Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer questioned Ryan Day’s decision to stick with freshman quarterback Luke Fahey late in Saturday’s 41-28 home loss to Oregon, saying the Buckeyes missed a chance to give highly touted backup Tavien St. Clair playing time.
No. 12 Ohio State jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter against No. 23 Oregon. The Ducks then scored 38 unanswered points to take control and secure the victory. The defeat marked the Buckeyes’ second straight loss and their third of the season.
Fahey, making his second start, finished 36 of 50 for 360 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Many of the yards came in the fourth quarter after the outcome was no longer in doubt. He remains 0-2 as the starter.
Speaking on the latest episode of “The Triple Option” podcast, Meyer, who led Ohio State for seven seasons, said he saw issues in Fahey’s performance.
“I thought [Luke Fahey] played ok against USC. There were some misfires and just looked a little out of place against Oregon,” Meyer said.
“I am interested as to why they did not [make a QB change]… Quarterback is the one position that there is only one thing that matters and that’s to get as much playing time as possible. I mean the rest of the season you’re riding Luke because you did not get this guy reps when you probably could’ve.”
St. Clair, a former five-star prospect, has yet to appear in a game this season. Meyer’s comments focused on the value of experience at the position with three games remaining.
Day acknowledged the unexpected nature of the collapse afterward.
“We didn’t expect any of this to happen,” he said. “To lose three games is unacceptable, and I own that.”
Ohio State actually outgained Oregon 413 yards to 395. The Buckeyes also held a slight edge in time of possession, trailing by only two seconds. Oregon’s Dylan Raiola threw for 257 yards, while Dierre Hill Jr. added two rushing touchdowns.
The 38 consecutive points scored by Oregon marked the most unanswered points allowed by Ohio State at home since 1999. The three losses by early November represent the first time the program has dropped that many games so early since the 2011 season under interim coach Luke Fickell.
Ohio State closes the regular season against Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan. The Buckeyes remain 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play.
A path to the Big Ten Championship game still exists mathematically. Ohio State would need to win its final three contests to finish 7-2 in conference play. It would also need Indiana, USC and Oregon each to lose at least once in their remaining three games. Indiana and USC meet this week.
College Football Playoff hopes are slim. A significant drop in Tuesday’s rankings is expected, leaving a Big Ten title as the most realistic route to strengthening the resume.
Day has said the program will evaluate every area after consecutive losses. The focus now shifts to correcting momentum swings that proved decisive against both USC and Oregon.
