Ohio State took a brutal hit in Austin, but Greg McElroy isn’t ready to kick the Buckeyes out of the national title conversation.
The former Alabama quarterback and current college football analyst addressed Ohio State’s 24-23 loss to Texas on Monday morning during his Always College Football podcast, and his message to Buckeyes fans was pretty clear: don’t overreact. Yes, the Buckeyes blew a 20-point lead.
Yes, they’re no longer unbeaten and no longer No. 1.
But McElroy still sees a team with all the pieces to matter in 2026.
“Ohio State is still one of the best teams in college football,” McElroy said. “The Buckeyes defense held Texas to 97 total yards in the first half, they allowed exactly one drive that was longer than 25 yards.
They led by 20, on the road, against a top-five opponent in super hostile territory. We know they have the best offensive weapon in the sport.”
That’s the kind of loss that can send a fan base spiraling, especially when it comes after a lead that big. But McElroy pushed back on the idea that one painful night should change the bigger picture. He pointed to Ryan Day as a coach who has shown he can handle adversity and bounce back.
“There’s one thing that Ryan Day has done exceptionally well in the last couple of years is respond, and I believe that this year’s case will prove that out as well,” McElroy said. “It’s adapt or die, that’s been Ryan Day’s approach this whole offseason.
And the fix is already in the building. And there’s precedent that should kind of maybe lower everyone’s blood pressure in Columbus.”
For McElroy, the takeaway is simple: Ohio State got punched, but it’s still very much a team worth believing in.
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