Ohio State’s loss to Texas left plenty of wreckage behind, but it also handed the Buckeyes something they can actually use: an early look at what’s broken.
That doesn’t make the collapse any easier to swallow. Saturday night was the biggest four-quarter collapse in Ohio State football history, and it cost the Buckeyes what had been the best win in college football up to that point. The postgame mood in Columbus was exactly what you’d expect after a game like that - uncomfortable, pointed, and full of calls for players and coaches to clean things up.
Still, the defeat does not shut the door on Ohio State’s season. The Buckeyes can still beat TTUN, still win the Big Ten, and still win a national championship. The margin for error is just a lot thinner now.
That’s where the one real silver lining comes in: the problems showed up early enough to matter.
With the loss coming in Week 2, Ryan Day and his staff have time to attack the issues before the Big Ten schedule begins. A loss is never the preferred route to a reality check, but this one gives Ohio State a chance to address the stuff that could have derailed the whole season later on.
The running game is at the top of that list. Arthur Smith was expected to bring some real expertise there, but the starters have not done much on the ground. That becomes even more alarming when you remember Julian Sayin completed just two passes in the second half against the Longhorns.
There’s also work to do on defense. Matt Patricia, by the source’s account, needs to be more aggressive. On offense, Ohio State has to clean up execution and find a second reliable target in the passing game.
Day has already moved the Buckeyes on from the Texas loss, at least publicly. The focus now is on what comes next, starting this weekend against Kent State. Ohio State may have to do that without Phillip Daniels, its starting right tackle, who was injured against Texas.
That injury also opens another window for evaluation along an offensive line that is still unsettled. The receiver situation deserves the same scrutiny.
Jeremiah Smith is the best player in the country, but he does not appear to have much help. Against Texas, the other receivers combined for just two catches.
Kent State should give Ohio State a chance to come out fast, and that’s the expectation. The Buckeyes scored 20 points in one half against Texas, so the issue was not simply getting moving.
It was closing. Against a team like Kent State, they are unlikely to learn much about that particular problem.
That test will have to wait.
For now, there’s still some doom and gloom around Columbus. Saturday afternoon should help quiet some of it, but the real temperature check won’t come until Ohio State beats a good team again. This is an angry team, and that should show up this weekend.
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Ohio State May Need More Khary Wilder Than Anyone Expected
Khary Wilder arrived at Ohio State with the kind of high school rsum that naturally creates a little buzz, and early this season he has started to justify it. The freshman defensive lineman has already shown he can move around the front, handle multiple spots and make his presence felt even in limited snaps, which is exactly the sort of flexibility the Buckeyes tend to value when the games start to tighten up.
Wilders early impact has also created a familiar kind of coaching dilemma: how much more can a young player give you before his role has to grow? Ohio State has plenty of bodies up front, but Wilders versatility and activity have made it hard to ignore him, and as the season goes on the question may not be whether he is ready for more playing time, but how soon the Buckeyes are willing to give it to him. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces One Immediate Test After That Texas Collapse
The Texas loss left Ohio State with an immediate chance to reset, and the matchup with Kent State offers a very different kind of test. After watching a 20-point fourth-quarter lead slip away, the Buckeyes are not just trying to win, they are trying to show cleaner habits, steadier footing and a better finish before the schedule tightens again.
There is also a roster ripple to watch on both sides of the ball. Bo Jackson is being projected to have a fast start on the ground, while Khary Wilder could be in line for more work after showing enough in limited snaps to keep his name in the rotation. The real question is how far the staff chooses to push the regulars in a game that should be controlled, but may still carry a little extra weight after what happened in Austin. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's Big Ten Slate Sets Up A Brutal Test For Jake Diebler
The Big Tens 2026-27 basketball schedule has landed, and it gives Jake Dieblers Ohio State team a clear early look at what the grind will be like in conference play. The Buckeyes will get a 20-game league slate with an even split of 10 home and 10 away games, plus home-and-away meetings with Michigan, Penn State and Iowa that should help define the shape of the season.
The road starts quickly, with Big Ten play opening at Nebraska on Dec. 2, then stretches through a winter that will demand balance and consistency from a roster trying to climb in the league. Ohio State closes the regular season at home against Michigan on March 7, which gives the Buckeyes a fittingly big finish, even if the larger question is how they handle the tough middle months before that showdown arrives. [Read more 🡒]