Ohio State returns to battle this weekend as the Buckeyes face USC on the West Coast in one of the high-profile games of the weekend. This game is a major test as it will be Ohio State's first game since Julian Sayin suffered his significant right arm injury in the Buckeyes' October 17 victory over Indiana.
Head coach Ryan Day has not announced whether Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair will be under center for the Buckeyes (6-1), but it is clear that Ohio State faces a test against the 6-2 Trojans. The Buckeyes are 6.5-point favorites against the Trojans and they appear to have multiple advantages as USC has significant defensive issues.
Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban says that Ryan Day needs to see his quarterbacks perform at a high enough level that the Trojans can't put eight men in the box and just concentrate on stopping the running game. The Buckeyes have the best receiver in the country in Jeremiah Smith, and they must show they can get the ball to him and the other talented Buckeyes receivers.
“Ohio State has too many weapons outside not to be able to utilize them and that's going to be the key in this game against USC,” Saban said on the Pat McAfee Show. “It will be interesting to see how Ryan Day manages this quarterback situation”
If neither Fahey nor St. Clair proves competent enough to do that, then the Buckeyes are likely in trouble in this game and those that follow. The fact that Ohio State is coming off a bye following the Sayin injury should help either quarterback get acclimated, but either signal caller will have to show that he can make the proper decisions and demonstrate the accuracy, velocity and decisiveness needed to make key plays.