Ohio State falls 41-28 to Oregon, dropping to 6-5 over last 11 games

Ohio State Football Sinks to 6-5 Over Last 11 Games After 41-28 Loss to Oregon

Saturday marked a low for a modern college football powerhouse. Ohio State fell 41-28 to Oregon inside The Horseshoe, dropping the program’s record to 6-5 over its last 11 games. The 13-point defeat leaves a team with every conceivable institutional advantage struggling to maintain basic on-field consistency.

For the first time since the 2011 season, the Buckeyes have dropped three games in a single year, bringing an end to 14 consecutive seasons with no more than two defeats. The consecutive regular-season defeats also mirror a stumble not seen in Columbus since that same 2011 campaign.

Things started differently before the collapse took hold. Ohio State jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening 15 minutes, fueled by two rushing touchdowns from Bo Jackson and an early spark from quarterback Luke Fahey. Then Oregon reeled off 38 unanswered points.

Ohio State postgame coverage: Buckeyes fall to Oregon after strong start | Buckeye Blitz Overtime

Statistical Disconnects and Missed Opportunities

The final box score paints a strange picture of the blowout. Ohio State actually outgained the Ducks 413 to 395 and won the first-down battle 23 to 22. Yet the offense managed just 53 yards on 21 rushing attempts, converted zero of four fourth-down tries, and failed to record a single sack defensively.

Jeremiah Smith endured a glaring absence from the game plan for more than two straight quarters. Smith finished the day catching seven passes for 133 yards and a touchdown, but his long stretches without a target mirrored the frustration seen in the previous week’s loss to USC. Quarterback Luke Fahey finished 36-of-50 for 360 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, though much of that production arrived in garbage time after Oregon built an insurmountable lead.