Ohio State’s 41-28 loss to Oregon on Saturday left the Buckeyes with three regular-season defeats, and the frustration showed immediately afterward as Ryan Day, Austin Siereveld and Jaylen McClain tried to make sense of how the game slipped away.
Day pointed to a stretch in the second and third quarters that changed everything. Ohio State lost two possessions in the second quarter, including a fake punt he called disappointing, and then came the two-minute drive before halftime.
The Buckeyes wanted to stay aggressive, but Day said in hindsight they should have run the ball and gotten to halftime. He called that sequence a turning point.
After the break, Ohio State still couldn’t get anything going, and Day said that left the defense in a tough spot.
The head coach said the Buckeyes now have to take a hard look at everything. The offense didn’t accomplish the things it needed to in this game, especially with a freshman quarterback trying to move the ball down the field.
At the same time, the defense gave up too many explosive plays. “I gotta evaluate everything and figure out with the staff, the things we are coming up short on.
It all starts with the staff… and then the players.”
Day said he didn’t see this coming. Ohio State’s first quarter matched the way the team expected to play, but once the momentum swung, the Buckeyes never found a way to answer.
He said the issue wasn’t attitude or players quitting. Instead, the team hasn’t been able to make the plays needed to stop the slide.
There’s been no rhythm on offense, no momentum and too many mistakes, and those problems have been compounded by the explosive plays allowed on defense. “that’s hurt us.” Day said those are the issues the Buckeyes still haven’t fixed.
He also said it’s on the staff to create a schematic edge, including through creativity and trick plays like the ones Oregon used. Ohio State, he said, hasn’t done a good enough job there.
When asked whether the defensive problems were mostly about scheme, personnel or coaching, Day answered, “probably all three.” He said he wants to watch the film before reacting too emotionally.
With three losses now on the record, Day said the standard at Ohio State doesn’t change. He called the result unacceptable and said he owns it. He told the team it has to weather the storm together.
Day also addressed Luke Fahey’s development, saying his play has been spotty but that he has been playing his tail off. Still, the expectation is to win.
Day said Ohio State has to do a better job around him and avoid putting him in those situations. Fahey made mistakes, but the Buckeyes need to help him more.
“We know how to bring a young guy along, but these last few games have been frustrating.”
Siereveld, too, had trouble explaining the middle stretch when Oregon outscored Ohio State 38-0. He said there was no explanation and that the film would have to provide the lessons.
Asked where the Buckeyes lost their way in the second and third quarters, he said the offense had a few three-and-outs and couldn’t regain its rhythm. His message to the team was simple: nobody can start pointing fingers.
The players have to look in the mirror and keep moving. When asked about the mood in the locker room, he didn’t dress it up.
“It was rough.”
McClain said Ohio State was supposed to handle Oregon’s third-and-long looks by executing its own assignments, no matter what the Ducks called. He said the Buckeyes did come out swinging and fought to the end, and he felt the effort was there.
At halftime, the message was to stay together, especially with the defense knowing Oregon would get the ball to start the second half. McClain also backed Matt Patricia, saying he has done a good job calling plays and that the players trust him.
For McClain, the problem came down to execution.
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