COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 23 Oregon stormed into Ohio Stadium on Saturday and handed No. 12 Ohio State a stunning 41-28 defeat, saddling the Buckeyes with consecutive regular-season losses for the first time since 2011.
Ohio State jumped out to an early 14-0 advantage by the end of the opening quarter, but the visiting Ducks completely took over from there, scoring 38 unanswered points to turn the game into a blowout. Oregon generated 395 total yards of offense and did not commit a single turnover, Bleacher Report noted, dropping the Buckeyes to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play.
Quarterback injuries shape matchup
Both programs entered the high-stakes contest without their primary starting quarterbacks. Ohio State started freshman Luke Fahey for the second straight week while starter Julian Sayin remains sidelined by a throwing arm injury sustained against Indiana two weeks ago. Fahey completed 36 of 50 pass attempts for 360 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Despite the passing yardage, the Buckeyes stalled during Oregon’s long run, and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was visibly frustrated on the sideline during the third quarter, Bleacher Report reported.
Oregon overcame its own major roster setbacks. Starting quarterback Dante Moore is out for the remainder of the season because of a concussion, and running back Jordon Davison missed the game with a lower extremity injury, according to The Big Lead. Replacement quarterback Dylan Raiola stepped into the spotlight and guided the Ducks through their decisive 38-point surge. Raiola had previously committed to Ohio State during his high school recruitment before ultimately landing in Eugene.
Mounting pressure on Ryan Day
The loss ended Ohio State’s home winning streak, handing the Buckeyes their first defeat at Ohio Stadium since November 2024. It followed an unranked 30-18 road loss against USC on Oct. 31, which had already knocked Ohio State out of the top 10 of the Associated Press poll for the first time in over five years, ending an 86-week streak.
Consecutive defeats have intensified scrutiny surrounding Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. In February 2025, Day agreed to a seven-year contract extension that runs through the 2031 season. If the university decides to move on from Day, his contract buyout sits at $75 million, according to Fox Sports.
The lopsided outcome stood in stark contrast to pregame expectations. Ohio State entered the contest as an eight-point favorite, according to odds from Sports Betting Dime. Furthermore, the entire ESPN “College GameDay” analyst panel, joined by celebrity guest picker Jason Sudeikis, had unanimously predicted an Ohio State victory on Saturday morning, Sports Illustrated reported.
Big Ten title race in flux
Oregon’s road triumph scrambled the conference standings heading into the home stretch of the regular season. UCLA maintained sole possession of first place in the Big Ten at 6-0 after securing a 34-20 victory over Minnesota on Saturday, the Indianapolis Star reported.
The Buckeyes’ setback also significantly improved the path for idle Indiana, which sits at 5-1 in conference action. Oregon, Ohio State, and USC are now grouped together with two conference losses each. If Indiana wins its remaining games against USC, Washington, and Purdue, the Hoosiers will clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game set for Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Ohio State will attempt to halt its two-game slide when the Buckeyes host Northwestern on Nov. 14.
