No. 3 Ohio State’s 19-15 road win over defending national champion Indiana did more than hand the Buckeyes control of the Big Ten race. It also left them staring at a far messier path to the College Football Playoff.
The victory ended Indiana’s 22-game winning streak, but it came with a brutal cost: starting quarterback Julian Sayin is out indefinitely with an elbow injury. That could leave Ohio State to close the season with three-star true freshman Luke Fahey under center.
Sayin’s injury dropped into the middle of an offense already trying to find itself in conference play. The Buckeyes have been inconsistent on the ground, and while Jeremiah Smith has been electric through seven games, the gap behind him is massive - he has 33 more catches, 716 more receiving yards and 10 more touchdowns than the next most productive wide receiver on the roster.
That was enough for college football media personality Josh Pate to sound the alarm Friday on ESPN’s "Bussin' & Pate."
"Man, I'm on the bus with it," Pate said. "If they were churning out yards in the run game, and frankly this is a problem for a lot of teams with high-profile quarterbacks with high expectations and highly paid rosters, if Bo Jackson or Legend Bey was the equivalent of Zeke back in the day, I'd be okay. They haven't been that yet."
Pate also pointed to what could be waiting for Fahey and Ohio State down the stretch. The Buckeyes still have five games left, and every one of those opponents owns at least a 4-2 record. Two of them are sitting just outside the top 25.
"Here's the problem: at USC, Oregon (maybe with Dante Moore back), Northwestern, at Nebraska, Michigan," Pate said "There's no stretch of three games there where you look and say 'that's where they'll get right.'"
The playoff committee has already shown it can weigh quarterback injuries heavily. In the 2024 College Football Playoff, Alabama earned the No. 4 seed at 12-1 over undefeated Florida State after Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury.
Travis had started 11 games before getting hurt against North Alabama. Florida State still beat No.
5 LSU and No. 16 Duke with him at quarterback, then won at unranked Florida and against No.
14 Louisville in the ACC Championship after he was lost.
Ohio State’s situation is different, but the fear is real: a powerhouse with a thin margin for error, a backup quarterback, and a finish line lined with difficult games.
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, UCLA suddenly owns the clearest route to an unbeaten regular season among league teams, even after losing its starting quarterback. USC, currently No. 16, may be the Bruins’ only ranked opponent left in the regular season.
Indiana and Iowa, despite both falling to Ohio State, also appear to have a cleaner road to the playoff than the Buckeyes. Indiana’s Nov. 14 meeting with USC may be the last ranked team on its schedule, while Iowa’s trip to Northwestern on Nov. 7 should be its final matchup against a ranked opponent.
Oregon could also work its way back into the conversation if Dante Moore returns. But the Ducks likely need perfection the rest of the way, which means beating a surging Northwestern team and then winning at Ohio State.
In Other News...
Oregons Offense Looks Thin Entering A Crucial Big Ten Test
The Big Tens first availability report for Oregons trip to Illinois did not do the Ducks any favors, with a few key names on both sides popping up before a pivotal conference matchup. For Oregon, the biggest absence is Dante Moore, the starting quarterback who will not be available, and wide receiver Evan Stewart is also out after his recent arrest, leaving the Ducks to sort through a major personnel change at a time when every Big Ten game already carries weight.
Illinois at least appears to be getting closer to full strength at receiver, with Jayshon Platt listed as questionable but reportedly trending toward playing after practicing recently. For Oregon, though, the early injury and availability picture raises an obvious question about how the offense will function without two of its most important pieces in one of the seasons more demanding road tests. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Needs Answers Fast As Dylan Raiola Faces Early Road Test
Oregons first trip to Champaign in 33 years arrives with more questions than comfort, and the Ducks are bringing a new quarterback situation into a road setting that should tell plenty about where this offense stands. Dylan Raiola is at the center of it for Oregon, while Illinois is turning to Michael Clayton II, leaving both sides to sort through offensive issues at a time when execution is likely to matter more than reputation.
The Ducks have to answer in a hurry on the line of scrimmage, where Oregons protection and Illinois ability to create pressure could end up shaping the game. On the other side, the Ducks will be watching closely to see how their defense handles Clayton II in his first start, because a clean performance there would go a long way toward stabilizing a matchup that already feels like it could hinge on patience and one or two mistakes. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon's Young Receivers Are Suddenly Central To Dylan Raiola's Next Test
With Dante Moore out, Oregons offense has had to lean on a different look at quarterback, with Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas sharing the load and keeping the Ducks moving while the staff manages injuries at both quarterback and receiver. That has pushed true freshmen into bigger roles sooner than expected, and the results have become part of the weekly blueprint rather than a temporary fix.
Jalen Lott and Messiah Hampton have both been asked to handle more, and Raiolas next test now comes with those young targets central to the plan. Dan Lanning has pointed to the way Oregons younger players have answered the call, noting how many snaps this season have gone to players who began their careers in Eugene, which says plenty about how much the Ducks are relying on development as much as depth right now. [Read more 🡒]