Several former Ohio State players have spoken out about the Buckeyes’ disastrous performance in Saturday’s 41-28 home loss to Oregon. a setback that practically blew up the program College Football Playoff hopes this season.
Ryan Day’s fifth loss in his last 11 games dating back to last season put a negative spotlight on a program with one of the most talented teams in college football, just two years removed from a national championship under his watch.
Former Ohio State defensive lineman Tommy Schutt, who hadn’t tweeted in six years before Saturday night, noted it was time to “CLEAN HOUSE” after an “embarrassing” performance at home. Curtis Samuel, a former All-Big Ten for the Buckeyes, made his first appearance on “X” in three years with a series of comments following the loss.
“I can’t allow a team to get under their skin and be a bully, it’s unacceptable and definitely not the culture,” Samuel wrote, mentioning five-star freshman Legend Bey and his lack of usage in another post.
Former Ohio State star Beanie Wells, who rushed for 3,382 yards and 30 touchdowns in three seasons in the mid-2000s, was long on the program and the Buckeyes’ smooth play defensively.
“The eye in the sky doesn’t lie and it doesn’t just start last week against USC,” Wells said on CBS Sports HQ. “You go back to the Indiana game, the explosive plays and the inability to get to the passer consistently. Those things have always been there with his defense and now everyone is starting to notice. It’s something Ohio State put out and filmed weeks ago and no one paid attention to it because they got the win at Indiana.
“Those holes and issues were there, now they’re exposed when they lose nationally when you’re supposed to separate yourself.”
The Buckeyes have lost consecutive games for the first time since 2011 and Day’s third loss in a single season is the first time that has happened to him since he took over eight years ago.
“Ohio State is revealing who they’ve always been and these issues are showing up and that’s why the committee views itself the way it has,” Wells said. “They were at home against an injured Oregon team and you didn’t do anything, you didn’t respond. You were up 14-0 and you showed me everything you could be a favorite, you can’t get punched in the mouth and respond like Oregon did.”
Oregon scored 38 straight points after trailing by two touchdowns early in the game before Ohio State fans began leaving Ohio Stadium early in the fourth quarter. Ranked No. 12 in last week’s inaugural CFP Top 25, the Buckeyes will likely fall in the poll in Tuesday night’s update (they came in at No. 20 in Sunday’s coaches poll).
“We didn’t expect this to happen,” Day said. “I thought the way we came out was the way we thought we were going to play in this game. And then once the momentum shifted, we couldn’t stop it and swing it,”
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