Ohio State had the game exactly where it wanted it early, then watched everything collapse in the span of a brutal second half.
The Buckeyes jumped out to a 14-0 lead against Oregon, but that advantage vanished fast as the Ducks ripped off 38 straight points and turned the night into an ugly 41-28 loss at home. For a team that came in needing a win to keep its CFP hopes alive, it was a devastating finish.
Luke Fahey never settled in after the first quarter. He forced a throw into triple coverage while trying to hit Devin McCuin, and it went down as one of the worst interceptions seen all year.
He also barely looked Jeremiah Smith’s way for most of the game, going two full hours without targeting him. Smith eventually caught a touchdown late, but by then the outcome was already decided.
Even with Fahey struggling and missing throws, Ryan Day never turned to Tavien St. Clair. Day stayed with Fahey the whole way, and the offense never found a way to recover.
Arthur Smith’s play-calling came under fire as well, with the offense repeatedly landing on the wrong answer at the wrong time. The criticism wasn’t limited to the offense, either. Matt Patricia’s defense has been a problem over the last two weeks, and it again failed to help Ohio State put the game away or even keep it competitive once Oregon seized control.
The loss carried a bigger weight because of what it said about Day’s program right now. He had plenty of goodwill after winning the national championship in 2024, but that cushion is gone. Ohio State has now allowed 38 unanswered points for the first time since 1999, and the season has reached a point where the only clear target left is TTUN.
Whether the Buckeyes can even win that game is suddenly in question. They entered the year ranked No. 1, but that meant nothing once Sayin got hurt and the offense unraveled.
The source of the frustration is clear: the coaching staff hasn’t developed its five-star quarterback, and St. Clair needs to play.
At this point, Ohio State looks broken. A 41-28 home loss is bad enough on its own. The way it happened made it far worse.
In Other News...
Ohio States Oregon Collapse Exposed A Problem Buckeyes Fans Feared
Ohio States loss to Oregon in Columbus had the feel of a game that started with promise and then slipped away in plain sight. The Buckeyes came out strong, but the rest of the afternoon turned into a reminder that early momentum only matters if it can be sustained, and this one quickly exposed some of the same concerns fans have been carrying for a while. Jeremiah Smith was not used nearly enough, and the offense never seemed to fully settle into a rhythm as the game changed around it.
Luke Faheys performance only added to the unease, while the defense looked far removed from the unit Ohio State expected to lean on in a matchup like this. The bigger frustration, though, was the lack of clear adjustment as Oregon kept finding answers and the Buckeyes did not. For a team with playoff ambitions, a home collapse like this does more than count as one bad result - it raises the kind of questions that can linger well beyond a single Saturday. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smiths Frustration Just Raised A Bigger Ohio State Concern
Jeremiah Smiths frustration was hard to miss in Ohio States loss to Oregon, a defeat that left the Buckeyes staring at a tougher path to the playoff. Even in a game that slipped away 41-28, Smith still produced, finishing with seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown, which only underscored how much Ohio State leaned on him when the offense needed a spark.
The bigger concern now is what his visible irritation might say about the state of the Buckeyes season and how they handle the fallout from a damaging setback. One analyst even raised the possibility that Smith might not play again this year, though that remains unconfirmed, and for a team trying to steady itself after the Oregon loss, any uncertainty around its top playmaker only adds to the pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Urban Meyer Just Added Fuel To Indianas CFP Debate
Urban Meyer gave the College Football Playoff debate a fresh jolt by questioning how the committee is sorting Ohio State and Indiana. The former Buckeyes coach pointed to the Buckeyes head-to-head win over Indiana and said he did not understand why No. 12 Ohio State sits eight spots behind No. 4 Indiana, especially when the discussion turns to how teams are being judged beyond the loss column.
Meyer also took aim at the committees handling of nonconference scheduling, arguing that Ohio States ranking does not match what it has shown on the field. Indianas case is strong in its own right at 8-1, with wins over Michigan and Nebraska, but Meyer noted the Hoosiers have not beaten a ranked opponent, leaving the playoff conversation with a familiar tension: rsum versus result, and a gap in the rankings that still needs explaining. [Read more 🡒]