Ohio State football fans were very confident about the Buckeyes coming into their game against Washington. They fully expected them to have an easy time against the Huskies, despite Washington being an undefeated team. They did not expect how the game started.
The Ohio State Buckeyes ended the first quarter scoreless and had a costly fumble on a kick return. The scorelessness is what frustrated Ohio State fans more than anything because of how the offense looked with so many injuries in the secondary for the Huskies.
Instead of being the explosive offense that the Buckeyes have been for most of the season, they turtled into a very conservative offense, barely bothering to throw the ball. Fans took to social media to voice their displeasure over Brian Hartline's play-calling.
Ohio State football fans destroy Brian Hartline over first-half play-calling
Fans did not hold back on social media, making sure that Hartline got their ire after a lackluster first half.
They are babying Sayin again with the offensive attack. Run, Run, designed throws with an average of 2.6 air yards a completion. I don't like not being the aggressor. You let them hang around, and they get confident.
— JBook. (@JBook_37) September 27, 2025
I would throw on first down.
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) September 27, 2025
I would throw on second down.
I would throw on third down.
I think it’s time we start airing it out.
— Matt (@mattklop) September 27, 2025
With so many injuries for Washington on defense, it was surprising to see the Buckeyes so conservative in the first half. Jeremiah Smith had just three catches in the first half and did next to nothing until the late touchdown, which is completely unacceptable. While they keyed in on him, they need to do a better job scheming him open.
This is the first game that the Buckeyes have played on the road, so it's not going to be an easy win. Still, the offense should look better than this, considering the fact that they are the top-ranked team in the country. The hope is that they are able to open things up more in the second half.
Things could be worse than a 7-3 lead for Ohio State, but fans have a very high expectation for this team, as they should. They need to be far better if they are going to win.