Ohio State’s season has gone from No. 1 to chaos in a hurry, and the Buckeyes are now staring at a final stretch that could decide everything from the playoff picture to the long-term shape of the program.
After losses to Texas, USC and Oregon, Ohio State dropped to No. 21 in Sunday’s AP Top 25. That’s the lowest the Buckeyes have been since landing at No. 22 in 2014 after a home loss to Virginia Tech. It’s also their worst season since 2011, when they finished 6-7.
The math is ugly from here. Ohio State would need to win its last three games just to keep any College Football Playoff hope alive, and even that route is far from certain.
The Buckeyes host Northwestern on Nov. 14, go to Nebraska on Nov. 21 and finish with Michigan at home on Nov. 28.
None of those opponents are ranked, so beyond the playoff angle, sweeping the final three would at least show Ohio State can still handle the teams it’s expected to beat.
One of the biggest questions hanging over the finish is Jeremiah Smith. Around the media, there’s already been plenty of speculation that the star receiver could shut things down for the season.
The logic is straightforward: the playoff path is a long shot, the Heisman case looks shaky without quarterback Julian Sayin, and there’s no reason to invite injury before the 2027 NFL Draft. There’s also precedent, with Ja’Marr Chase sitting out LSU’s 2020 season before going fifth overall and Nick Bosa playing three games for Ohio State before stepping away to prepare for the 2019 Draft.
For now, though, there’s nothing confirming Smith is actually considering that move. Still, he looked visibly frustrated during Saturday’s game against Oregon and the Oct. 31 game against USC, and losing him for the final three would be a major blow to an offense already trying to find its footing.
Quarterback remains another major piece of the puzzle. Sayin fractured his right elbow on Oct. 17 at Indiana and later had surgery that included plates and screws.
January is the earliest he could return. He’s also eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft, and Ryan Day has said the long-term outlook is bright.
Sayin’s 3,610 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season helped make him a Heisman finalist, so whatever he decides will carry real weight for Ohio State’s future.
In the meantime, Luke Fahey has handled the job. He has completed 57 of 88 passes for 620 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in his two starts this season, and Day has stuck with him even with a five-star sophomore waiting behind him.
With the playoff door nearly shut, the final three games could also become the best chance to get a longer look at Tavien St. Clair.
If St. Clair starts all three, it could give him a reason to stay in Columbus next year.
And then there’s Michigan, the game that still matters most. The Wolverines are 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten, and they just managed 192 total yards, went 2-for-10 on third down and didn’t score until 1:35 remained in a 15-6 loss to Michigan State. Ohio State snapped Michigan’s four-game winning streak last year with a 27-9 win, and a home loss to this version of the Wolverines would only turn up the heat on Day.
That pressure is already building. Fans online have been calling for Day’s job, pointing to his 6-5 record over his last 11 games.
But he also delivered a national championship just two seasons ago, and he replaced eight defensive starters. It’s difficult to imagine Ohio State moving on from a coach who won a title that recently because of one rough season.
A change in coordinators looks much more likely.
In Other News...
Ohio State Fans Have A New Reason To Worry About Legend Bey
Legend Bey arrived at Ohio State with some buzz, but his first season has not gone the way many Buckeyes fans hoped. The freshman running back has seen limited playing time, and his path has already been complicated by a suspension early in fall camp. Even with the season moving along, Bey has not been able to carve out much of a role in a backfield that has been difficult to crack.
Bey added another layer of uncertainty this week by posting a cryptic message on social media, which naturally sparked concern about where things stand. Nothing official has been announced, and there is no confirmation that he is entering the transfer portal, but the timing of the post is enough to make people around the program pay attention. For a player still trying to find his footing, and for a fan base watching the running back room closely, it is the kind of development that raises more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Makes Another Special Teams Change After Costly Problems Persist
Ohio State has moved on from special teams coordinator Robby Discher after the 2026 season, another sign that the Buckeyes are still searching for answers in a phase of the game that never quite stabilized. Discher was hired in January with the expectation that he would help clean up a unit that had become a recurring concern, but the same issues kept surfacing, from kickoff and punt return troubles to penalties and miscues in important moments.
Head coach Ryan Day has already acknowledged the problems and made clear the responsibility does not rest with Discher alone, which suggests this is as much about broader accountability as it is about one staffing change. For a program with Ohio States standards, special teams has become too familiar a source of frustration, and the latest move only adds to the sense that more adjustments could still be coming. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Owns Ohio State Collapse As Pressure Builds Fast
Ohio States latest setback was the kind that lingers, because it began with control and ended with a collapse. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 14-0 lead against Oregon, then watched the Ducks reel off 38 unanswered points as the offense stalled and the game slipped away, leaving Ohio State at 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play.
Ryan Day did not try to soften the aftermath. He acknowledged the teams problems on offense, where the Buckeyes have struggled to find consistent production on the ground and through the air, and said coaching changes, play calling and personnel adjustments are all under consideration. With the season moving deeper into November, the pressure around the program is only getting louder, and the next steps now matter as much as the loss itself. [Read more 🡒]