Ohio State’s first stumble of the season showed up where it hurts most: the rankings.
After the Buckeyes’ fourth-quarter collapse against Texas on Saturday night in Austin, Ohio State dropped to No. 6 in both the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll. Texas, which beat OSU, moved into the top spot in both polls.
The Buckeyes are still in the thick of the national picture, but the loss sent them sliding five spots in each ranking. In the AP Poll, Ohio State landed behind Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami. In the Coaches Poll, the order ahead of the Buckeyes was Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana and Miami as well.
Texas drew 56 first-place votes in the AP Poll and 42 in the Coaches Poll. The Longhorns were joined at the top of the AP ballot by votes for Miami (four), Georgia (three), Notre Dame (one), Indiana (three) and LSU (one). In the Coaches Poll, Georgia picked up 15 first-place votes, Indiana 10, Notre Dame four, Miami two and LSU one.
LSU remains one spot behind Ohio State in both rankings despite the Tigers being 2-0 and getting a first-place vote in each poll.
The weekend also caused some major movement elsewhere near the top. Oregon, which entered the preseason AP Poll at No. 2, tumbled 15 places to No. 21 after losing at Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma fell 13 spots to No. 24 after its loss to Michigan, while the Wolverines climbed back into the AP Top 25, rising from No. 28 to No. 19.
The Big Ten has a heavy presence in the AP rankings with seven teams in the poll: Indiana at No. 4, Ohio State at No.
6, USC at No. 12, Penn State at No.
14, Iowa at No. 18, Michigan at No. 19 and Oregon at No.
In the Coaches Poll, the league has eight ranked teams: Indiana at No. 4, Ohio State at No.
6, USC at No. 11, Penn State at No.
15, Oregon at No. 18, Michigan at No.
19, Iowa at No. 20 and Washington at No. 24.
In Other News...
Ryan Day Faces Ohio State's Biggest Early Problem
Texas left Ohio State with an opener that felt as frustrating as it was revealing. The Buckeyes had built a multi-score second-half lead and looked in position to start the season with a marquee win, only to watch it slip away in a 24-23 loss. Ryan Day did not try to dress it up afterward, pointing to the Buckeyes inability to finish the fourth quarter and noting the defensive issues and red-zone problems that helped turn a promising day into a disappointing one.
Day also put the responsibility on himself, saying the gameplan was his to own as Ohio State tried to sort out what went wrong. For a team with playoff expectations and a roster built to contend, the sting is not just the result but the manner in which it happened. The Buckeyes now have an early reminder that the margin for error is thin, and that the fixes have to come quickly in every phase if they want this loss to stay an opening-week anomaly. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Suddenly Has A CFP Scheduling Problem Fans Will Debate
A high-profile nonconference schedule can look great on paper in August, but the debate around it gets louder when one of those matchups turns into an upset with real playoff ripple effects. Oklahoma States win over Oregon, capped by the kind of celebration that sends students hauling a goalpost into a campus pond, has only sharpened the discussion around whether elite programs should keep taking on the toughest possible opponents outside league play.
For Ohio State fans, the issue is easy to understand because it sits right at the heart of CFP math. Coaches like Brent Venables, Steve Sarkisian and Dan Lanning have already weighed in on the risks and rewards of loading up the schedule, and the recent result gives both sides fresh ammunition. It is the kind of debate that can look noble in the offseason and suddenly feel a lot more complicated once the playoff committee starts comparing wins, losses and the value of who you chose to play. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Fans Are Turning On Ryan Day For A Familiar Reason
Ohio States Week 2 loss to Texas left Buckeye fans simmering again, and the frustration has a familiar edge to it. The game was there for the taking, with Ohio State leading for most of the afternoon before the Longhorns slipped away late, and the disappointment landed hard because it fit an uncomfortable recent pattern for Ryan Days program.
The concern is not just one close loss in September, but the way Ohio State has handled the biggest tests on its schedule. Days team has now dropped three of its last four games against ranked opponents, a run that has given critics plenty of ammo and left supporters wondering why the breakthrough keeps getting delayed when the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]