Ohio State secured a hard-fought 19-15 road victory over No. 5 Indiana on Saturday, ending the Hoosiers’ 22-game winning streak. The win improved the Buckeyes to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten, but it came with a significant cost. Starting quarterback Julian Sayin left the game in the fourth quarter with an injury to his throwing arm and is expected to miss several weeks.
Sayin was injured with roughly eight minutes remaining when Indiana’s Mario Landino hit him on a sack, forcing a fumble that Ohio State recovered. The quarterback headed to the locker room with his right arm hanging at his side. He later returned to the sideline wearing a sling. Coach Ryan Day said after the game that he did not have full details on the injury but that Sayin would “probably be out for several weeks.”
Before exiting, Sayin completed 15 of 29 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His second touchdown was a 38-yard strike to Jeremiah Smith on fourth-and-1 that gave Ohio State a 19-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. Indiana answered with a score to make it 19-15, but the Buckeyes held on after a potential go-ahead touchdown by Indiana was ruled incomplete when receiver Nick Marsh stepped out of bounds.
True freshman Luke Fahey replaced Sayin for the final possessions and finished 0-for-2 passing. Fahey had previously appeared in non-conference games against Ball State and Kent State, completing 9 of 11 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns in those limited snaps. Ohio State also has sophomore quarterbacks Tavien St. Clair and Kolton Stover on the roster. Day indicated the staff would use the upcoming bye week to adjust the offense around whoever starts.
The timing of the injury is challenging. Ohio State has a bye next week, then travels to USC on October 31. The Buckeyes later host Oregon and Northwestern, travel to Nebraska, and close the regular season at home against Michigan. Without Sayin, who entered the Indiana game with 1,772 passing yards and 17 touchdowns on the season, the offense will need to lean more on its defense and running game.
The 19-15 win keeps Ohio State in strong position in the Big Ten and College Football Playoff race. Still, the loss of the starting quarterback for multiple weeks creates uncertainty for a team that has relied heavily on Sayin’s efficiency. The bye provides time to prepare, but the schedule ahead will test how the Buckeyes adjust without their primary passer.
