COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio State’s offense and special teams unraveled at the worst possible time Saturday, and the result was a 24-23 loss to Texas after the Buckeyes had built a 20-point lead. A missed field goal in the fourth quarter became the latest painful example of a kicking issue that has followed Ryan Day’s program into another high-stakes moment.
The kick was important because it could have pushed Ohio State to a two-score advantage. Instead, Texas kept its comeback alive and finished the game by taking control late. Ohio State had already seen a similar miss in the 2025 Big Ten championship game against Indiana, and the latest kick again went left.
A fourth quarter that changed everything against Texas
For three quarters, Ohio State looked in command. Then the final period flipped the game, with the Buckeyes unable to finish drives, unable to stop Texas quarterback Arch Manning, and unable to regain the rhythm they had earlier.
Ryan Day said after the game that his team played well for most of the contest but failed when it mattered most. He pointed to stalled offensive possessions and said Ohio State had Texas “on the ropes” before letting the game slip away. The missed field goal was not the only problem, but it became one of the clearest turning points in a finish that Ohio State could not recover from.
The Longhorns’ rally also erased what had been a comfortable margin heading into the last quarter. By the time the defense buckled and the offense lost its connection on key plays, the Buckeyes were already in trouble.
Ryan Day points to missed chances across all three phases
Day was blunt about how the game unfolded. He said Ohio State did not execute well enough in the fourth quarter and added that all three phases failed to deliver when the pressure rose. That included offense, defense, and special teams, the exact areas that had to hold firm for the Buckeyes to close out a ranked opponent.
The missed field goal stood out because it was a chance to create breathing room. Instead, the Buckeyes left points on the field and gave Texas a path back into the game. Day said that failure hurt, especially because his team had been in position to make the kick count.
His comments reflected more than frustration with one play. They captured a broader sense that Ohio State let a winnable game get away after controlling the matchup for much of the afternoon.
A recurring kicking problem has now surfaced again
The miss against Texas did not come out of nowhere. Ohio State had already dealt with a nearly identical issue in the 2025 Big Ten championship game against Indiana, when another field goal attempt sailed left. The repeated pattern has made the kicking game a point of concern rather than a one-off mistake.
A video reel circulating on Instagram showed both misses, reinforcing how similar the kicks looked in the moment. The visual comparison only underscored the frustration for a team that expects cleaner execution in pressure situations.
When field goals go missing at key points in major games, the impact is larger than the scoreboard. It can alter momentum, change play-calling, and put more pressure on every unit that follows.
Texas turns the tables after recent Ohio State wins
Saturday’s result also mattered because Texas finally got revenge after losing the previous two meetings with Ohio State. The Buckeyes had beaten the Longhorns in 2024 and 2025, including the 2024 College Football Playoff matchup.
For Texas, the win over a program of Ohio State’s caliber carried weight beyond one afternoon. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said beating a team like that works as a kind of season marker, giving his program a benchmark for where it stands.
That backdrop made the comeback even more meaningful. Texas did not just win a close game; it erased a large deficit against a team that had had its number in the most recent meetings.
Ohio State looks to reset quickly before Kent State
Ohio State now turns to Kent State on Saturday with a chance to respond after a loss that exposed late-game problems. The upcoming matchup offers the Buckeyes a far different test, but it also gives them an immediate opportunity to clean up the execution that cost them against Texas.
For a team with championship expectations, the concern is not only the final score against Texas. It is the way the loss unfolded, with a missed field goal, defensive trouble against Arch Manning, and offensive breakdowns all arriving in the same quarter. Those are the kinds of issues that can linger if they are not fixed quickly.
The next game will not erase what happened Saturday, but it will show whether Ohio State can move past the collapse and restore confidence before conference play and bigger pressure points arrive later in the season.
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