Ohio State Regroups After Big Ten Title Loss, Sets Sights on CFP Redemption
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The sting of a 13-10 loss in the Big Ten Championship Game still lingers, but at Ohio State, there’s no time for sulking. This is a program built on high standards and quick turnarounds. And with the College Football Playoff looming, the Buckeyes are already shifting focus from what went wrong to what’s still very much within reach.
Let’s be clear: the loss to Indiana wasn’t just a blip. The offensive line had trouble holding its ground, the red zone execution stalled, and one of Ohio State’s three primary goals for the season - winning the Big Ten - slipped away. That’s the kind of result that sparks tough conversations inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
“Sick to my stomach that we lost,” quarterback Julian Sayin admitted last week. And you could feel that sentiment echoed throughout the locker room.
But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that this team has been here before - and knows how to respond.
Last season, the Buckeyes entered the playoff after a gut-wrenching loss to Michigan. That one came with more emotion, more pressure, and more noise.
This year’s defeat? Still painful, but more straightforward.
No drama, no controversy - just a game where they didn’t execute well enough to win.
And that’s something head coach Ryan Day is using to his advantage.
“You’ve got to wake up and move on,” Day said. Simple, but telling. Because for all the frustration surrounding the loss, this is still one of the most talented teams in the country - and the numbers back it up.
Ohio State leads the nation in both scoring defense and total defense. That’s not just good - that’s elite.
And while the offense hasn’t always been explosive, it’s been efficient enough to rank in the top 25 nationally. The Buckeyes might not be lighting up the scoreboard every quarter, but they know how to control a game and strike when it matters.
Day has made it clear he believes in this group’s ability to shift gears when needed. With weapons like Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith on the outside, and Sayin continuing to grow into his role under center, there’s still plenty of firepower on this roster. This offense may not be built for track meets, but it can absolutely go toe-to-toe with anyone when it finds its rhythm.
“There’s still a bunch of guys in this room that know we can play with anybody in the country and beat anybody in the country when we’re on our game,” Day said. That’s not coach-speak - that’s belief rooted in experience.
Of course, there’s one lingering question that could shape how this team looks when it takes the field in the CFP: Who’s calling the plays?
Brian Hartline, Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, was officially named the next head coach at South Florida just three days before the Big Ten title game. Despite the news, he remained in his role and called plays against Indiana - a decision Day confirmed.
The plan, for now, is for Hartline to continue that role through the playoff. But with the early signing period approaching and Hartline juggling two high-stakes jobs, Day knows he’ll need to take a step back and assess everything before the Buckeyes suit up again.
Unlike the lead-up to the Big Ten title game, the Cotton Bowl will offer something rare in college football: time. Time to breathe.
Time to evaluate. Time to make the right call about who’s running the offense - whether that’s Hartline or someone else on staff.
Ohio State, the No. 2 seed in the playoff, will return to action on Dec. 31 in Dallas, where it’ll face the winner of No. 7 Texas A&M and No.
10 Miami. That gives Day and his staff a couple of critical weeks to recalibrate - and to make sure this team is ready to chase the title it still very much has a shot to win.
The Big Ten trophy may be out of reach, but the big prize? That’s still on the table. And if history tells us anything, it’s that Ohio State knows how to bounce back when the stakes are highest.