Well, that was fun until it wasn't.
Ohio State was up and in control of what would have been a massive win for its College Football Playoff résumé, but then the game plan turned into a grinding of gears instead of the team popping the clutch and continuing to go out on the open road and run away into the night.
The result? The Texas Longhorns scored 21 unanswered points to enjoy what they will no doubt consider an epic comeback. Buckeye fans will think the opposite, and for good reason. A game profile that should never go in the loss column did just that because of some curious decisions and gameplay in the second half.
After each game, we like to look back and see what kind of lessons we might have learned about Ohio State, and things tend to be
a little more negative after a loss, but that's life in the big city.
Here are five things we think we learned after Ohio State's collapse in the Texas night.
Even the coaches Ohio State pays handsomely still make bad decisions
Anyone blaming the kicker who went 3-of-4 on FGs is missing. This was a masterclass of how *not* to coach football in the second half. Passive. Imagineless. Awful.
— Dave Biddle (@davebiddle) September 13, 2026
Ohio State's coaching staff has a ton of experience, and even at the NFL level. They are getting paid an awful lot to make in-game decisions, but that was a big problem today. We, of course, don't know how much head coach Ryan Day's fingerprints are on some of these things, but the offense buttoned things up, the defense played soft-shell coverage with only three down linemen most of the time in the second half, and then there's the end of the game.
It would have been a goal-line stand for the ages, the way Ohio State was giving up yards through the middle of the defense in the running game at the end. Texas was inside the two-yard line, yet the Buckeyes used their last two timeouts, allowed precious time to tick off the clock, and the Longhorns still scored (of course). You have to play the percentages there and let Texas score, get the ball back with two timeouts and over a minute left to try and get in field goal range. There are some questions that need answering on multiple fronts.
Jeremiah Smith is indeed human (sort of) for Ohio State
I didn't know a PBU vs Jeremiah Smith was possible..?
— Watch The Tape (@WatchTheTapeNFL) September 13, 2026
Diamond release, Slant route, worked out to in, got his body in front, PHYSICAL catch-point, hand-in from the CB and that was enough to jar it loose at the point, creating a PBU. pic.twitter.com/RlIhZjh8GM
To be fair, Jeremiah Smith isn't the reason Ohio State lost. In fact, he finished with one whale of a game. However, with the game on the line, he couldn't corral two passes he normally would, and it was in winning time. As a result, the Buckeyes had to punt the ball instead of hanging on and continuing a drive that would have perhaps resulted in a score to seal this game.
Again, he's still the best player in college football, and he put the cape on multiple times tonight. He just picked a bad time to run into Crypton with the game on the line, according to some. It probably won't happen again, and he might just be the reason this team makes special memories still. But yeah, even the best have their humble pie in rare situations. Even if the catches weren't the easiest.
Connor Hawkins looked a lot like Ohio State kickers of the recent past
Connor Hawkins NO GOOD
— wok (@wokdior) September 13, 2026
WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN pic.twitter.com/cpVUaTRmEn
A loss like this has a lot of blame to go around, and Connor Hawkins will likely be one of the main scapegoats. Many Ohio State fans had to be triggered when Hawkins hooked the potential 45-yard game-winning field goal wide left. It would have sealed Texas' fate despite all the second-half mishaps, but instead, somewhere, Jayden Fielding is nodding in empathy.
Hawkins was brought in to solidify these pressure kicks that have etched their memory in Buckeye Nation's minds, but now, at least so far, he's added to it. I get it. These are pressure-packed situations, and it isn't easy, but Hawkins has to be that steadying wind when things are swirling in chaos, and that didn't happen tonight.
The Ohio State defense is not as strong on the defensive line
This @OhioStateFB defense is worn out. #Buckeyes are getting zero pressure on Manning.
— Mark Dunn (@319319SetHut) September 13, 2026
First of all, what was the deal with all of the three-man fronts in the second half? All that did was let Arch Manning find running lanes (where was the spy), let him sit back in the pocket and go through his progressions, and let him gain his footing and confidence.
Still, the defensive line gave up way too many yards between the tackles and didn't get enough push into the backfield to make Manning see ghosts. The lack of a pass rush up front and inability to be strong up the middle isn't going to be an issue against teams like Ball State and Kent State, but it absolutely will be an issue against the more physical teams like tonight's opponent.
Everything is still on the table, but the margin of error is thin
Honest opinion
— Maverick (@maverick_bet) September 13, 2026
Texas OL & RBs won’t Be an issue this year. They played great.
Ohio State reloaded. Jeremiah Smith is an absolute freak.
Texas needed this game more than OSU.
And no I don’t want to see OSU again unless it’s for the natty.
This loss doesn't take Ohio State out of the College Football Playoff, but it does mean the Buckeyes can't afford to kick themselves in the shins much more. Two total losses probably still get OSU into all the fun, and this isn't a Big Ten game, so there's no hurt in the race for the conference crown, but the schedule is far from easy on the way out.
The Buckeyes still have to go to Indiana, USC, and Iowa, and have to host Oregon and Michigan. Ohio State might have to win four of those games to be safe, and that's before we even look at some games that will end up being closer than we think. The Ohio State coaching staff can ill-afford to let another game like this one get away the rest of the year. However, not all is lost.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: 5 things we learned about Ohio State in its loss to Texas Saturday
