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| Jeremiah Smith, wide receiver for Ohio State, managed to score his only touchdown in the second quarter while being defended by Texas players. (Photo: Ohio State Football) |
AUSTIN, Texas — In a devastating defeat for the Buckeyes against the Texas Longhorns, who were ahead by 20 points going into the fourth quarter, saw that lead slip away as the clock ran out.
They would succumb, 24-23.
"Well, today we played well for three quarters but didn't play well enough in the fourth quarter; that's the bottom line," said Day during the post-game press conference. "We have to win the fourth quarter, especially on the road."
Ohio State's defense spent too much time on the field in the fourth quarter, and it showed, especially since their total possession time was just 4:56. That means the defense was on the field for around 10 minutes. "I think that was the goal to get guys in and out and rotate; I thought we were doing a good job for the majority of the game. I think we were on the field too much in the second half and certainly in the fourth quarter," Day elaborated.
During that period, the defense allowed 21 points without scoring any in return. It also seemed like Ohio State was playing it safe before the quarter, which resulted in them not getting many first downs.
The offensive play-calling duties are delegated to Arthur Smith, who was hired after the departure of Chip Kelly and Brian Hartline, who left to become the head football coach at the University of South Florida.
So if there is one to point the finger at, it starts with Arthur Smith.
Missed FG by Connor Hawkins
Many mistakes were made by Ohio State during the course of the game, but they still had one last opportunity to put some points on the board in the fourth quarter with a field goal attempt.
Connor Hawkins missed a critical 45-yard field goal with 4:16 left in the game that, if it were successful, would have given the Buckeyes a 9-point lead; at best, if Texas had scored in that next possession, the most points would have been eight if they went for a 2-point conversion and maybe attempted an onside kick hypothetically.
But with 1:20 remaining in the game and their backs against the goal line, they opted to play defense instead of letting Texas score to regain possession with precious time on the clock. "We talked about it and decided we were gonna play defense on second down, and when we get that stop right there, we would take our chances and put the ball down for 1-yard and see if we could stop for two downs and win the game," said Day.
The process did not unfold as expected, as Texas running back Hollywood Smothers managed to score with just 25 seconds left in the game.
In the next possession, Julian Sayin threw an incomplete pass intended for Devin McCuin that was broken up by safety Jelani McDonald. The next play was a completed pass to Devin McCuin for five yards with 17 seconds remaining on the clock. The dagger was Sayin's deep ball, which was intercepted by Graceson Littleton, ending the game.
"We didn't execute the way we can, the way we need to in the fourth quarter; it starts with me, then the entire offense as a whole; we have to do better," said Sayin.
Forward Together pic.twitter.com/CSuts4Ocqd
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 13, 2026
Ohio State Falls to No. 6 In AP Rankings
According to the Associated Press, that loss cost them their previous No. 1 ranking and moved them down to No. 6, with Texas taking the top spot, with Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, and Miami (FL) rounding out the top five.
The Buckeyes (1-1) will play Kent State (1-1) at "The Shoe" on Saturday, September 19, with a 12 p.m. kickoff time.
**Remote recap**
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