Ohio State looked like they were on their way to their third win over Texas in less than two years, leading the Longhorns 23-3 heading into the fourth quarter on Saturday night in Austin. Then the wheels came off for Ryan Day’s squad, allowing Texas to score 21 unanswered points over the final 15 minutes of the game.
There wasn’t one thing that went wrong in the loss to Texas, rather a collection of miscues that led to the downfall of the Buckeyes. With the loss fresh in our minds, there are five reasons Ohio State blew the colossal showdown with Arch Manning and the Longhorns and what needs to be fixed for the rest of the marquee matchups on OSU’s schedule this season.
If it’s not one thing with Ryan Day, it seems to be another. Last year it seemed like Day exorcised the Michigan demons with the win in Ann Arbor. Since beating the Wolverines in November, the Buckeyes have now lost three of the four games they have played since then.
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Despite being the head coach of one of the best teams in the country, Day doesn’t seem to have that killer instinct. The Buckeyes easily could have put Texas away Saturday night, but they played with their food too long and got burned. There’s no reason Ohio State should have let the Longhorns back in that game.
The timid coaching from Day seeped throughout the rest of the staff in the second half. No one area can be faulted for the collapse since it was a group effort at throwing the game away. Now the task will be to make sure this doesn’t happen again, or it would be a long season with some of the teams Ohio State still has left to play.
Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer emphasized special teams when they were in Columbus. Ryan Day talks a big game when it comes to the group, but they continue to underperform. On Saturday night, the lack of consistency ended up costing the Buckeyes the game.
For the most part, Connor Hawkins was good against Texas, hitting his first three field goals as a Buckeye. Unfortunately for the Baylor transfer, he missed a makeable kick that would have given Ohio State a two-score lead. A kick like what Hawkins missed in the fourth quarter is one that has to be made if you want to not only kick at a program like Ohio State, but also in the NFL.
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Then there is punter Joe McGuire. The senior from Australia is only averaging 40 yards per punt this season, a number that won’t get it done. Too many times McGuire’s lack of leg has put opponents in favorable positions. Nobody wants to see the Buckeyes punt, but when they do, they need to do better than what they have gotten over the last few years.
Ohio State has been spoiled when it comes to wide receivers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and more have come through Columbus over the last decade. This year, the Buckeyes have the best receiver in the country, but nobody else of note to take some of the pressure off Jeremiah Smith.
Brandon Inniss is a good leader; he just isn’t going to take over a game. Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd are still finding their footing at the college level. Devin McCuin was largely invisible last night, while LSU transfer Kyle Parker can’t even get on the field.
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Even with all the attention he saw, Smith still had an amazing game. The problem is he wore down in the second half, and Texas came out of halftime with a better plan to keep the ball out of his hands. If no other Ohio State receivers step up, Smith is going to have to work even harder than he already is the rest of the season.
Despite losing Kayden McDonald and Cayden Curry to the NFL, there was a lot of talk in the offseason about how the depth of the Buckeye defensive line was the best it has been in a while. Through two games, there hasn’t been much to back that claim up.
Even last week against Ball State, Ohio State didn’t generate much of a pass rush. Then against the Longhorns, the unit wilted in the Texas heat. With so many guys who we were told could see snaps and be productive, the group should have worn down as they did in Austin. You would think somebody would step up and fight through the exhaustion and make some plays, but it never happened.
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Could this be the end of the road for Larry Johnson? Recently, his groups have underperformed, and it feels like the game might be passing him by. The defensive line coach isn’t pushing the right buttons when it comes to the play of his players, and at some point a tough decision has to be made.
For being a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, Julian Sayin’s play in big games has left a lot to be desired. Last year, Sayin completed 77% of his passes. Saturday night was his worst game at Ohio State, connecting on just over 50 percent of his attempts.
Putting up big numbers against Ball State and some of the bottom feeders of the Big Ten is one thing. Sayin needs to start doing it against the toughest teams the Buckeyes play. In losses to Indiana and Miami last year, Sayin was largely invisible. Saturday night, Sayin was great in the first half but was awful at managing the game in the second half.
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Some of the issues against Texas were likely because of whatever Arthur Smith drew up after halftime, not allowing Sayin to get into much of a rhythm. Then, all of a sudden, late in the game, Sayin had to put the team in his back, and he failed to do so. It also didn’t help Sayin that his offensive line was torched in the second half. Hopefully the Buckeye quarterback bounces back the rest of the season and learns from this loss.
