Ohio State Wins at Indiana but Loses Julian Sayin to Arm Injury

Ohio State left Bloomington with a 19-15 win over Indiana on Saturday, but the Julian Sayin injury overshadowed the result. The Buckeyes’ starting quarterback left in the fourth quarter with an issue to his right arm, and coach Ryan Day said afterward that Sayin likely will miss several weeks.

How the injury happened

Sayin was sacked and fumbled on the play that forced him out. Ohio State recovered the loose ball, but Sayin walked toward the locker room favoring his right arm. He later reappeared on the sideline wearing a sling.

Day told reporters he did not have many details about the injury, leaving the exact diagnosis and a precise timeline unclear. What the coach could say was that his quarterback is expected to be out for a stretch of games.

What Sayin means to the offense

The loss stings because of how well Sayin had been playing. A Heisman Trophy finalist last season, he had thrown for 1,772 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions before Saturday. He is the centerpiece of an Ohio State offense with College Football Playoff aspirations.

Those hopes now may depend on a true freshman. Luke Fahey replaced Sayin against the Hoosiers and went 0-for-2 passing. With the game on the line, the Buckeyes leaned heavily on their running game to close out the win.

Indiana’s late threat

Ohio State’s defense had to survive a scare. With 1:02 left, Indiana nearly scored a go-ahead touchdown when Josh Hoover appeared to connect with Nick Marsh. The play fell short of a score, and the Buckeyes held on.

The win came in a rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship Game, which Indiana won. Saturday’s result avenged that loss, though it came at a significant cost.

A bye week, then a demanding stretch

Ohio State is 6-1 and has a bye next week, giving Day and his staff extra time to prepare Fahey. The schedule that follows is difficult: at USC on Oct. 31, home games against Oregon and Northwestern, a trip to Nebraska on Nov. 21 and the Michigan game at Ohio State on Nov. 28.

Day said the staff will need to devise a plan at quarterback. Whether Fahey remains the starter for the USC game is among the questions the bye week may help answer.