Ohio State football scored a season-defining victory on Saturday. The Buckeyes hung on to top defending national champion Indiana on the road, 19-15.

But it was not a perfect day for the Buckeyes.

Starting quarterback Julian Sayin was injured in the fourth quarter, leaving Ohio State without a proven veteran at the most important position heading into a key stretch.

Ryan Day, head coach for the Buckeyes, would only say that Sayin will be out for several weeks. That means the pressure and leadership fall into the hands of Luke Fahey for the foreseeable future.

Can Luke Fahey Carry The Offensive Load For Ohio State?

Luckily for Fahey, the freshman will have Heisman Trophy favorite Jeremiah Smith to throw the ball to. He also has a talented and deep group of running backs, led by Bo Jackson.

Fahey, a top prospect out of Mission Viejo High School in California, earned multiple state honors while competing. He was a three-year starter and three-star recruit, throwing for over 7,000 yards and almost 70 touchdowns with just nine interceptions.

After beating out Tavien St. Clair for the backup job, Fahey got his feet wet in the opener vs. Ball State. He came on and completed 5 of 6 passes for 62 yards with a touchdown mop-up duty.

Jeremiah Smith Will Need To Make Plays For The Buckeyes

All year long, it has been Smith making the “wow” plays for the Ohio State offense. Give Sayin credit, because he was getting the star wide receiver the ball.

Can Fahey do the same? We are going to find out real quick.

The Buckeyes are now a trendy pick for the national championship after a chaotic weekend of college football.

Fahey will make his first start on the road, as Ohio State heads to California to take on USC in two weeks. The time between games will be important to get the freshman ready.

From there, it is possible Sayin is back before Oregon visits. Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan complete the schedule.