For three quarters, Ohio State looked every bit like the nation’s No. 1 team on September 12. Then, under the lights in Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, everything fell apart. The Buckeyes gave up a 20-point fourth-quarter lead against Texas. The stunning collapse exposed uncomfortable weaknesses in Ryan Day’s team, and now, a former Ohio State national champion is sounding the alarm.

Zak Herbstreit, the tight end from Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team, shared his picks on On3 for the best and worst teams and players from Week 2 games. But when it came to his alma mater, he didn’t hold back, labeling Ohio State’s second game as one of the most “disappointing” performances in recent memory.

Apart from terming his own team “disappointing,” Herbstreit named Miami as the best team of Week 2, while labeling Oregon as the worst. Meanwhile, Michigan, Ohio State’s archrival, also earned a nod from the former tight end, who believes the Wolverines had the best defense of the week.

If Week 2 was a measuring stick between Ohio State and Michigan, the latter came out on top. Ryan Day’s Buckeyes led 20-3 at halftime and looked headed for another celebration against Texas, until Arch Manning refused to relive last year’s 14-7 humiliation.

Arch Manning connected with Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, Hollywood Smothers, and others as Texas stormed back from 20-3 down to edge ahead 24-23. The last three Texas drive saw Steve Sarkisian’s team convert two criticial fourth downs to keep themselves in the game.

On the other hand, Matt Patricia’s defense went flat after three quarters, with softer zone coverage and limited pressure giving Manning the opening he needed.

That’s not all. On the final drive, Texas reached the 1-yard line and stood just inches away from a touchdown. Rather than allowing the Longhorns to score quickly and preserve valuable time on the clock, Ryan Day put his faith in the Ohio State defense.

But the gamble backfired. Texas scored anyway with just 25 seconds remaining, leaving the Buckeyes with no timeouts and far too little time to mount a game-winning response.

Ryan Day revealed after the game that the coaching staff had debated the exact decision. They believed they could hold firm, but the gamble ultimately backfired.

“If they were to score there, on second down, then we would have gone from there,” Day said. “It didn’t work out.”

Where Ryan Day failed, Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan delivered. The Wolverines’ clash with No. 11 Oklahoma showcased a terrifying defense, holding the Sooners scoreless in the first half and shutting them down on their final four drives.

Michigan cornerback Jyaire Hill’s fourth-quarter interception of Sooners quarterback John Mateer set up Jordan Marshall’s game-winning touchdown, while freshman Nate Marshall sealed the victory with a clutch sack.

By the final whistle, Michigan’s defense had allowed just 10 points and 289 total yards against the No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners, powering the Wolverines to a 17-10 victory.

“One touchdown allowed in eight quarters of football. They’re a good football team. In my opinion, they’re deserving of their ranking,” said the Michigan head coach after the game, via Clayton Sayfie.

Well, despite Texas being a much better team than Oklahoma, Michigan still proved its worth. This should serve as a wake-up call for Ryan Day, whose team will face the Wolverines in November.

However, Ohio State is still a better team on paper than Michigan. Moreover, the Texas result won’t affect their standing in the Big Ten. But their conference schedule also has some tough matchups.