Jeremiah Smith gives Ohio State football a game-changing weapon as Luke Fahey prepares to replace injured quarterback Julian Sayin. Can the Buckeyes overcome the challenge?

Ohio State’s path to another national championship became more difficult Saturday. Julian Sayin is expected to miss several weeks with a throwing-arm injury suffered during the Buckeyes’ 19-15 win over Indiana, leaving freshman Luke Fahey in line to take over at quarterback when Ohio State returns against USC on October 31.

There is no way to replace Sayin’s experience, accuracy, and established connection with Jeremiah Smith. The two have developed into one of college football’s most dangerous quarterback-receiver combinations, and losing that chemistry creates a legitimate concern for an offense that will need to adjust quickly.

But Ohio State still has Smith. His performance against Indiana reminded everyone that even when circumstances change, the Buckeyes have a player capable of changing a game with one opportunity.

No question, it is an uphill battle from here. Ohio State will need to be the most efficient team in the country for the rest of the season to stay in position to compete for a championship. No team is immortal, and every contender has flaws.

The Buckeyes have become more beatable without Sayin, making their ability to close the gap between what they were with him and what they can become without him a defining factor in how far they go.

Indiana Showed What Makes Smith Different

With Ohio State holding a narrow fourth-quarter lead, Sayin found Smith for a 38-yard touchdown on fourth-and-one. Smith elevated between two Indiana defenders, secured the football, and delivered the game’s decisive offensive play.

Ryan Day’s reaction captured the challenge facing opposing defenses.

“Unbelievable catch,” Day said. “Even when he has guys around him downfield, he’s so tall that if you just give him a chance, he’s gonna make some plays. And I think that was a good example of that.”

Indiana devoted significant attention to Smith throughout the game, frequently doubling him and shading additional coverage toward his side of the field. Yet the Hoosiers couldn’t keep him from producing when Ohio State needed him most.

Smith later acknowledged that the attention was constant.

“It was every play,” Smith said.

Through three quarters, Smith had just three catches for 30 yards. Indiana had largely limited his involvement, but one opportunity was enough to change the game. His touchdown tied the Big Ten record for career touchdown receptions, and he caught it against multiple defenders when Ohio State needed a pivotal conversion.

That is the difference between having a talented receiver and possessing a true game-changing weapon. Defensive coordinators can dedicate resources to Smith, roll coverage in his direction, and try to make other players beat them. Ohio State must still find ways to get him the football, but his presence forces opponents to account for a threat capable of turning a difficult down into a touchdown.

The Buckeyes will need more of that with Sayin unavailable.

Fahey Does Not Need to Be Sayin

The challenge for Luke Fahey is a tall order, but that is why you come to Ohio State. He will be making his first career start against USC, with limited game experience and little established chemistry with Ohio State’s top receiver.

Smith acknowledged that developing a connection takes time.

“A lot of practice, a lot of reps — we got to get together,” Smith said. “It’s going to take time to build that. I ain’t going to say it’s going to take one day. It’s not that easy. But, like I said, it’s going to take time.”

Ohio State cannot afford to wait several games for that connection to develop. Fahey must protect the football, avoid disastrous mistakes, and make sound decisions under pressure. He does not need to replicate Sayin’s production or carry the offense himself. He needs to operate within the offense, take what defenses give him and deliver the football to the playmakers around him.

Smith has already offered his support. After Sayin went down against Indiana, he told Fahey, “We got you. Everybody’s behind you. O-line, receivers, running backs, everyone.”

That confidence must translate into the preparation and execution necessary to make Fahey comfortable. Ohio State can lean on its defense, running game, and overall talent while simplifying the quarterback’s responsibilities. If Fahey avoids turnovers and keeps the offense on schedule, the Buckeyes have enough around him to remain competitive against the country’s best teams.

Ryan Day has acknowledged that Ohio State may need to do things differently with Fahey under center. The bye week gives the offense time to build around his strengths, establish timing with the receivers, and prepare him for the demands of a road start.

The priority should be efficiency over spectacular production. Ohio State does not need Fahey to win every game with his arm. It needs him to avoid giving opponents extra possessions, sustain drives, and capitalize on the opportunities created by the talent around him.

Ohio State Still Has a Weapon Nobody Else Does

Day understands the adjustment ahead. “When someone goes down, someone has to step up,” he said after the Indiana game.

The Buckeyes will need contributions across the roster, better offensive efficiency, and continued growth from the defense that secured the Indiana win. There is no guarantee those pieces will come together quickly enough to sustain a championship run. Sayin’s absence changes the equation, and Ohio State has to prove it can win consistently without him.

But Smith changes the equation, too.

The Buckeyes became more vulnerable without Sayin. Their margin for error shrank, and their offense must find a new rhythm. Ohio State will need to be exceptionally efficient the rest of the way because mistakes that were once recoverable could become the difference between winning and losing.

Yet every opponent still has to deal with Jeremiah Smith.

Indiana doubled him and still watched him make the play that decided the game. Future opponents will study that touchdown, adjust their coverages, and try to force Fahey to look elsewhere. Ohio State must find creative ways to get Smith involved, whether through contested throws, quick passes, or opportunities that allow him to create yards after the catch.

No team is immortal, and Ohio State is no exception. How much ground the Buckeyes can make up between the team they were with Sayin and the team they become without him will determine how far they go.

The uphill battle is real, but so is the talent surrounding Fahey. Plus, Ohio State has Jeremiah Smith, and its opponents don’t.