Menace2Sports with Zach Smith

Ryan Day is being very careful about what he reveals at quarterback ahead of Ohio State's Halloween night showdown at Lincoln Riley's USC. Starting QB Julian Sayin, a Heisman finalist last season, left the win at Indiana with a throwing-arm injury and Day has shared very few details about his timeline.

True freshman Luke Fahey stepped in against Indiana and is widely expected to start at USC, a homecoming for the Southern California native. But Day hasn't handed him the job outright, and five-star sophomore Tavien St. Clair is still in the mix. Is it a strategic play against Riley, or real uncertainty?

In this episode, we break down:

- What Ryan Day has and hasn't said about Julian Sayin's injury and timeline - Why Luke Fahey is the favorite, and why Day won't say it outright - Where Tavien St. Clair fits, and why Urban Meyer questioned the decision - How Lincoln Riley's USC defense could attack a true freshman quarterback - What the quarterback situation means for Ohio State's College Football Playoff hopes with Oregon and Michigan still ahead

Is Ryan Day playing mind games with Lincoln Riley, or does he genuinely not know who his quarterback is? We give our take.

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Luke Fahey's first start could come against Lincoln Riley and USC in the Coliseum on Halloween. Zach Smith and Kris Drew break down what Ohio State needs from a true freshman quarterback in a road game.

Ohio State plays at USC on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Julian Sayin is out "indefinitely" after hurting his throwing arm in Ohio State's 19-15 win at Indiana on Oct. 17. Ryan Day said Fahey "has been ahead of Tavien" St. Clair, but also said, "We're going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win." As of the latest coverage I found, Day hadn't officially named a starter. Fahey is a true freshman from Mission Viejo, California, so this would be a homecoming of sorts. Day's early game-planning hint was "make routine plays routine." Sports Illustrated notes Ohio State hasn't won a regular-season game at USC since 1946.

In this video:

• Luke Fahey's first start against USC and Lincoln Riley
• What Ryan Day has said about Fahey and Tavien St. Clair
• How Ohio State could game-plan around a first-time starter
• Can the Buckeyes win at the Coliseum after 80 years without a regular-season win?
• Zach Smith and Kris Drew's takes

Who starts and wins on Halloween? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe to Menace2Sports for daily Ohio State and college football talk. Stats, film breakdowns and more: fbcoachanalytics.com and menace2sports.com #Menace2Sports #OhioState #Buckeyes #LukeFahey #USC #CollegeFootball

Ryan Day says officials missed calls on Jeremiah Smith in Ohio State's 19-15 win at Indiana, and Zach Smith and Kris Drew react. Is Jeremiah Smith being held to a different standard because of his size, or is this a coach working the refs?

Ryan Day said two plays in the Indiana game, both involving Jeremiah Smith, were ones where Ohio State "didn't get calls," calling them "game-changing plays." He said that "a tug, a pull or a bump on Jeremiah, based on almost anybody else in the country would look a lot different," and that "a foul is a foul." Ohio State normally sends about 10 plays a week to the league for review and sent more after the Indiana game. Not every call went against the Buckeyes, and coverage noted flags that went Ohio State's way too. No league response has been reported.

In this video:

- What Ryan Day said about the missed calls on Jeremiah Smith

- The "a foul is a foul" argument: does Smith's size change what gets flagged?

- Why Ohio State sent extra plays to the league

- Zach Smith and Kris Drew's own takes on the officiating

- What it means for Ohio State at USC

Do you think Jeremiah Smith gets the calls he should? Tell us in the comments.

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Josh Pate says Ohio State will miss the College Football Playoff without Julian Sayin. In this video, Zach Smith and Kris Drew react to his take, and you can hear for yourself whether they agree with him. Is it a fair read on the Buckeyes, or an overreaction to a backup quarterback situation?

Sayin hurt his throwing arm in Ohio State's 19-15 win at Indiana on Oct. 17. Ryan Day said Oct. 20 that Sayin is out "indefinitely" and gave no timeline. ESPN reported that Ohio State plans to play the rest of the season without him, and Day said, "We're going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win." Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair are the options, and both are getting reps during the bye week before the Buckeyes play at USC on Oct. 31.

As reported, Pate said on the Rich Eisen Show that he expects Ohio State to lose at least three games and miss the playoff, and he questioned whether the running game improves with Fahey.

In this video:

Josh Pate's take on Ohio State's season without Julian Sayin What Ryan Day has actually said about Sayin's status Luke Fahey, Tavien St. Clair and the backup quarterback question Does Ohio State's path to the playoff still exist? Zach Smith and Kris Drew give their own opinions

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Julian Sayin's Alleged Elbow Surgery Changes Everything

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is out "indefinitely," Ryan Day said Tuesday, and the Buckeyes are now planning for him to miss the rest of the regular season. Day also said the team is putting together a plan in case Sayin can't return this fall at all. What hasn't been confirmed is any diagnosis or surgery: as of Oct. 21, Ohio State has not announced either. Luke Fahey has been ahead of Tavien St. Clair, but both get reps during the bye week before Ohio State plays at No. 16 USC on Oct. 31.

Zach Smith and Kris Drew break down what the surgery talk could mean for Sayin's recovery, for his future at Ohio State, and for a Buckeyes season that now runs through the quarterback room. Watch to hear where they land.

