Ohio State's Collapse Sets Up Critical Test Against Iowa in October
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The sixth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are picking up the pieces after a historic fourth-quarter collapse against Texas, and the road ahead includes a crucial October matchup that Iowa fans will be watching closely.
Ohio State (1-1) blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead in a 24-23 loss to the Longhorns on Saturday, marking the first time in program history the Buckeyes have lost when leading by at least 17 points at halftime. The defeat has brought the kind of angst and second-guessing usually reserved for losses to arch-rival Michigan.
For Iowa, the stakes are clear: Ohio State visits Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 17, and the Buckeyes will be desperate to prove the collapse was an aberration. The Hawkeyes, ranked No. 18, will face a wounded but talented opponent looking to avoid a second straight loss.
What went wrong for the Buckeyes?
Ohio State led 23-3 entering the final 15 minutes before Texas scored on its final three drives. According to ESPN Stats & Info, top-ranked teams in the AP Top 25 were 197-0 since 2004 when holding a 20-point lead at any point in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes broke that streak in the worst way.
Coach Ryan Day didn't mince words about the loss during his news conference.
“It's extremely frustrating, it's maddening and we're excited to get back on the field and get going because the last couple of days haven't been fun around here,” Day said. “Had some really good conversations with the guys. I think they're going to be in a good mindset moving forward. We understand we have a lot of football ahead of us. So this highlighted some things that we got to get fixed.”
Day acknowledged he may have been too aggressive at times, including a failed fourth-down conversion when the Buckeyes could have kicked a field goal.
“When it's time to go win the game, we all have to be on the same page and we have to live with the result. Just like we throw the ball on third-and-4 to Jeremiah (Smith) on a fade to go win the game (in the fourth quarter). Yeah, I absolutely own that. We didn't have enough answers in the fourth quarter to go win the game, but we will moving forward,” Day said.
Late-game decision under scrutiny
One decision Day said he might handle differently next time is letting a team score to preserve enough time for a potential game-winning drive. Day called his final timeout with 53 seconds remaining when Texas' Hollywood Smothers was stopped on first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Smothers scored two plays later with 25 seconds on the clock.
“If we win the game, then it would've been the right decision. And in the moment you've got to make a hard decision and I decided to try to hold the line,” Day said. “Ultimately would have loved to see what it would've looked like if they would've scored. So we'll have to think about it when it happens again.”
Quarterback struggles in second half
Junior quarterback Julian Sayin passed for 278 yards but completed only five of 16 passes in the second half. Sayin has a 75.9% completion rate in his two seasons as Ohio State's starter, but that number drops to 62.5% in losses.
Sayin said the team is using the loss as motivation.
“It's see what we did wrong, try to improve those and make sure this doesn't happen again,” Sayin said. “I think we have a good group of guys on our team. I think we can use this as fuel. I love the group of guys on the team and have a lot of confidence in them.”
What's next for Ohio State before facing Iowa?
The Buckeyes host Kent State on Sept. 26 before opening Big Ten play against Illinois on Oct. 3. Ohio State has dominated MAC opponents under Day, averaging 59 points and winning by an average margin of 51.7 points in seven matchups since he took over in 2019.
The bigger concern is correcting mistakes before a brutal October stretch that includes road tests against No. 18 Iowa, No. 4 Indiana and No. 12 Southern California.
For Iowa fans, the Oct. 17 showdown in Iowa City suddenly looks even more significant. The Hawkeyes will face a Buckeyes team that knows another loss could derail its College Football Playoff hopes entirely.
Will the loss impact Iowa's chances?
Iowa has won two of the last three meetings against Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium, including a 55-24 rout in 2017. The Hawkeyes' physical style of play has historically given the Buckeyes trouble in Iowa City.
With Ohio State showing vulnerability in the fourth quarter, Iowa's ground-and-pound offense and stout defense could pose serious problems. The Hawkeyes will also have the benefit of a raucous night crowd at Kinnick, one of the toughest environments in college football.
The Buckeyes' collapse against Texas has given Iowa fans reason for optimism, but Ohio State remains one of the most talented rosters in the country. The next month will determine whether the Buckeyes can fix their fourth-quarter issues before facing the Hawkeyes.