Ohio State football escaped Indiana with a 19-15 win in Week 7 to end the Hoosiers' 22-game win streak, but it didn't come without losing quarterback Julian Sayin for the foreseeable future.
The Buckeyes quarterback suffered an undisclosed injury against Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 17. The right-handed signal-caller was removed from the game late in the fourth quarter before returning with a sling around his throwing arm.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day confirmed late on Monday, Oct. 20, that Sayin will indeed miss multiple weeks, echoing a similar prognosis he shared after the game.
"It'll be at least several weeks, but no update right now," Day said during the "Buckeye Roundtable"
show on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, Ohio. "They're still going through some of their testing and some of their meetings."
Ohio State will likely turn to true freshman Luke Fahey, who beat out former five-star recruit Tavien St. Clair for the backup role before the season. Fahey closed the game for the Buckeyes against Indiana, although he didn't complete a pass.
Sayin, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, has made 21 consecutive starts for Ohio State. He ranks tied for third nationally in passing yards per attempt (10.5), also ranking third in passing yards (2,007) this season.
The former five-star recruit's absence could also be a potential issue for Jeremiah Smith's Heisman Trophy candidacy, as he's viewed as the front runner through seven weeks. Smith has 52 receptions for 984 yards with 12 touchdowns this season. He has 33 more receptions than Ohio State's next-leading receiver, Devin McCuin.
Ohio State has a tough slate of upcoming games against Southern California on the road and Oregon and Northwestern at home.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Julian Sayin injury update: Ryan Day confirms Ohio State QB to miss several weeks
