Ohio State has reached a point in its season where every remaining game carries extra weight. After starting the year among the top teams in the country, the Buckeyes have suddenly found themselves chasing a way back into the College Football Playoff picture. Their 30-18 loss to USC made that task harder, but the defeat also brought a new challenge for the team: helping a young quarterback find his footing during one of the most important stretches of the season.

With four regular-season games left, Ohio State cannot afford to spend too much time looking back. The Buckeyes now return to Columbus for a matchup with No. 23 Oregon on Saturday, November 7. And while the loss in Los Angeles raised questions about the offense, head coach Ryan Day has shared something encouraging about the team’s reaction to its new quarterback. The players came away believing they can still make a run with the freshman leading the way.

“The guys came out of the (USC) game feeling like, ‘OK, we can go on a run with this quarterback here.’ But we got to go do it, got to go play, got to take the next step,” analyst Chase Brown shared the coach’s comments on X.

Day has also made the team’s quarterback plans clear. With Julian Sayin still unavailable, true freshman Luke Fahey will continue to lead the offense against Oregon. Asked about the decision, Day confirmed that the young quarterback would get another opportunity.

“Yeah, right now,” Day told reporters Tuesday. “He’s going to be the starter against Oregon.”

Fahey stepped into the role after Sayin injured his right throwing arm and shoulder during Ohio State’s 19-15 win over Indiana on October 17. Sayin is expected to miss at least the next month, meaning that the Buckeyes will need to rely on their freshman quarterback through a demanding part of the schedule.

His first start came against USC on October 31, and it was far from an easy introduction. Playing on the road at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Fahey completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception. He also dealt with several dropped passes as Ohio State struggled to finish its drives.

The Buckeyes moved the ball well at times, putting up 464 total yards and 204 rushing yards. Running back Bo Jackson led the ground game with 121 yards on 21 carries. However, Ohio State had trouble turning its opportunities into touchdowns, settling for field goals on several early possessions. Penalties and defensive struggles also made it difficult to keep pace with the Trojans.

Day did not put the result on Fahey. Instead, he pointed to the mistakes around the young quarterback and the team’s responsibility to help him succeed.

“I think for Luke, he competed. It wasn’t perfect, but we had some big, huge drops, and we weren’t able to help him out there,” Day said.

The head coach also included himself and his staff in that assessment.

“We weren’t able – to me – to play well enough to support a young freshman quarterback who has had his first start on the road,” Day added.

Fahey has also received encouragement from someone who knows what it means to play quarterback at Ohio State. Former Buckeye CJ Stroud recently spoke about his conversations with Day and members of the coaching staff, sharing his belief in the program’s ability to respond.

“Got to talk to Coach Day, Coach Mick, a bunch, and that was really good for me. And Coach Key, all the different guys that I know from when I was there who are still there. But yeah, I mean, I think they have a great chance,” Stroud said during a press conference in Houston.

Stroud also brought up a message that Day has consistently emphasized during his time with the Buckeyes.

“One thing that Coach Day always preaches is fight. You know, it’s never as bad as it seems, and we’re never as good as it might seem. So I believe that, you know, that culture there is built on toughness,” he added.

The former Ohio State quarterback also had words of encouragement for Fahey.

“I think like Luke Fahey is going to be a great quarterback. You know, I just love that room too. They’re all supporting one another.”

That backing comes at an important time for the freshman. Across four appearances this season against Ball State, Kent State, Indiana and USC, Fahey has thrown three touchdowns and two interceptions. His first start brought plenty of pressure, but he now has another week to prepare with the starting job firmly in his hands.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has also spoken about what he noticed from Fahey during the USC matchup. Lanning remembered watching the quarterback during his high school days and pointed to his understanding of the game as one of his strengths.

“I remember Luke coming out of high school,” Lanning said on November 2. “Went by seeing him when he was in high school, and he’s an operator. He’s a really smart quarterback. He’s a winner. His intelligence shows up.”

Lanning also felt Fahey handled the situation well, especially considering the conditions in Los Angeles.

“I thought he operated well. It wasn’t the best conditions either, playing in the rain. But he’s proven that he can be a guy who can be successful and run their offense. Certainly, coming out of high school, I remember him being a guy who was like that,” he added.

Fahey was a four-star recruit in the 2026 class and threw for more than 7,000 yards during his high school career at Mission Viejo in California. Now, he gets the chance to show what he can do in front of the Ohio State crowd.

The Buckeyes enter the Oregon game at 6-2, while the Ducks arrive with a 5-3 record and the No. 23 spot in the initial CFP rankings. Oregon has already picked up wins over USC and Boise State, giving Ohio State another difficult opponent to deal with.

Day has been direct about the challenge ahead and the improvements his team needs to make.

“They have all the talent in the world. They have NFL players all over the field,” Day said. “This is not going to be your typical three-loss team coming in here. All the stuff that came up last week, we gotta get corrected fast.”

The coach also made it clear that the focus must remain on what Ohio State can improve as a team, rather than simply worrying about the opponent.

“When I go back through the scheme, there are definitely some plays on both sides of the ball that I think schematically we can do better – there are,” Day said. “But it’s not an overall issue that we’re like running bad plays or we’re running bad defense. I don’t see that as a major problem.”

Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS. After Oregon, Ohio State still has Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan on its regular-season schedule. With the Buckeyes sitting at two losses, they will likely need to win out to give themselves a strong chance of returning to the playoff.

For now, Day is sticking with Fahey, and the message from the locker room is clear: the team believes it can move forward with him. The freshman still has plenty to learn, but he will have another chance to build confidence at home, with his teammates and coaches behind him.