Ryan Day expects a fun offense and the deepest group of receivers he’s seen to be the Buckeyes’ reliance at critical moments. But it hasn’t been the answer. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Ohio State’s stunning loss at Texas on Saturday night didn’t seem possible. That’s why Ryan Day must honestly assess his approach to those situations.
Flying The Friendly Skies, TX to OH – The Ohio State football program is the envy of many. Try being a Purdue fan.
Nonetheless, the Buckeyes have a systemic problem: Big leads in enough big games that fail to be enough. Ryan Day’s program doesn’t blow a lot of leads. But when they do, they do it big on big stages. Something in his game-management system needs to be fixed.
Friday night’s collapse in Austin, Texas, in the heat, in the belly of the Southwest wing of the SEC, is the latest in head-scratching, frustrating and inexplicable loss during Day’s tenure.
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Just when all systems seemed go with a 20-point lead after three quarters, the system broke down and the top-ranked Buckeyes (now No. 6) lost 24-23 to No. 4 Texas, the new No. 1.
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Why? What was behind the decisions, the plays that weren’t made, the inability to retake the momentum.
The number of ideas and solutions about the how and why are as numerous as food choices in an airport terminal.
The systemic evidence:
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- Clemson in 2019: led by 16.
- Georgia in 2022: led by 14.
- Indiana in 2025: led by 7.
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And each of those leads should have been bigger, not to mention were games the Buckeyes should have won.
Also, don’t forget the 31-7 lead over Notre Dame in the 2024 national championship game that turned into a one-possession game with two minutes left. A long pass to Jeremiah Smith bailed them out of that near collapse.
So what is it? Why, under Ryan Day, does this happen? How can teams with so much talent have a bad half or a bad quarter to such a degree?
The easy answer is the head coach. He’s the common denominator in each game. But what about him?
They routinely look for Jeremiah Smith when they need points, and so do defenses. But when all you need is a first down…why not Brandon Inniss?
The theories – readily available on social media and in our own minds – include becoming too conservative, too predictable, and too stubborn. And those attitudes manifest themselves in spotty run blocking, disappearing pass rush, missed field goals, and unimaginative play calling. Have I missed anything?
The answer is in a complicated combination of those theories. If the answer was simple, well, Saturday night’s Texas meltdown wouldn’t have happened. None of us, as much as we think we know it all, can clearly articulate a solution. We’re all a little right and a little wrong. The best Ohio State fans can hope for is for Day to figure out a better approach for when the situation arises again.
Ohio State’s answer – from Day to the players who speak to the media – is always a lack of execution. That’s true. But is that all it is? Are the coaches putting the players in advantageous enough positions to confidently execute? They would admit, no.
We all see things go wrong. Sometimes we understand why. Many times we don’t. Not one of us would call plays the same way. But we know when it doesn’t look right. We know when the risk is greater than the reward.
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Like when Julian Sayin had eyes for only Jeremiah Smith on third-and-four in the fourth quarter when the Buckeyes absotively needed points. All they needed was four yards. But they went for a lot more, didn’t get it, then missed a field goal. And you just knew Texas would go down the field and take the lead.
You can second-guess the decision to go for it on fourth-and-two in the second quarter instead of kicking a field goal. Those three points would have come in handy. But that doesn’t make that choice a bad decision in that moment.
What about not letting Texas score with a minute left, giving the offense a chance to get into field goal position? That’s not a second guess. We all discussed it in the moment.
Day’s choice was to go for the goal-line stand. He watched his teams make those stops a few times the past two years. But Kayden McDonald wasn’t coming off the sideline to become a human dam in the middle of the defense. The risk was great.
Simple answers do not exist. This is a systemic problem, and the overall approach to these situations that must be assessed, defended, believed in by Day and bought into by his assistants and players. Because after a loss like Saturday night, they are all wondering how this happened and what their leader is going to do to not let it happen again.
What is Day’s next move?
How does he prevent the Texas collapse from happening again?
He wishes he knew his next move or set of moves would definitely prevent it from happening again. But the human element offers no guarantees.
Still, Day must look at his system for game plans, his system for how to play with a supposed comfortable lead. He must ask himself, his assistants, his captains for honest answers.
Day values accountability. He demands daily improvement from all under his watch. He must demand the same of himself more than he ever has.
No plan, no system is infallible. But all can be improved.
So before the Buckeyes play at Indiana, play at Iowa, play at USC, play in another playoff game, Day must decide who he wants to be in the second half with a presumably comfortable lead against a quality opponent.
Will the mirror tell him he’s too conservative? Too predictable? Too stubborn? All of the above? Or something else?
And what will his answers be? How will he fix it?
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