Oregon beats Ohio State 41-28 to end title hopes
The No. 12 Buckeyes dropped their third loss of the 2026 season to a lower-ranked opponent that scored 38 consecutive points.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Ohio State's 2026 season has effectively ended. The Buckeyes entered the game as the No. 12 team with legitimate championship aspirations, but they left Ohio Stadium with a 41-28 defeat to No. 23 Oregon. The result confirmed that the preseason favorite is no longer in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.
The margin of victory understates the dominance Oregon displayed. The Ducks scored 38 consecutive points, marking the first time since 1999 that Ohio State allowed such a run. By the final whistle, the stadium was filled with green as Oregon fans celebrated the road upset. Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey took a sack on the wrong side of the 50-yard line with just under 13 minutes remaining, a moment that signaled the end for the home team.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning called a fake punt on fourth down from his own 37-yard line while trailing 14-3. The gamble succeeded, and the subsequent drive gave Oregon a 17-14 lead at halftime. Ohio State never led again. The play call was a high-risk decision that Lanning executed with precision, contrasting with the confusion on the Ohio State sideline.
Head coach Ryan Day admitted the outcome was unexpected. "We didn't expect any of this to happen," Day said. He told his players in the postgame locker room that they would have to weather the storm. Day acknowledged that losing three games is unacceptable for a program of this size and that he owns the result.
The Buckeyes are now 6-3 on the season. They have lost three games on or before November 7 for the first time since 2011. Ohio State has three games left on the schedule against Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan. The team has gone 6-5 in its last 11 games, a record that does not fit the expectations in Columbus.
The loss raises questions about the program's depth and quarterback development. Starting quarterback Julian Sayin is out for the season, and the staff did not have a viable alternative. Sophomore Tavien St. Clair, a top-five recruit, was not played against Oregon or USC. The roster, valued at more than $40 million, featured only a few stars like receiver Jeremiah Smith, while the rest of the team struggled to perform at a high level.
Day has navigated similar pressures in the past, including after a 2024 home loss to Michigan, but the current situation is different. The grace period from the 2024 national championship title has passed. The team must now determine if Sayin returns next year, if coaching changes occur, or if a major transfer portal push is needed to rebuild a roster that lost four top 15 draft picks last year.
