The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes are just days away from opening their season against the Ball State Cardinals, but one question remains unanswered. While Julian Sayin has firmly secured the QB1 job, head coach Ryan Day is still weighing his options for the backup spot, leaving one final piece of the quarterback room unsettled before kickoff.

The competition now comes down to Tavien St. Clair, the five-star sophomore many expected to claim the job months ago, and Luke Fahey, a true freshman who was never expected to be in the conversation for the backup QB battle.

According to an X post by Dillon Davis, Day said Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey will continue splitting second-team reps this week, with the upcoming games against the Cardinals providing more clarity on who ultimately earns the backup job.

St. Clair arrived in Columbus as a former five-star from Bellefontaine and appeared to be the clear heir after Lincoln Kienholz transferred to Louisville. But Fahey, a three-star recruit from Southern California, has quickly changed the equation, shedding his black stripe after just nine practices with the Ohio State.

“We’re going to let those guys continue to split reps with the twos this week and see how the week goes,” Day said, according to Jonathan Adams on Heavy. “And if we can get them both reps in the game, we’ll try to do that. We’ll just kind of see how the game goes.”

Day challenged St. Clair specifically to take a bigger step earlier this offseason, telling reporters back in February that the sophomore needed to be “right there behind Julian and be ready to go” given Ohio State’s schedule.

Meanwhile, Fahey spent fall camp building his case from a much lower profile. Day has said the freshman works his tail off in terms of preparation and shows up early and leaves late, and has looked confident handling checks at the line.

“He’s been really doing a great job,” Day said during a post-practice presser on August 15. “He’s putting a lot of pressure on Tavien. He really is. He’s been competing. He’s been making plays. That’s been exciting to see him come in with a certain work ethic and run the offense at a pretty high level. We’ll kind of see how the rest of camp plays out, but good to see him kind of step in and push Tavien.”

The two quarterbacks bring different levels of experience into the competition. While St. Clair has the physical tools, arm strength, and a year of experience in the Ohio State system, Fahey has already made his mark by shedding his freshman black stripe after just nine practices.

Julian Sayin (2024) and Kyle McCord (2021) shed their black stripe faster, and both became starters for the Buckeyes. That precedent strengthens Fahey’s case in the ongoing competition.

While the QB2 battle remains unresolved, Day and the Buckeyes also face uncertainty over what Ball State will bring to the field in their season opener.

Ohio State HC Ryan Day Unsure What Ball State Will Bring in Week 1

Day acknowledged that Ohio State cannot be certain Ball State will look the same as it did a year ago, especially with new faces across the roster. The Ohio State head coach believes the Buckeyes will have to adjust once the game begins and see how the Cardinals line up on Saturday.

“Well, I think you saw this in Week 0,” Day said during a presser, according to Jonathan Adams of Heavy. “A lot of teams are different. So when you say, what do you know about this team? I’m sure (Ball State coach Mike Uremovich) would say that he doesn’t know about the team. Just like I don’t know about our team yet. We haven’t played a game. There’s a lot of new faces over there.”

While getting the starters into a rhythm will be important, the matchup could also provide Day plenty of opportunities to evaluate his depth, where St. Clair and Fahey could use their reps against Ball State to strengthen their cases.