Ohio State came out flying, built a 14-0 lead, and still walked off the field with a 41-28 loss to No. 23 Oregon. That kind of swing tells you everything you need to know about how this one unraveled for the Buckeyes.
The opening quarter looked like the start of a statement win. Ohio State scored twice, and both touchdowns came from Bo Jackson, who again showed the kind of explosiveness that can change a game in a hurry.
But once the first quarter ended, the rhythm disappeared. The Buckeyes went scoreless in the second and third quarters, and Oregon seized control with a surge Ohio State never matched.
The numbers from the middle of the game are brutal. Before the Buckeyes finally added 14 points in the fourth quarter, they had managed only 89 yards after putting up 174 in the first quarter.
Oregon, meanwhile, went from 61 yards in the opening period to 308 in the fourth. At one point, the Ducks had outgained Ohio State 237 yards to 33 while turning that edge into 28 points, compared with zero for the Buckeyes.
Jeremiah Smith still put together a big stat line, finishing with seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. But after the first quarter, he did not see another target until late in the third. That kind of drought is hard to explain when a receiver is producing at that level.
Fahey finished 36-for-50 for 360 yards and two touchdowns, both of them coming in the fourth quarter. Bo Jackson ended with 11 carries for 48 yards and those two early scores.
Oregon also mixed in a fake punt in the second quarter to keep a drive alive, another moment that fit the Ducks’ growing control of the game. From there, the mismatch kept widening as the Buckeyes struggled to answer.
The defense had its own problems. Ohio State allowed 41 points, with 31 of them coming in the second and third quarters.
Earl Little led the way with 10 tackles, but the Buckeyes couldn’t slow Oregon’s balance. The Ducks finished with 395 total yards, including 257 through the air from Dylan Raiola.
On the ground, Oregon added 108 yards as a team, with Dierre Hill accounting for 75 of them and scoring two touchdowns.
That leaves the offensive approach under the microscope too. Arthur Smith is working through a difficult situation without his starting quarterback, but the sequence here was hard to ignore: a 14-0 lead, then two full quarters without scoring, then 14 more points in the fourth. That’s not a formula that holds up against a ranked opponent.
It also wasn’t a one-game issue. This was a problem last week against USC, and it showed up again here.
The Buckeyes flashed enough in the first and fourth quarters to prove they can move the ball and stack drives. The issue is doing it for all 60 minutes.
That has to change quickly. Ohio State’s playoff hopes could be in danger after this one.
The Buckeyes are back home next, facing unranked Northwestern at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14.
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 🡒]