Ryan Day’s Ohio State just suffered a humiliating nine-spot collapse in the AP Poll, and the Buckeyes have nobody to blame but themselves. A brutal 30-18 upset against unranked USC on Halloween night sent Ohio State crashing from No. 2 to No. 11, ending its five-year run inside the top 10.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Ohio State outgained USC by 126 yards, recorded 25 first downs to the Trojans’ 15, and controlled possession for nearly 19 more minutes. Yet despite dominating on paper, the Buckeyes couldn’t turn those advantages into touchdowns. The scoreboard exposed just how badly Ryan Day’s team wasted its opportunities.
The defeat snapped Ohio State’s streak of 86 consecutive AP Poll appearances inside the top 10, dating back to October 2021. The Buckeyes hadn’t fallen outside that group since September 26, 2021, when they slipped to No. 11 despite beating Akron by 52 points. They returned the following week after routing Rutgers and hadn’t looked back until USC ended that remarkable run.
Ohio State’s first five possessions produced just three field goals.
Even after reaching USC’s 1-yard line before halftime, the Buckeyes failed to score a touchdown and entered the break trailing 20-9. Their first touchdown didn’t arrive until Jeremiah Smith caught a 1-yard pass from Luke Fahey with just 2:12 remaining.
Ohio State’s usually elite defense also picked the worst possible night to collapse. A unit that hadn’t allowed a play longer than 36 yards all season surrendered a 69-yard touchdown from USC quarterback Jayden Maiava to freshman Trent Mosley on the second offensive snap. Later, freshman tight end Mark Bowman hurdled a defender on a spectacular 70-yard reception, setting up another touchdown that extended USC’s lead to 27-9.
Meanwhile, 11 penalties made life harder for true freshman Luke Fahey, who was replacing injured starter Julian Sayin. Fahey completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown in his first career start, but Ohio State’s offense struggled to finish drives.
Even Jeremiah Smith’s historic achievement offered little consolation. His 40th career touchdown reception broke Braylon Edwards’ all-time Big Ten record, while Bo Jackson added 121 rushing yards. Neither performance could rescue the Buckeyes.
USC’s 30 points were the most Ohio State’s defense had allowed in a game since 2024. The Buckeyes also trailed by as many as 18 points before eventually losing by 12.
The defeat puts head coach Ryan Day under renewed scrutiny. It was only his second loss to an unranked opponent, leaving his record in those matchups at 58-2. The first came against Michigan in 2024.
And the historical comparisons get uglier. Ohio State hadn’t lost two games this early in a season since 2011, before Urban Meyer arrived in Columbus. Fifteen years later, Day’s team has repeated that unwanted milestone.
Sayin’s absence hurt the offense, but it doesn’t explain the defensive breakdowns or questionable clock management. Trailing by multiple scores in the fourth quarter, Ohio State spent roughly 12 minutes on two possessions, showing little urgency when it desperately needed a comeback.
The Buckeyes also became part of a troubling college football trend. For the fourth consecutive week, either the No. 1 or No. 2 team lost to an unranked opponent. The No. 2 team had now fallen in three straight weeks, something that hadn’t happened since 2007.
USC’s victory, Lincoln Riley’s biggest with the Trojans, pushed the program back into the AP Poll at No. 18. But for Ohio State, the consequences could extend well beyond the rankings.
The Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff hopes aren’t dead, but their margin for error is shrinking. Oregon visits Columbus on November 7, and another defeat could seriously damage their postseason ambitions. With Sayin’s return uncertain, Day needs his entire team to respond. Because after what happened against USC, another national championship run without their starting quarterback looks increasingly unrealistic.
Did the AP Poll make the right move by putting 2-loss Texas above Ohio State?
As if falling nine spots wasn’t embarrassing enough, Ohio State now finds itself behind Texas, the team that handed the Buckeyes their first defeat of the season. Both programs sit at 6-2, but the Longhorns have three victories over AP-ranked opponents at kickoff compared to Ohio State’s two.
Texas defeated then-No. 1 Ohio State, No. 14 Tennessee, and No. 7 Ole Miss. Ohio State, meanwhile, beat then-No. 5 Indiana and No. 14 Iowa, along with unranked Illinois. That gives the Longhorns a slight edge in victories against ranked competition.
The schedule comparison makes Texas’ case stronger. According to Team Receipts’ strength-of-schedule rankings through October 31, Texas faced the nation’s second-toughest schedule, compared to Ohio State’s No. 17 ranking. The Longhorns’ opponents have a combined 42-22 record, while the Buckeyes’ opponents stand at 40-27.
Texas also owns a 24-23 head-to-head victory over Ohio State from Week 2, giving AP voters another reason to favor the Longhorns.
Still, the difference in the latest AP Poll is razor-thin. Texas sits at No. 10 with 1,057 points, while Ohio State is No. 11 with 1,049. Just eight points separate the two teams, but the Longhorns hold the edge in ranked wins, schedule strength, and their head-to-head matchup.
Ryan Day’s Buckeyes spent five years comfortably inside the AP Top 10. USC ended that streak in one ugly night, and Texas has now climbed above them. With Oregon up next, Day doesn’t have much time to repair the damage. Another collapse could turn an embarrassing poll drop into a much bigger postseason problem.