Ohio State has spent the past two weeks watching its season take an uncomfortable turn. A road defeat at USC was followed by a home loss to Oregon, leaving the Buckeyes with consecutive setbacks and questions that extend well beyond the scoreboard. The timing has made things harder, with starting quarterback Julian Sayin sidelined and a freshman now responsible for keeping the offense on track.

Luke Fahey has had to learn on the job, with little margin for error at a program built around championship expectations. As Ohio State prepares for its final stretch of the regular season, head coach Ryan Day offered a candid assessment of where the young quarterback stands and what must improve.

“I think he has played tough. I think he’s mentally, physically, emotionally really tried to grind into it. It’s not all been perfect,” Day told WBNS 10TV’s Dom Tiberi. “There’s been mistakes which we knew was going to happen. That’s why everybody’s got to do their part around him, but for him to take the next step, this is game 3 now. He’s learned some lessons. He’s not going to be where we need him to be just yet, but play good enough to win the game. And how do you do that? You make the routine plays routinely. You do a good job taking care of the football and lead the team.”

Fahey has thrown for 620 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception across his first two starts. He completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown against USC, then went 36 of 50 for 360 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against Oregon. The production has been encouraging, but Ohio State has lost both games.

Sayin’s absence has added to the challenge. Before his injury against Indiana, he had established himself as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback. Fahey, meanwhile, has had to adjust to the demands of leading the offense while the team works through a difficult stretch. The defeats have also exposed broader issues, including a defense that surrendered 30 points to USC and 41 to Oregon.

The frustration has reached beyond the field. For a program accustomed to competing for conference and national titles, consecutive losses carry a weight that is difficult to ignore. Day acknowledged the mood around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and the expectations that come with wearing the Ohio State uniform.

“Quite honestly, like when you come here, and you lose two games like that, you know, you’re embarrassed,” Day said. “This is something we’re all very prideful about. But life lessons, nonetheless, tough lessons to learn, but we’ll see how we respond here on Saturday. But if I know the group that’s in the Woody and in these meeting rooms that are gonna go on the field here and practice, I know how they’re gonna respond, and that’s the obligation that we have as Buckeyes.”

Day is in his eighth season as Ohio State’s head coach and 10th with the program. His tenure includes five College Football Playoff appearances, two Big Ten championships, and the 2024 national title. That record helps explain why the recent slide has been such a jolt. The standard has been set high, and the Buckeyes have little time left to change the direction of their season.

This is not the first time Day has had to turn to a backup quarterback. In 2021, Kyle McCord started against Akron while C.J. Stroud dealt with a sore shoulder. McCord threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns in a comfortable win, but Stroud returned the following week.

Fahey is taking over for a stretch of games, not one week. With Sayin sidelined, the freshman has to carry the offense through three conference games while Ohio State tries to stop its slide.

Northwestern visits Columbus on Saturday, followed by a road game at Nebraska and the regular-season finale against Michigan. Three games remain, and Day has made clear what he expects from the group before it leaves the field for the final time.

“We want to win these last 3 games and come off of that field with a victory, and that’s it,” Day said. “And then we’ll figure out where we go from there. But you can walk off that field with your head up high, knowing that you finished the season the right way, and that’s what has to happen here.”

For Fahey, the immediate challenge is turning the lessons from his first two starts into a winning performance. For Ohio State, the upcoming games offer a chance to restore some momentum and finish a difficult stretch with a response that matches the program’s expectations.