The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes will hit the road Saturday night for a massive Big Ten showdown against the USC Trojans.
A big reason this game has become more pivotal than originally expected is that Ohio State will be without star quarterback Julian Sayin.
That has fueled a quarterback battle in Columbus all week, and reports that surfaced Friday night indicated that true freshman Luke Fahey would start over former five-star prospect Tavien St. Clair.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has not publicly named a starter, but all signs point to Fahey.
Ahead of the matchup, Ohio State released one of its final injury reports and delivered some bad news about star freshman cornerback Jay Timmons, who has been a staple of the Buckeyes' defense this season.
They already have 10 players ruled out for the game, and Timmons now appears unlikely to suit up after the team officially listed him as doubtful. His absence would be a major loss for Ohio State's secondary and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Ohio State still has a very solid cornerback tandem in Jermaine Matthews Jr. and Devin Sanchez. However, Timmons operated as the nickel corner, and without him, the Buckeyes will rely on Jordan Thomas and Simeon Caldwell to help fill that void.
The Buckeyes are in a very unfamiliar position. They've found success with backup quarterbacks before, but they haven't had to navigate this situation under the current College Football Playoff format.
Ultimately, Ohio State could probably afford to lose one more game this season and still secure a College Football Playoff bid. However, two losses across its final five games would likely keep the Buckeyes out, as the committee would have to evaluate them as a three-loss team that played without its star quarterback.
After Saturday night's game against USC, Ohio State's remaining schedule includes Oregon at home, Northwestern at home, Nebraska on the road and Michigan at home.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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