In this video:

Ryan Day's Tuesday update: "out indefinitely" and the plan for the regular season and postseason The surgery question: what's confirmed, what isn't, and why it matters What a throwing-arm injury can mean for a quarterback's timeline Luke Fahey vs. Tavien St. Clair during the bye week What the Buckeyes need to do offensively at USC and the rest of the schedule What it means for the Big Ten race and the playoff

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The Real Reason Julian Sayin Got Hurt

Ohio State beat Indiana 19-15, but the bigger story was Julian Sayin leaving in the fourth quarter. He was sacked just past midfield, fumbled, went to the locker room and came out with his right arm in a sling. Ryan Day says Sayin will be out "at the least several weeks," and Ohio State is still going through testing. The Buckeyes are off this week, then play at USC on Oct. 31.

What actually happened on that play? Zach Smith and Kris Drew go through the film to look at the protection, the pocket and the read, and how the injury came about. Watch to see what they found.

In this video:

The play: Indiana's sack, the fumble and the collision with Sayin's throwing arm Ryan Day's latest on the injury and the timeline The protection, the pocket and the read on the snap What the film shows about how it happened What the injury means for Ohio State at USC and beyond

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Julian Sayin Is Out. Now It's Fahey Or St. Clair.

Ohio State beat Indiana 19-15 to end the Hoosiers' 22-game win streak, but the bigger story came in the fourth quarter. Julian Sayin was sacked, fumbled, left the field and returned with his arm in a sling. Ryan Day says Sayin will be out "several weeks." Redshirt freshman Luke Fahey replaced him against Indiana, and five-star Tavien St. Clair, the Bellefontaine, Ohio, product, is on the roster too. Ohio State now has a bye week before it travels to USC on Oct. 31.

Zach Smith and Kris Drew break down what Sayin's injury means for the Buckeyes. Watch to hear where they land on the Fahey vs. St. Clair question.

In this video:

What happened on the Sayin play against Indiana Ryan Day's update: "several weeks" and what he said about "a plan there" Luke Fahey: his role this season and his snaps against Indiana Tavien St. Clair: the five-star recruit and the first Ohio high school QB to sign with Ohio State since Joe Burrow The schedule ahead: bye week, then USC (Oct. 31), then Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan Zach Smith and Kris Drew's takes on who should get the call

The facts: Ohio State 19, Indiana 15 (Oct. 17, 2026). Sayin's injury is described as a right arm/shoulder injury, and Ohio State has not announced a starter for USC.

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Does Indiana have an answer for Jeremiah Smith? Curt Cignetti didn't hold back this week, calling Ohio State's star receiver "a wow player" and saying "there is no one like him right now playing at this level." Zach Smith and Kris Drew on Menace2Sports break down what Cignetti said, what Indiana can realistically do about Smith, and what the Hoosiers' third-down struggles at Nebraska mean for Saturday's matchup in Bloomington.

In this video: • Everything Curt Cignetti has said about Jeremiah Smith this week, including "He's a freak, and we're going to have to do a great job on him" • Smith's production lately: eight touchdown catches over his last three Power Four games • How Ohio State moves Smith around the formation • Indiana's third-down issues, including one conversion in the win at Nebraska • What Ohio State needs to do if Indiana takes Smith away • Our keys to the game as the No. 4 Buckeyes visit the No. 5 Hoosiers

No. 4 Ohio State (5-1) plays at No. 5 Indiana (6-0) this Saturday at noon ET on FOX.

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Is Legend Bey about to get his shot against Indiana? Ohio State's true freshman running back and kick returner is coming off his most involved game since the season opener, and Ryan Day says he's "starting to take some steps in the right direction for sure, and he's built a little momentum." With the Buckeyes heading to Bloomington this Saturday, Zach Smith and Kris Drew on Menace2Sports break down what Bey's role could look like against the defending national champions.

In this video: • What Ryan Day said about Legend Bey's progress and his hope for "another good week" • Bey's season so far: 6 carries for 37 yards and a receiving touchdown in the opener, then 4 carries for 13 yards and two kick returns against Maryland • Whether Bey could take on a bigger role in the return game or on offense against Indiana • How Ohio State's running back rotation and special teams could factor into the matchup • What the Buckeyes need from every position to win on the road at Indiana

No. 4 Ohio State (5-1) visits No. 5 Indiana (6-0) on Saturday at noon ET on FOX at Memorial Stadium.

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Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones has a message for Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State: "We're not gonna let you beat us with the guy that's been torching the rest of the country." With the Buckeyes heading to Bloomington this Saturday, Zach Smith and Kris Drew on Menace2Sports break down what Jones said, how Indiana plans to slow down the most productive receiver in the Big Ten, and whether the Hoosiers can actually pull it off.

In this video: • What Isaiah Jones said about Jeremiah Smith and how Indiana plans to defend him • Why Indiana wants to bracket Smith's side of the field and stop the run first • Jeremiah Smith's numbers this season: he leads the Big Ten in catches, yards and touchdowns, including 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns against Illinois • Indiana's defense, which has missed 11 tackles against Nebraska • What Ryan Day said about Smith drawing double and triple coverage • How Ohio State can still win if Indiana takes Smith away

Jones is a senior linebacker from London, Ohio. He grew up an Ohio State fan, his father D.J. Jones played tight end for the Buckeyes, and he recorded two sacks against Ohio State in last year's Big Ten Championship Game.

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