Playoff Hierarchy Shifts as Ohio State Loses Sayin

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin injured his right shoulder in the fourth quarter of the Buckeyes’ 19-15 win over Indiana on Oct. 17. Head coach Ryan Day said Sayin will likely miss “several weeks.” A freshman now leads a No. 3 team, with a road game against No. 16 USC coming after the bye week. In the playoff system, one player’s health can rearrange programs’ prospects across the rankings.

Indiana defensive lineman Mario Landino sacked Sayin and forced a fumble. Sayin hit the ground, favored his right arm and headed to the locker room. A few minutes later, he returned with his arm in a sling. He’s a 21-year-old junior. Day said he didn’t have further details about the injury.

A Freshman Steps Into the Lineup

True freshman backup Luke Fahey replaced Sayin. He went 0-for-2 passing, though he drew a penalty that extended a Buckeyes drive. Bye-week practice will give Fahey more time with the team, but his college experience is limited. Ohio State now faces a consequential stretch with a new quarterback and no clear timetable for Sayin’s return.

“We’ll regroup. We’ve got a good team,” Day said. “When Luke’s in there, we just may need to do things just a little bit differently, but the bye week gives us a chance to regroup on that and put our heads together.” Day’s options, as described, are to adjust the team’s approach, use the bye week and wait for more information.

Ohio State ended Indiana’s 22-game winning streak in Bloomington. With about a minute left, Indiana appeared to tie the game when Josh Hoover passed to Nick Marsh in the end zone, but Marsh’s foot landed out of bounds. Ohio State held on. The result left Ohio State No. 3 and Indiana No. 5 in that week’s AP Top 25 Poll.

Rankings, Results and the Playoff Gate

The 12-team College Football Playoff means neither team would typically be eliminated from contention by this result. Still, the rankings shape the race, and the article called Ohio State’s win arguably the weekend’s most impactful result. Week 7 also brought BYU’s win over Notre Dame amid a controversial last-second game-clock issue, Auburn’s win over heavily favored Georgia in Athens, and Florida’s upset of Texas in Austin after another disappointing performance from Arch Manning. Tennessee beat Alabama at home and held the Crimson Tide offense to 10 points, while Miami beat Florida State amid questionable officiating. Miami moved to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Ohio State would be sizable favorites over USC if Sayin were available, the article said. Without him, the matchup could change. USC is ranked No. 16 and sits on the playoff bubble. The Trojans could move into the top 10 by beating Wisconsin and Ohio State with Fahey playing. The article described USC’s defense as suffocating, while the team has struggled to win big games under Lincoln Riley. It also described the prospective home crowd at the LA Coliseum as sold-out and hostile. USC is seeking its first College Football Playoff appearance in Riley’s tenure.

If Sayin can’t return after USC, Ohio State would host Oregon. The Ducks have an extremely talented defense and pulled out an impressive win over a very good Nebraska team, even with backup quarterbacks. Ranked Northwestern would then visit Columbus, followed by Ohio State’s trip to Lincoln to play Nebraska and a home game against Michigan, known as “The Game.”

The extent of Sayin’s absence remains unclear because further injury details aren’t available. A home loss to Oregon could leave Ohio State outside the top 12, while USC wins over Wisconsin and Ohio State could give the Trojans a route into the top 10. Those outcomes could open places for more SEC or Big 12 teams, or Iowa, whose closing schedule the article described as relatively favorable compared with other leading programs in those conferences. Nearly half the season’s games remain. Ohio State could still beat USC on the road with a backup, and Sayin could return by the first week of November, keeping the Buckeyes on course for the Big Ten Championship Game. For now, the playoff race turns on Sayin’s injury and the freshman expected to fill the vacant spot.