Ohio State came out firing against Oregon on Saturday, jumping to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, looking like they were finally back on track. But then the wheels didn’t just fall off, they completely disintegrated as the Ducks dropped 38 straight points on them, ultimately crushing the Buckeyes 41-28. This isn’t just one bad game, it’s the *second straight* lopsided loss, and head coach Ryan Day is saying things have to change.
The Collapse Is Absolute, and It’s Brutal
You lead 14-0, you’re feeling good, right? Not if you’re Ohio State against Oregon. The No. 12 Buckeyes managed to give up 17 points in the second quarter and another 14 in the third, making that initial lead a distant, painful memory. Star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who you’d expect to be making plays, went more than two full quarters without a single catch during that devastating stretch. This comes right after a 30-18 loss at USC on October 31, proving this isn’t a fluke; it’s a full-blown crisis. Quarterback Julian Sayin went down with an arm injury against Indiana and is out for at least a month, forcing freshman Luke Fahey into the spotlight. While Day acknowledges not all the failures are on the young QB, the results haven’t been pretty. This catastrophic slide drops Ohio State to 6-3, marking their first three-loss season under Ryan Day and their worst season since 2011. And yes, you guessed it, their College Football Playoff hopes are pretty much toast now.
Ryan Day Is Calling For “Accountability” From Everyone
After watching his team crumble, Ryan Day held nothing back, stating simply, “there needs to be accountability.” He was crystal clear that this starts right at the top, with him and his coaching staff. Day emphasized that he needs to “evaluate everything” and work with his staff to figure out “the things we’re coming up short on and figure out how to adjust those things.” He added, “It all starts with the staff, and then it goes to the players. There needs to be accountability for all of it, and then we go from there.” No sugarcoating it: this is a gut check for the entire program. Day admitted they “didn’t expect any of this to happen,” especially after how well they started against Oregon. He lamented, “Once the momentum swung, we just weren’t able to stop that and then swing it.” He’s not pointing fingers at one group, saying, “we’re all coming up short.” It’s a team problem, and he knows it. “Two weeks in a row, to get this kind of result, there’s something that needs to change and needs to get fixed. So we’ve got to look at all those things and figure out what that is.”
The Buckeyes will try to get back on track when they host Northwestern next Saturday. After that, it’s a trip to Nebraska before closing out the season at home against Michigan. You know that Michigan game is going to carry even more pressure for Day than usual.
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.
Leave a Reply