EUGENE, Ore. — The mistakes will travel with Ohio State football back to Columbus.
Playing in a hostile environment against Oregon, the nation’s third-ranked team, the second-ranked Buckeyes did what teams are told they can’t do.
They gave the Ducks extra possessions.
There was a fumble from running back Quinshon Judkins which led to an Oregon touchdown.
There was line drive kickoff going off an OSU player – a de facto onside kick – that led to three points for the Ducks.
There was the fumbled snap by quarterback Will Howard that ended an Ohio State drive in the third quarter, and led to an Oregon touchdown early in the fourth – giving the Ducks a one-point lead.
Parlayed with struggles from the defense, the Buckeyes allowed a prime opportunity to slip in a 32-31 loss.
It will reflect in Sunday’s AP Top 25, where Ohio State will drop.
The Buckeyes, had they found a way to win despite their shortcomings, could have propelled themselves to the top spot in the national poll for the first time since 2015.
Instead, Ohio State goes into its second bye week with questions to answer.
Coach Ryan Day and his staff assembled a roster with expectations to perform with the likes of 2019 LSU and other great teams in college football history.
However, with mid-October here, the Buckeyes have already reached gut-check time.
That’s because one team made mistakes at Autzen Stadium. The other team took advantage en route to a win in front of its largest-ever home crowd.
