Ohio State football can officially kiss their College Football Playoff chances goodbye after dropping their second straight game in a brutal 41-28 loss to Oregon in Week 10. This wasn’t just another loss, it was a gut punch that likely ends their CFP hopes cold.
From 14-0 Up to 41 Unanswered: A Catastrophic Collapse
Talk about a freefall. The Buckeyes started strong, roaring out to a 14-0 lead late in the first half, looking like they might actually turn things around. But then, it all evaporated. Oregon dropped an absolutely crushing 41 unanswered points on them. Forty-one! Ryan Day’s squad did manage a late touchdown with under a minute left, making the score look a tiny bit softer, but trust me, that final number didn’t even begin to show how badly they were truly beaten on the field. This isn’t just a stumble, folks, this is a catastrophic two weeks for Ohio State, especially coming off a big loss to Southern California too.
A Season Unseen Since Luke Fickell’s Interim Days
This isn’t just a tough year, it’s a historic one for all the wrong reasons. Ohio State now has three losses, marking their first season with three losses since 2011. Let that sink in: it’s only the program’s third season with three or more losses since 2001, way back to Jim Tressel’s first year as head coach. And remember that 2011 season? That was a tumultuous time, with interim coach Luke Fickell at the helm after Tressel resigned amidst controversy. That team finished a dismal 6-7, one of their worst modern history. This 2026 squad won’t hit seven losses like that one, but it’s still gotta sting for fans to see this kind of territory again, over 15 years later. On top of it all, Jeremiah Smith’s Heisman Trophy candidacy is evaporating almost as fast as those national championship hopes, especially with Julian Sayin going down with injury against Indiana and putting a screeching halt on everything. The Buckeyes are also a jarring 6-5 in their last 11 games. That’s not a top-tier program’s record, not by a long shot.
No Path Left: What Now for the Buckeyes?
Entering Week 10 as the No. 12 team in the initial CFP rankings, Ohio State was already the first team out. After this devastating loss, there’s likely no avenue back to becoming a top-11 team. They’ve failed to win double-digit games for the first time since that messy 2011 season, which tells you everything about the scale of this downturn. What’s left on the schedule? They still face Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan. These next few games aren’t about playoff berths anymore, they’re about pride, about trying to finish a disappointing season strong, and frankly, about proving they aren’t totally lost without Sayin under center. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for a program used to competing for national titles every single year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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