This is a gut punch that Ohio State football fans were not ready for. Entering the contest vs. Miami as big-time favorites, the Hurricanes dominated play and were able to post a stunning 24-14 victory, ending the Buckeyes’ season.
Just like that, the dream of going back-to-back is over for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, with Ohio State suffering two consecutive losses to close out the 2025 campaign. The defeat to Indiana was one thing, but getting owned by Miami is going to sting for quite some time.
Buckeyes must prioritize the offensive line in the transfer portal
In the loss to Mario Cristobal and his playmakers, there was one thing that was made clear from start to finish in this one: the play up front was not good enough for Ohio State. With the transfer portal officially opening up on Friday, Day and his staff must prioritize the offensive line to help improve things next season. Yup, going after linemen in the portal is at the top of the offseason wishlist.
Ugh Bain and Mesidor are dominating the right side of Ohio State’s offensive line so far pic.twitter.com/jlrBr9v5aR
— THE Bunch of Nuts Podcast (@bunch_nuts) January 1, 2026
In the first half alone, fans wanted to close their eyes at how bad things looked for the group. The Miami pass-rush was having a field day, posting three sacks of Julian Sayin in the first 30 minutes of play alone. How in the world was that allowed to happen?
Not only that, but Ohio State had -3 rushing yards through the first two quarters of action. That’s simply inexcusable. Things improved there in the second half and after Ryan Day urged the unit to do a better job of protecting Sayin, positive steps were taken.
However, the inconsistent play prevented the offense from getting into a consistent rhythm. The same was showcased against Indiana, which was frustrating too. Day took over the play-calling from Brian Hartline after the loss to the Hoosiers, but it turns out that wasn’t the main issue for the Buckeyes.Instead, it was the offensive line that didn’t give Ohio State any chance of pushing for a second consecutive title.
This is a heartbreaking end to what was supposed to be another magical run for the reigning champs. Instead, the Buckeyes will watch the rest of the CFP from home. Day helped the program bring home a natty a year ago, but now people are furious with him. In order to prevent this kind of feeling returning next winter, he’s got to bring in quality linemen to get the job done. Period