Ohio State’s Fourth Quarter Collapse Against Texas

Following a shocking 24-23 defeat to Texas on Saturday night, where Ohio State squandered a commanding 23-3 lead in the last 15 minutes, head coach Ryan Day emphasized the need for the Buckeyes to “win the fourth quarter.”

Let’s take a closer look at that pivotal fourth quarter and how Ohio State could have secured the win during those crucial moments.

There’s an apparent pattern in Day’s coaching style. When his teams gain a significant lead against formidable opponents, they tend to tighten up. The Buckeyes became overly conservative on both offense and defense, straying from the aggressive tactics that initially propelled them to that 20-point cushion, which put Texas on the back foot.

Defensively, after effectively pressuring Arch Manning for the first three quarters, the Buckeyes shifted to a softer approach. Utilizing zone coverages with minimal pass rush allowed Manning and the Texas offense to establish a rhythm. Notably, they converted two essential fourth downs, including a 12-yard pick-up on a 4th-and-6 early in the fourth quarter, from their own 32-yard line.

A stop in any of those scenarios could have preserved the win for Ohio State. Instead, Texas managed to score three touchdowns across three possessions in the fourth quarter.

After the game, when Day was asked if the Buckeyes could have approached things differently, he remarked:

“There was some Cover 8 for sure, which I thought for a good portion of the game was well done. When it’s time to get pressure, especially when you need to, that’s the bottom line. You look at all of it: scheme, personnel, everything. So it’s hard to say.”

Switching to the offense, it was that same sense of aggression that had allowed Ohio State to establish the early lead. But as Texas began their comeback, the Buckeyes’ offense started to play conservatively. After an early fourth-quarter Texas touchdown narrowed the score to 23-10, Ohio State went three-and-out.

That series consisted of two runs followed by an incomplete pass.

Day noted, “Ohio State never got ourselves in a rhythm in the second half like we should have,” acknowledging the offensive struggles.

Following another Texas touchdown, a choice was made to send transfer kicker Connor Hawkins out for a 46-yard field goal attempt after a failed deep throw to Jeremiah Smith. Hawkins missed, kicking it wide left, and the score remained 23-17, setting Texas up for their final drive.

Opting for the field goal instead of trying to keep the offense on the field to extend the lead exemplified yet another instance of easing up.

In terms of the offense, Day stated:

“On offense, we had opportunities in the third quarter and the second half. We just weren’t efficient enough. We got ourselves into situations we should have addressed and fixed.”

Now, let’s discuss the critical moment that sealed Ohio State’s fate: their defense during Texas’s final possession.

Texas made it to the Ohio State 1-yard line with about a minute left, while the Buckeyes had one timeout remaining. Instead of allowing Texas to score — potentially allowing Julian Sayin and the Ohio State offense enough time to retaliate — Day opted to play defense.

This choice initially seemed effective, as the Buckeyes stopped two runs, setting up a 3rd-and-goal situation from the 1-yard line. However, Hollywood Smothers leaped into the end zone for a game-tying touchdown, and the successful extra point gave Texas the lead.

Ohio State was left with just 25 seconds on the clock, which hardly provided enough time to mount a comeback.

In hindsight, Day admitted he considered letting Texas score to give his offense a chance, yet he chose to trust his defense instead.

“We talked about stopping them and then taking our chances and putting the ball down for one yard and seeing if we could stop them for two downs. They scored there on second down. Yeah, I considered it. I felt like at that point we were just going to trust the defense to get off the field.”

This decision stands in stark contrast to the reality of the previous 14 minutes. Texas had already scored on both of their fourth-quarter possessions, and expecting a fatigued defense — especially on a hot night in Austin — to make four stops from the 1-yard line was, well, a tall order.

But that was the request placed before them. Perhaps it was too much to ask.

Day also addressed accountability after the loss:

“We’re going to take ownership of this. We’re going to stick together. I can’t sit here and tell you it’s just one area. I don’t think it was completely perfect by any stretch of the imagination. It’s all three phases, of course. Anytime we put a game plan together, we all talk about it and go through it. We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can. That’s in all three phases. Responsibility goes across the board.”

While Day has achieved a national title that remains unassailable, one cannot overlook the remarkable effort Texas displayed to rally back from a 23-3 deficit.

However, regarding accountability, consider this: it was the biggest blown lead of Day’s coaching career.

Moreover, the Buckeyes now have a 1-3 record over their last four games, with their only victory coming against Ball State a week prior. This stretch includes losses to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship, a defeat to Miami in the College Football Playoff, and this recent heartbreaking loss to Texas.

There’s undoubtedly a long road ahead this season, and Ohio State has the talent to remain in the conversation for a title. Yet, they, along with Day, must learn from this experience.