Ohio State is about to find out how it handles a game week without Julian Sayin. The Buckeyes are set to play USC this week without their quarterback for the first time, even though a return later this season is still possible.
That is why the question what happened to Julian Sayin is driving so much attention right now. A starting quarterback going out before a marquee game changes the shape of the week, and Ohio State now has to answer that uncertainty with USC next on the schedule.
Sayin is not the only quarterback whose absence has altered a team’s plans. Dante Moore and Kamario Taylor have both been shut down for the season after their teams took on their third losses, while Steve Angeli returned to Syracuse's starting lineup last week after missing three weeks following a platelet-rich plasma injection. Angeli is questionable to face the Mustangs, adding another layer to a week already marked by quarterback uncertainty.
There is more room for hope in Sayin's case than in some of the other injuries around the Power 4. The key difference is that he may come back at some point this season, while others are already done. Amari Odom and Malachi Nelson are both out after undergoing shoulder and tight-rope surgeries, respectively, and Mason Heintschel suffered a torn ACL in the second half of Pitt's win over Virginia Tech on Oct. 2.
The broader picture is hard to miss. Quarterback injuries have quietly become one of the stories of the college football season, and at least 40 programs out of 138 FBS programs have started multiple quarterbacks because of injuries. Last week, Holden Geriner threw for 268 yards and a touchdown against Miami, and Corey Dailey went 3-for-3 for 66 yards and a score against Miami, reminders that some teams are already deep into life after the first option.
For Ohio State, the immediate test is plain: play USC without Sayin and see whether the offense can hold together in his absence. The longer answer is still unknown, but the next update that matters is whether he is close enough to return to change the Buckeyes' season before it drifts further without him.
