Ohio State’s stumble against Oregon didn’t just leave the Buckeyes with another loss. It dropped them to No. 21 in Sunday’s AP top 25, their lowest spot in the poll since September 2014.
That’s the kind of fall that tells the whole story. Ohio State was stunned at home by visiting Oregon on Saturday, and the result marked its second straight loss and third defeat of the season. The ranking that followed is the program’s worst in more than 12 years, matching the kind of free fall it last experienced when it dropped from No. 8 to No. 22 after a home blowout loss to Virginia Tech in 2014.
That season still stands out in Buckeye memory for how it turned around. Urban Meyer’s team regrouped, finished the regular season 11-1, won the Big Ten Championship Game, then beat Alabama and Oregon on the way to the national title.
But this year doesn’t offer the same kind of runway. There simply isn’t enough calendar left for Ohio State to erase this much damage.
The path to the College Football Playoff is now razor thin. Only two three-loss teams have ever made it, and both needed unusual circumstances to get there. Clemson got in in 2024 as the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion, while Alabama made it in 2025 because the selection committee did not count its blowout loss to Georgia in the SEC title game against its resume.
For Ohio State, the clearest route would be winning the Big Ten Championship. Even that may not be enough, because the Buckeyes no longer control their own fate. If UCLA and Indiana both win out, Ohio State is out regardless of what it does the rest of the way.
The Buckeyes have missed the College Football Playoff before, of course. They’ve done it five times since the format began, though all of those misses came in the four-team era, when even one loss - and sometimes even an unbeaten record - could still leave a team on the outside looking in. Ohio State has been one of only four teams to reach the playoff twice since the 12-team setup arrived in 2024, winning the title the first time before going one-and-done last year.
Still, this is a different kind of setback. Ohio State’s first three-loss season since 2011 has left Ryan Day in a far tougher spot than the Buckeyes are used to being in this late in the year.
In Other News...
Indiana Faces A Huge USC Test With National Respect On The Line
Indiana gets another chance to prove its rise is for real when USC comes to Memorial Stadium for a top-20 matchup in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are sitting at No. 4 with an 8-1 record, and the Trojans arrive ranked No. 20 at 7-2, giving this one the kind of national-stage feel Indiana has spent all season trying to earn.
It is also the first meeting since USC joined the Big Ten, which adds a little extra intrigue to a game that already has plenty riding on it. The betting line has Indiana favored by about a touchdown, but rankings and odds only matter so much when a program is trying to protect its place in the national conversation and keep building momentum in November. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces An Early Test Against A Team That Keeps Pushing Back
Indianas first real measuring-stick game of the season arrives quickly, with Syracuse bringing a 2-0 record into Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for a matchup that should tell a lot about both teams. The Orange are already under the direction of first-year coach Gerry McNamara, a familiar name in Syracuse circles after a decorated playing career there and a run of school records that still hangs over the program.
For Indiana, the challenge is less about the venue than the style of opponent. Syracuse has already shown it can keep games moving in its direction early in the year, and the historical backdrop between these programs only adds a little more edge to a nonconference meeting that has enough intrigue to feel bigger than a routine November date. The Hoosiers get a chance to answer some early questions, while Syracuse gets another shot to show McNamaras version of the Orange can travel and compete with a high-major team on a neutral floor. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Receivers Could Expose A Growing USC Concern
Indianas passing game has a chance to put USCs secondary under real stress, especially with the way the broader receiver landscape is shaping up around college football. The article points to a wave of standout wideouts and defensive backs around the country, from KJ Duff and Evan Stewart to Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah Smith, while also noting how players such as Charlie Becker, Nick Marsh, Jontez Williams, Chasen Johnson and Rock Hill are influencing their teams and draft stock. For Indiana, that backdrop matters because the Hoosiers are facing a matchup where receiver play could become the cleanest path to an edge.
USCs secondary is already drawing attention for the challenges it may have to absorb in the games ahead, and Indianas receivers fit the profile of a group that can exploit any softness there. The piece frames the matchup through recent performances, roles and coaching perspective, with the Trojans defensive backfield carrying the burden of proving it can hold up against a quality receiving corps. If Indiana can force USC into uncomfortable coverage decisions, this could become one of those games where the Hoosiers wideouts do more than just move the chains. [Read more 🡒]