Ohio State’s slide showed up in a big way Sunday when the Week 11 polls came out.
After back-to-back losses, the Buckeyes tumbled to No. 20 in the Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the AP Poll. That AP ranking is the lowest Ohio State has been since Week 4 of the 2014 season.
The drop followed a rough stretch that started with a 30-18 loss at USC two weeks ago and got worse Saturday night at Ohio Stadium, where Oregon beat the Buckeyes 41-28. Ohio State opened the game with some promise, but once things started going sideways, the Ducks took control and never really let go. Oregon ripped off 38 unanswered points, and the Buckeyes couldn’t answer on either side of the ball.
That loss to USC was already notable for Ryan Day’s program. It was the first time Ohio State had dropped two games before November under Day. Now the Buckeyes have lost more than two games in a season for the first time since 2011.
There was a brief window early in the second half for Ohio State to steady itself, but the problems kept stacking up. The Buckeyes did make the score look a little better late, though by then the game had long gotten away.
The top of the Coaches Poll features Georgia at No. 1, Utah at No.
2, Notre Dame at No. 3, UCLA at No. 4 and Indiana at No.
- The AP Poll has the same top five, except Miami is No. 5 and Indiana sits at No.
The Big Ten still has several teams in both polls. In the Coaches Poll, USC is No.
14, Iowa is No. 15 and Oregon is No. 19, with Ohio State checking in at No. 20.
In the AP Poll, the Trojans are No. 15, the Hawkeyes are No. 16 and the Ducks are No. 18, with the Buckeyes one spot behind at No. 21.
On the field against Oregon, quarterback Luke Fahey made his second career start and finished 72 percent of his passes for 360 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, although much of that production came late. Jeremiah Smith caught seven passes for 133 yards and a touchdown, but he went two quarters without seeing a target. Bo Jackson added 48 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
Defensively, safety Earl Little Jr. led Ohio State with 10 total tackles and a tackle for loss. Nickel Jay Timmons and safety Jaylen McClain each had dropped interceptions, and the Buckeyes finished without a sack.
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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 🡒]
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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 🡒]