Ohio State QB Julian Sayin out several weeks with shoulder injury
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Ohio State QB Julian Sayin will miss several weeks with a shoulder injury.
- He hurt his throwing shoulder late in the 19-15 win at Indiana.
- True freshman Luke Fahey will start at QB while Sayin recovers.
Ohio State will play without its star QB for a while. Julian Sayin hurt his throwing shoulder on Saturday. He will miss several weeks, coach Ryan Day said.
The injury came late in a 19-15 win at Indiana. True freshman Luke Fahey will start in his place.
Sayin is the heart of the Ohio State attack. He runs the pass game. He makes the big throws on third down.
Now the Buckeyes must win without him. The next few weeks will test their depth. They will also test their defense.
What happened
Ohio State led Indiana 19-15 late in the fourth quarter. The game took place in Bloomington, Indiana. It was played on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
Ohio State was ranked fourth. Indiana was ranked fifth.
Sayin dropped back to pass on a key play. Indiana defender Mario Landino broke through the line. He hit Sayin hard on his right shoulder.
The hit forced a fumble. Sayin lost the ball. He also lost 18 yards on the play.
The ball stayed with Ohio State. Lineman Phillip Daniels fell on the loose ball. But Sayin stayed down on the field.
Trainers came out to check on him. He then walked to the locker room. He did not return to the game.
A short time later, Sayin came back to the sideline. His right arm sat in a sling. He watched the rest of the game from there.
His night was over.
Day spoke to reporters after the game. He said Sayin would likely miss several weeks. He said he had no more facts yet.
The team did not share a full injury report. Day said the trainers gave him the timeline.
"That's what the trainers told me," Day said.
Fahey took over at QB for the final plays. He did not complete a pass. He went 0-for-2 through the air.
But he still helped on his first snap. He faced second-and-28 after the fumble. He ran for 8 yards.
A late hit gave Ohio State a first down.
The Buckeye defense did the rest. Indiana drove late with one last chance. Nick Marsh caught a pass in the end zone.
His foot landed out of bounds. The play did not count. Ohio State ran out the clock.
Read the full game recap here: Ohio State beat Indiana 19-15.
Why it matters
Sayin is one of the best QBs in college football. He was a Heisman finalist last year. That was his first year as the starter.
He has led Ohio State all season. His loss changes the whole offense.
In the Indiana game, Sayin threw two TD passes. He hit 15 of 29 passes. One throw stood out most.
On fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter, he found Jeremiah Smith. The pass went 38 yards for a TD. It gave Ohio State a 19-7 lead.
Smith is now a record holder at Ohio State. His TD catch was his 39th career TD grab. That ties the Big Ten record.
The old mark belonged to Braylon Edwards of Michigan. Smith tied it on the biggest stage.
Sayin makes throws like that look easy. He reads the defense fast. He puts the ball where only his man can catch it.
Fahey is young and has not played much. The offense may look different with him. Ohio State may lean more on the run game.
The defense may need to carry more weight.
The timing also hurts. Ohio State is 6-1 this season. The team is 4-0 in the Big Ten.
The win at Indiana was huge. It ended Indiana's 22-game win streak. That streak was the longest in the country.
The Buckeyes also ended a 19-game home win streak for Indiana.
Week 7 shook up college football across the country. It changed the list of undefeated college football teams. It also shook up the race for the playoff.
Ohio State wants to stay near the top. It must do that now with a backup QB.
What happens next
Ohio State gets a break at the right time. The team has a bye next week. That means no game.
The week off gives Sayin time to heal. It also gives Fahey time to train with the starters.
Day said the team will regroup. He said the team is still strong. He said Fahey brings belief and skill.
He also said the staff may tweak the plan.
"We'll regroup," Day said. "We've got a good team."
Fahey is a true freshman. That means he is in his first year of college. He is 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds.
He came from Mission Viejo, California. He was a three-star recruit out of high school. A three-star recruit is a good prospect, but not a top-rated one.
He beat out Tavien St. Clair for the backup job.
St. Clair is a sophomore. Fahey won the role in fall camp.
Fahey has not thrown much in a real game yet. His first snaps came against Indiana. The moment did not seem too big for him.
Day praised his nerve after the game. He said Fahey has belief and skill. He said Fahey is a tough kid.
"He's got confidence, he's got athletic ability, he's a competitive kid," Day said. "I don't think the moment was too big for him."
Ohio State returns to play on October 31. The Buckeyes travel to Los Angeles. They face No. 19 USC there.
It will be the first game between the teams since 2017. Ohio State won that last game 24-7.
That game was played in Dallas.
USC will be a hard test for a young QB. The game is on the road. The crowd will be loud.
Fahey will need help from his line. He will need help from the run game. He will need help from the defense.
No one has given a firm return date for Sayin. "Several weeks" can mean many things. It could mean three weeks.
It could mean five weeks. The team will update fans as it learns more. For now, the plan is clear.
Fahey starts. The team adjusts. The season goes on.
Ohio State fans will watch two things in the next few weeks. First, they will watch Fahey grow. Each snap will teach him more.
Each game will build his trust with the team. Second, they will watch for news on Sayin. Every update on his shoulder will matter.
The Buckeyes want him back for the stretch run. Until then, the job belongs to Fahey. The team must win with the QB it has.
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