Gilbert: Ohio State’s Season Becoming One To Forget

The Buckeyes don’t have answers for their inconsistent play, two straight losses by double digits, and why Oregon scored 38 straight points Saturday in a shocking collapse.

Columbus, OH – The Day of Reckoning is here.

Not just because of Saturday’s embarrassing 41-28 loss to Oregon. But that would probably be enough. Mostly for all the decisions, actions and mistakes that reached a nuclear crescendo in a second straight loss and a third loss of the season for the first time since 2011.

Who will be held accountable for Ohio State’s 6-5 record in its past 11 games?

Who will answer for the inconsistent and lackluster performances?

Who will face the consequences for not having a backup quarterback ready to carry a team when it needs carrying against Big Ten opponents?

What about recruiting philosophies and portal strategies?

What will be the fallout of most likely missing the College Football Playoff and an afterthought bowl trip – if they accept it – hyped only by ESPN?

Those decisions, if they are to be made, won’t happen today, this week or probably even this season. But the house is in shambles, and a cleanout is required.

And what about the internal pressure fueled by head coach Ryan Day’s rhetoric that losses aren’t allowed at Ohio State, a phenomenon blamed on external pressure?

The disappointment that pressure produces entered the room with heaviness when Day, offensive lineman Austin Siereveld and safety Jaylen McClain took turns trying to explain to the media what happened. Why did the offense lose rhythm? Why did the defense allow more explosive plays?

“Not some place we thought we’d be … beyond disappointed,” he said. “The first thing when you walk into the Woody and you join our program is you understand what the expectations are. Your expectation is to win every game here. So to lose three games is unacceptable, and I own that, and that’s never going to change from my point of view.”

Sounds like the undue internal pressure is here to stay, even if it might be counterproductive.

For context of the rarity of the past eight days in Ohio State history, consider this. Saturday’s loss, marked by boos and fans leaving early in the fourth quarter like a fire drill, recalled some dubious history.

The last time the Buckeyes lost consecutive games to unranked teams was 1992 when Kirk Herbstreit played quarterback. The last time they lost consecutive games by double digits to unranked teams happened in 1988 during John Cooper’s 4-6-1 inaugural season.

“I just told the team in the locker room that we got to weather this storm – it’ll be a storm here … something that none of us are used to at Ohio State,” Day said. “We’re going to come together tomorrow, we’ll have a team meeting, and we’ll figure out what’s next.”

What’s next for this season is the solemn knowledge that the pallbearers are on their way.

Being unable to play good football with any consistency was ruled the official cause of death Saturday. The preseason prediction of No. 1 in the country turned out to be the jinx many fans feared, a certain kiss of death many mourned.

Trace a one-point loss at Texas, a humiliating loss at USC and Saturday’s incomprehensible loss to Oregon on a cold, gray November day back to whatever you want. Opinions run the gamut. But mortal weaknesses and train-wreck trends rarely experienced in this once lively program, swept this season over the precipice.

Ohio State’s inadequacies didn’t require Notre Dame’s legendary Four Horseman to bury their season. All it took was a flock of Ducks, a group suffering through its own disappointing season of three unexpected losses.

Once again the Buckeyes failed enough in the fundamentals. Against talented teams a few mistakes add up quickly. Those mistakes remind everyone that the simplicity of football is to block and tackle.

For much of this century, Ohio State football has been simply and fundamentally great. But the complexity of football is to block and tackle consistently, play to play, game to game and season to season.

However, in 2026, consistency is as elusive as a fumbled football on a wet day. The nation should have seen the past two Saturdays coming.

This once incomprehensible trend became a developing storm in the Texas tailspin in Week Two. Then at Iowa, the storm calmed as the Buckeyes appeared to settle into a consistent pattern.

But last Saturday night in Los Angeles, and the now-infamous Saturday, November 7, 2026, in the Horseshoe, inconsistency roared like a thunderstorm, and the Buckeyes lost a third game for the first time since finishing 6-7 in 2011.

When the score reached 31-14, the yards by quarter told the story. Ohio State outgained Oregon 174-16 in the first quarter to take a 14-0 lead. They were playing like a team motivated by the USC loss. They reached the red zone twice and Bo Jackson scored on runs of 16 and 8 yards.

And Jackson looked great doing it. He bounced the first one outside and strolled across the goal line. On the second one, he bounced off an expectant tackler in the hole, then spun off another defender and into the end zone.

Then Oregon won the second quarter 178-17. And the Ducks were winning the third quarter 97 to minus-14 with a 17-point lead. Since late in the first quarter, a pass had not been thrown to Jeremiah Smith.

Down 14-0, Oregon drove to the red zone and settled for a field goal. So up 14-3 with unusual red-zone success felt good on the home side with 11:26 to play in the first half.

Then the sky full of mistakes that fell in Los Angeles suddenly hung over the Horseshoe – and fell. Just like the ashes from the fireworks at the end of the third quarter.

Up 14-3, the mistakes began to make their weekly appearance.

Oregon executed a fake punt to perfection on a 30-yard pass from a defensive end to a wide receiver to the OSU 39. A few plays later the Buckeyes’ third-down defensive struggles – Oregon was 5-for-10 in the half – finally cost them points.

On third-and-15 at the 29, the Buckeyes rushed four at quarterback Dylan Raiola, dropped everyone else deep, and Raiola found running back Dierre Hill Jr. wide open in the middle for 20 yards and a first down at the nine.

The Ducks snapped quickly and Hill scored on a nine-yard run to cut OSU’s lead to 14-10 with 1:41 left in the half.

The Buckeyes were set up for one of their patented 2026 scoring drives to close the half. But for the second week in a row it didn’t happen. Fahey aggressively threw toward Devin McCuin down the right sideline, but three Ducks were hovering around McCuin and one of them intercepted the pass.

Oregon quickly reached the 2 with the help of some OSU missteps and scored on another trick play when tight end Jamari Johnson hustled under center, took a quick snap and bulled in for the touchdown and a 17-14 lead on the final play of the half.

Oregon started the second half with the ball and took advantage of a roughing the passer penalty. Two plays later the Buckeyes blitzed the right side and Hill cut to the left and raced 48 yards for a touchdown and a 24-14 lead.

While OSU’s offense continued without rhythm, the Ducks increased their lead to 38-14 on two Raiola touchdown passes. If the band knew a dirge it would have been an appropriate choice.

“There’s not really an explanation on that,” Siereveld said of Oregon’s 38 straight points. “You got to give credit. Oregon battled today. They were the better team than us.”

Luke Fahey’s second start was uneven. He completed 36 of 50 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns. But throwing 50 passes isn’t a good sign. Ohio State is now 1-4 in games it throws 50 passes.

“The kid’s trying his tail off,” Day said. “It’s a tough spot to be in for a true freshman, but the expectation is to come in and play and win. We put him in some tough spots again. Ultimately, it comes back on us that are surrounding him. I think he’s trying like heck.”

The Jeremiah Smith Heisman watch might be the most interesting thing left for the fans. He caught seven passes for 133 yards to set the school record with his 16^th 100-yard game. In the fourth quarter, he caught a 13-yard touchdown pass and a 57-yarder to set up the final score.

The defense allowed nine explosive pass plays (15 yards or more) and four explosive run plays (10 yards or more). Last week against USC, three big plays cost the Buckeyes. After that game, McClain said the defensive effort lacked.

“I feel like came we out swinging, and I feel like we fought to the end regardless,” McClain said. “The effort was there.”

The execution of the effort, however, continues to eat away at the goal to play consistent football and win. Why? No one can quite articulate.

They can only reckon what the problems might be.