Former Ohio State Players Blast Ryan Day and Buckeyes After Embarrassing Loss to Oregon

Ohio State blew a 14-0 lead and lost 41-28 to Oregon at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, marking the team’s second straight loss and third defeat of the season.

Ohio Stadium Collapse

The home loss likely ended any hope of a College Football Playoff run for the Buckeyes. Oregon reeled off 38 consecutive points after falling behind by two touchdowns early in the contest.

Head coach Ryan Day acknowledged the meltdown after the final whistle. Day stated that there needs to be accountability and that it starts with the coaching staff.

The defeat dropped Ohio State to 6-3 on the year. The program has suffered its first three losses under Day’s leadership.

Earlier October Struggles

Cracks in the roster appeared weeks before the home defeat to Oregon. The Buckeyes barely escaped Indiana with a 19-15 victory on October 17, a game that saw starting quarterback Julian Sayin suffer an injury.

Freshman Luke Fahey took over under center for the subsequent matchup. That adjustment failed to spark the offense in a 30-18 loss at USC on October 31.

Offensive execution drew heavy criticism long before Saturday. Fox Joel Klatt publicly questioned the team’s offensive approach, pointing specifically to the usage of wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Smith went more than two quarters without a catch against Oregon. Frustration boiled over when the receiver was spotted yelling toward the sideline during the game.

Former Players React

Former Buckeyes took to social media and television broadcasts immediately following the collapse to blast the current state of the program. Former running back Beanie Wells stated on CBS Sports’ postgame show that Ohio State is revealing who they’ve always been.

Wells pointed out that defensive vulnerabilities had shown up weeks prior against Indiana. The analyst noted that those explosive plays and defensive lapses went unnoticed nationally only because the team managed to escape with narrow victories.

Other alumni issued blunt assessments of the culture and performance in Columbus. Former defensive lineman Tommy Schutt broke a six-year social media silence to write, “CLEAN HOUSE. This is embarrassing.”

Former wide receiver Curtis Samuel made his first appearance on X in three years to criticize the team’s lack of toughness. Samuel wrote that opponents cannot be allowed to walk into Ohio Stadium and act as bullies, calling the performance unacceptable and contrary to program culture.

Former wide receiver Michael Thomas added that players do not sign up at Ohio State to suffer back-to-back losses. Former offensive lineman Branden Bowen suggested the team should have simply forfeited because the players apparently did not want to be on the field.

Buckeyes Face a Steep Fall in Rankings

Ranked No. 12 in the initial College Football Playoff Top 25 released a week prior, the Buckeyes face a steep fall in the upcoming rankings update. The team already slipped to No. 20 in the Sunday coaches poll following the setback.

Day admitted that the coaching staff did not anticipate the collapse. Day told reporters that the team expected to play well initially, but once the momentum swung, the staff failed to stop it or turn the tide.

The latest rankings update from the selection committee arrives on Tuesday night.