that has long been a program strength, and another sign that the talent coming next could keep that standard intact. [Read more 🡒]