Ryan Day Vows 'Hard Decisions' After Ohio State's Stunning Collapse Against Texas

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day stated that the Buckeyes’ late-game collapse against Texas, which saw them relinquish a 20-point fourth-quarter lead, will necessitate "hard decisions" for the team. The Longhorns secured an improbable 24-23 victory on Saturday.

"We had an opportunity certainly to finish the game and knock them out there in the third quarter," Day told reporters Tuesday. "It didn't happen. Then we lost momentum and couldn't get it back."

The Buckeyes entered the game with a 115-game winning streak when leading by 20 points, the sixth-longest active streak in the FBS. The loss saw Texas rise to No. 1 in the AP Top 25, while Ohio State dropped to No. 6.

"It's extremely frustrating, it's maddening," Day added. "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. We have to win the fourth quarter."

This focus on fourth-quarter performance was a theme throughout the summer for Day, particularly after Ohio State suffered late-game losses to Indiana and Miami in the final two games of the 2025 season. Those defeats included a missed field goal that allowed Indiana to win the Big Ten championship and a decisive fourth-quarter touchdown drive by Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

"We have to do a better job of identifying how we're going to win these games in the fourth quarter as a group — and do it," Day said. "We put a lot of work into it, so to see it happen like that is extremely disappointing."

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While Ohio State prepares to host Kent State on Saturday, their challenging schedule includes road games against Big Ten opponents Indiana and USC, both currently ranked in the top 12. Indiana finished last season undefeated and won the national championship. Ohio State is also scheduled to host Oregon the week after facing USC in Los Angeles, before concluding their regular season with three consecutive conference games.

Day emphasized that the Buckeyes must use the loss to Texas as a learning experience to emerge as a stronger team. "If we win that game, then we're not probably having those conversations. So as much as this hurts and is miserable, we have to move forward with it," the coach said. "And the plan is to be a better, stronger team ... and making sure that as we get ourselves in that situation again, we're able to finish the game the way we should."