The Ohio State Buckeyes wanted to see their team rally around a new starting quarterback coming out of the bye week, and it never happened. 

Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey had to replace Julian Sayin as the starter, and Ohio State needed the rest of the roster to step up around him on the road against USC.

Fahey had some decent moments against the Trojans, but the overall product from Ohio State wasn’t good enough. The Buckeyes lost 30-18 in their most disappointing game of the season to this point, and they’re 6-2 as a result.

It’s a tough loss in a game Ohio State couldn’t afford to drop. From here, the Buckeyes have to play close to perfect football if they want to make the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State’s playoff odds take a major hit

The numbers show what Ohio State had at stake against USC. Heading into the game, the A to Z Sports College Football Playoff Predictor gave the Buckeyes an 86 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff. A win over USC would have pushed that number to 96 percent.

Instead, the loss dropped Ohio State to a 64 percent chance to make the playoff. That’s a 22-point drop from where the Buckeyes started the day, and it’s a 32-point swing from where they could have been with a win.

Ohio State didn’t help itself in any phase. The Buckeyes came out undisciplined and were hurt by penalties, coaching decisions, and a poor defensive showing. A young quarterback making his first start on the road needs the rest of the team to play clean football, and the opposite happened. 

Oregon is now a must-win game for the Buckeyes

The Buckeyes return home to face an Oregon team that had been reeling and already has three losses. Still, Oregon isn’t a team Ohio State can overlook. The Ducks beat a ranked Northwestern team in Week 9, so they are coming into Columbus with some recent momentum. Ohio State is coming off a poor performance across the board, and that makes this a must-win game for the Buckeyes.

A win over Oregon would bump Ohio State’s odds to make the College Football Playoff up to 77 percent. A loss would drop the Buckeyes to a 23 percent chance, and it would all but end Ohio State’s season prematurely in a way no one expected heading into the year.

Cleaning up the mistakes is going to be key for Ohio State against Oregon. The penalties and defense that showed up against USC can’t follow the Buckeyes home. 

Fahey will need more help, too. He flashed against USC at times, but no freshman quarterback is going to carry a team by himself in his first career start, especially when the defense and the rest of the roster aren’t holding up their end.

There’s no doubt Ohio State is up against the wall coming out of the USC game. The Buckeyes still control a path to the College Football Playoff, but the margin for error is gone. The next couple of weeks will show what this Ohio State team is made of.