The Ohio State Buckeyes have a choice after Saturday’s 24-23 loss to the Texas Longhorns. They can learn from a disappointing defeat in Austin or let it define who they are in 2026.

With a tough schedule still ahead, this won’t be their last test, and quarterback Julian Sayin’s response to the loss will say a lot about where Ohio State goes from here.

Ohio State letting a 20-3 halftime lead slip away in Texas will haunt

The Buckeyes played good football for one half against Texas and led 20-3 at halftime before allowing 21 straight points in the fourth quarter. Ohio State ended up losing by a single point on the road in a game it controlled for much of the way.

Sayin was not great against Texas, especially in the second half, but he was mostly good enough overall for the Buckeyes to win on the road. He finished 17-of-32 for 278 yards and a touchdown pass, along with one interception on the last play of the game when he threw the ball up.

Julian Sayin’s missed connection with Devin McCuin looms large

There is no doubting that Sayin’s biggest miss in the game came when he floated the ball too high for wide receiver Devin McCuin to go up and make the catch. McCuin looked like he had plenty of green grass ahead of him and a clear path to the end zone. The play came in the second half when it would have been the difference maker in Ohio State winning the game.

It’s not to say it was the only difference maker, because Ohio State had multiple chances to put this game away. But it was a missed opportunity that stands out above the rest. Sayin admitted as much days after the game.

“He ran a great route. I ended up missing him high, and I want that one back for sure. That one is definitely one I think about because I had a good opportunity there and had a good play called, and I ended up missing him, overthrown,” Sayin said.

You like to see your quarterback take responsibility for what went down on the field. It was a tough loss for Sayin, his third overall in an Ohio State uniform as a starting quarterback.

Sayin was a Heisman finalist last year and had a good offseason where he added about 10 pounds, walking into the 2026 season with a stronger frame. The opportunity is there for Sayin to make the leap this year, and the Texas game won’t define him unless he lets it.

Expect the Buckeyes starter to play around a half of football on Saturday against Kent State before quarterbacks Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair takes over.