By admin 
The Ohio State Buckeyes for three quarters looked like the best team in college football and a true national title contender.
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However, Ohio State was outscored 21-0 in the fourth quarter to lose 24-23 in a stunning loss on the road to the Texas Longhorns. The loss felt very similar to Buckeyes fans as Ryan Day continues to show he hasn’t learned from the past.
Day has often been accused of playing it too safe, and that was the case again on Saturday. Going into the fourth quarter, Ohio State was up 23-3, which isn’t a game the Buckeyes should lose.
Yet, instead of coaching as he did in the first three quarters, Day got too conservative.
Ohio State found early success by being aggressive on offense. Yet in the fourth quarter, Day made conservative play calls, opting for short passes and runs to run out the clock. Instead of trying to score points, Day was more worried about running out the clock.
A touchdown in the fourth quarter, or at any point in the second half, would have ended the game, as Ohio State scored just three points in the second half.
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Day also had a mind-boggling punt on 4th-and-5 from the Texas 39-yard line while holding a 20-3 lead. Sure, Buckeyes kicker Connor Hawkins has struggled and missed a 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but the 4th-and-5 is a spot Day should trust his offense.
Punting on the 39-yard line doesn’t change much in terms of field position, even if you don’t get the first down. A first down there likely ends the game, but once again, Day can’t get out of his own way and coaches way too conservatively.
Yes, Day and Ohio State won the national championship two years ago, but that wasn’t because of Day. Jim Harbaugh has never been more right when he said Day was born on third base. He inherited Urban Meyer’s Ohio State roster and has had a top-three roster every single year, and has only one title to his name. If the playoffs had been expanded that year, the Buckeyes wouldn’t have made it after their stunning loss to Michigan.
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Ultimately, until Day changes the way he coaches, or Ohio State fires him, it’s hard to believe the Buckeyes are a national championship contender.
Ryan Day Isn’t Sure How Ohio State Lost to Texas
After Ohio State’s stunning loss to Texas, Day admitted he wasn’t sure how it happened.
Speaking postgame on Saturday, Day said he wasn’t sure how the loss happened, which isn’t something you want to hear from your head coach.
“I can’t really sit here and tell you exactly why that happened,” Day
Day has shown time and again that he doesn’t put his foot on the gas to secure a win; instead, he just tries to hold off opponents and not score any more points.
The loss is also difficult, as Ohio State has a tough schedule, and now the playoffs could be up in the air. The Buckeyes have to play Iowa, Indiana, and USC on the road, while hosting Oregon and Michigan.
Had Ohio State beaten Texas, they could have afforded losing two of those games. Yet, the Buckeyes have to go 4-1 in those five games to make the playoffs, which will be tough.
If the Buckeyes go 9-3 and miss the playoffs, they can point back to Week 2 and Day, continuing to not learn from his mistakes and continuing to be too conservative when Ohio State is leading.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 11:33 AM.