Sayin Injury Puts Ohio State's Playoff Bid at Risk

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin injured his right shoulder in the fourth quarter of the Buckeyes’ 19-15 win over Indiana on Oct. 17, 2026. Head coach Ryan Day said Sayin is likely to miss “several weeks,” leaving true freshman backup Luke Fahey set to take over before a road game against No. 16 USC.

The Quarterback Change

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. Day said he didn’t have further details about the injury.

Fahey replaced Sayin against Indiana and went 0-for-2 passing. He drew a penalty that extended a Buckeyes drive. The bye week gives Ohio State practice time with its new quarterback, but Fahey is a true freshman with limited college experience.

“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.”

Ohio State’s 19-15 victory ended Indiana’s 22-game winning streak in Bloomington. With about a minute remaining, Indiana appeared to tie the game when Josh Hoover passed to Nick Marsh in the end zone. Marsh’s foot landed out of bounds, and Ohio State held on.

A Playoff Race in Motion

Ohio State ranked No. 3 and Indiana No. 5 in that week’s AP Top 25 Poll. The 12-team College Football Playoff meant the loss wouldn’t typically eliminate either team from contention, but Sayin’s uncertain availability changes the Buckeyes’ immediate outlook.

The article said Ohio State would be sizable favorites over USC if Sayin were available. USC ranked No. 16 and sat on the playoff bubble, according to the article. The Trojans could move into the top 10 by beating Wisconsin and Ohio State with Fahey playing.

USC’s defense was described as suffocating, while the team had struggled to win big games under Lincoln Riley. The article also described a 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.

Other Week 7 results shifted the rankings picture. BYU beat Notre Dame amid a controversial last-second game-clock issue. Auburn beat heavily favored Georgia in Athens, while Florida upset Texas in Austin after another disappointing performance from Arch Manning. Tennessee beat Alabama at home and held the Crimson Tide offense to 10 points. Miami beat Florida State amid questionable officiating, moving to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll.

The Schedule Ahead

If Sayin can’t return after the USC game, Ohio State would host Oregon. The article called Oregon’s defense extremely talented and noted the Ducks’ impressive win over a very good Nebraska team despite using backup quarterbacks.

Ranked Northwestern would then visit Columbus. Ohio State would travel to Lincoln to play Nebraska and later host Michigan in “The Game.” A home loss to Oregon could leave Ohio State outside the top 12. USC wins over Wisconsin and Ohio State could give the Trojans a route into the top 10.

The article said those results could create openings for more SEC or Big 12 teams, or Iowa, whose closing schedule it described as relatively favorable compared with other leading programs in those conferences. Nearly half the season’s games remained. Ohio State could still beat USC on the road with a backup quarterback, and Sayin could return by the first week of November, keeping the Buckeyes on course for the Big Ten Championship Game. The extent of his absence remained unclear without further injury details.