Ohio State No Longer Favored in National Championship Odds After Julian Sayin Injury Update

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin is sidelined indefinitely, according to head coach Ryan Day, as he's dealing with an injury on his throwing arm. Sayin threw two touchdowns and two picks in the Buckeyes' win over Indiana in Week 7, and he has been a Heisman candidate in each of the last two seasons.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said that QB Julian Sayin is out indefinitely. There’s a plan being put in place for Sayin not being available for both the regular season and postseason. He said there’s no specific timeline on the recovery. He’s dealing with an injury on his throwing… pic.twitter.com/b3AZ669S21
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 20, 2026

Day said that freshman Luke Fahey and sophomore Tavien St. Clair with split the first-team reps during the bye week before Ohio State returns in Week 9 to play the USC Trojans. Both Fahey ad St. Clair have played this season, though they've combined to attempt just 20 total passes.

Ohio State dropped a bit in the odds to win the national title, going from the favorite (where it had been for several weeks) to second in the odds. The Buckeyes still have a great all-around team, but it's clear that the betting market is worried about their play under center with Sayin out.

College Football National Championship Odds

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Georgia: +480
Ohio State: +490
Notre Dame: +500
Miami (FL): +700
Indiana: +800
Alabama: +1200
Ole Miss: +1300
LSU: +1500
Texas: +1500
Tennessee: +3500
Texas Tech: +3500
BYU: +3500
Utah: +4500
Florida: +5000
Oregon: +6000
USC: +7500
Kentucky: +8000
UCLA: +8000
Iowa: +10000
Missouri: +10000
Houston: +10000

No other team has better than +12500 odds to win the national title.

Ohio State was +430 to win the National Championship following Saturday's action, and it was the clear favorite in this market. That has changed, as Georgia -- despite an upset loss against Auburn in Week 7 -- is now the favorite with the Buckeyes and Notre Dame sitting right behind the Bulldogs.

The Sayin injury also improved the Indiana Hoosiers' odds to win the College Football Playoff despite their loss to Ohio State in Week 7. Indiana went up from +850 to +800 while several SEC and Big 12 teams saw their odds move up slightly.

Ohio State can weather the storm with Sayin out, but the junior quarterback has been great over the last two seasons. This season, Sayin has completed 68.2 percent of his passes for 2,007 yards. 19 scores and just four picks. He's also added a pair of scores on the ground.

The bright side for both of Ohio State's potential Sayin replacements is that they'll get to throw to future first-round pick Jeremiah Smith on the outside. Ohio State should be favored against USC in Week 9, as the Trojans have struggled on defense this season, ranking 131st in adjusted EPA/Play on that side of the ball.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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