Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) makes a catch in bounds next to the sidelines. Ohio State beat Kent State 59-3 on Sept. 19, 2026. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Sport Photo Editor.
Throughout the offseason, Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day emphasized finishing in the fourth quarter.?
Yet when the Buckeyes traveled to Austin for their second game of the 2026 season on Sept. 12, they did everything but that.?
Going into the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes had a 20-point lead. But when the clock read 0:00, the scoreboard read 24-23, with Texas giving Ohio State its first loss of the season and first nonconference defeat since Sept. 11, 2021 against Oregon, before the Ducks joined the Big Ten.?
Ohio State, now 2-1 in nonconference play, with 56-3 and 59-3 victories over Ball State and Kent State, respectively, will head into its first Big Ten matchup against Illinois Saturday in Ohio Stadium.?
Despite large wins over the two MAC opponents, the one point loss to the Longhorns has dropped the Buckeyes from No. 1 to No. 7 in the AP top 25 poll heading into the fourth week of the college football season.?
With standout wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who just captured Ohio State’s career receiving-yards record and is 22 receptions and six touchdowns shy of the two other program receiving records, second-year starting quarterback Julian Sayin and a veteran offensive line, Ohio State’s offense does not seem to be short on production.?
However, the Buckeyes have converted just 36.4% of their third downs on offense, which ranks last in the Big Ten.
On the defensive side, the Buckeyes have allowed just 10 points per game through three games, with Texas accounting for all but six of the points. Ohio State’s defense has only allowed a touchdown in one of the team’s 12 quarters played this season. However, the final quarter in Austin proved Ohio State will need to improve at the end of games.
Despite losing to the current No. 1 ranked team in the country, Texas, there are more tests left on the Buckeyes’ remaining schedule.
Ohio State will face five more opponents that are currently ranked in the AP top 25 poll, No. 17 Iowa, No. 5 Indiana and No. 12 USC on the road, with No. 20 Oregon and No. 18 Michigan at home.
If the Buckeyes expect to return to the College Football Playoff at the end of the regular season, Ohio State will have little room for error as they enter conference play. No team with three losses has made the playoff, making each game more crucial for the once ranked No. 1 Buckeyes.
