Ohio State had a chance to get a signature win on the road to prove to the country that they are the best team in the country. Through three quarters, it looked like that's what they were going to do. The Buckeyes held a 23-3 lead, and all they had to do was run out the clock.
Instead, the offense stuttered, and the defense put up no fight against Arch Manning and the Texas offense. Connor Hawkins missed a field goal that would have essentially won it, and Ohio State lost 24-23. Ryan Day did a lot of things wrong, but his inability to let Legend Bey see the field is a big problem.
Legend Bey should have been a bigger part of Ohio State's game plan
Freshman running back Legend Bey showed against Ball State that he is one of the most explosive players that Ohio State has on the roster. Yet, he was hardly heard from in this one. The Buckeyes fed him the ball once in the game, and it was a play that was not designed well.
Not trying to get him the ball in the fourth quarter when the team was clearly floundering on offense was a massive mistake. Moving him in motion at the line of scrimmage could have opened up opportunities for other players, including Jeremiah Smith.
Quite frankly, Ohio State doesn't have a second playmaker on offense. Smith was the only one who did anything. Devin McCuin had a disappearing act, including dropping a perfectly placed back-shoulder throw that would have extended a drive in the fourth quarter.
With how desperate the Buckeyes looked in that final quarter, why not put Bey out there? He couldn't have been worse than what Ohio State had out there. Day's lack of trust in Bey is distressing, and it's something he needs to examine heading into the rest of the season.
Ryan Day has a lot of questions to answer after the worst collapse in Ohio State football history
It is not hyperbole to say that this is the worst collapse in the history of the Ohio State football program. They have never blown a 20-point fourth-quarter lead before. Yet, that's what happened in Austin. Day has a lot of questions that he will face in the next week that won't be fun.
Just when Day seemed to be ready to take the next step as a coach, he took a step back. The rest of the schedule is not easy. They still have to play Iowa, Indiana, and USC on the road, in addition to Oregon and TTUN at home. If he doesn't fix these issues when it comes to finishing games, they could have three or four losses.
Ohio State gets a breather against Kent State next week before the Big Ten schedule begins. By then, Day has to have some things changed. Otherwise, this season is in danger of getting away from him. Two years removed from winning a national championship, Day is not doing himself any favors.
Add us as a preferred source on Google