Ohio State football’s 8 biggest winners and losers from disappointing loss to Texas on the road
Ohio State’s Week 2 loss to the Texas Longhorns is going to be important for this season one way or another. Coming away from the game, here’s a look at the stock up/stock down report.
The Ohio State Buckeyes just took a very tough loss to the Texas Longhorns in Week 2 in a game that Ohio State controlled most of the way, and that’s going to make it hurt even worse coming away from this week.
Ohio State led 23-3 in the third quarter and allowed 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter as Texas stormed back to win in Austin. This was a game that was there for Ohio State, and walking away from it stings due to the fact.
Coming away from this game, there are players and coaches who performed well, and then there are some who didn’t have such good games. Here are the winners and losers from Ohio State’s collapse at Texas.
Winners for Ohio State despite losing to Texas
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the biggest winner from this game. Without Smith, Ohio State probably wouldn’t have been in this one. Smith hauled in eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown against Texas while only 2 catches went to another Ohio State receiver all night. Most of that production came in the first half, outside of a big play in the second half, but Smith had his way against the Longhorns defense. Playing that well and losing is a tough pill to swallow.
Freshman cornerback Jay Timmons earned his spot on the winners list. Timmons forced a fumble right out of the gates on a punch-out, giving Ohio State early momentum that led to a field goal. Not converting a touchdown there proved costly, but Timmons played well beyond that. He was all over the field, the moment wasn’t too big for him, and Ohio State has a stud freshman cornerback who is going to make fans happy for a few years in Columbus.
Sophomore linebacker Riley Pettijohn finished with two tackles and a sack, flying around the field all night. He’s reached the point where he should be top two in snaps on this defense, and it’s fair to wonder if he isn’t Ohio State’s best linebacker right now. The Texas native stepped up in his home state and turned in an impressive performance.
Defensive end Kenyatta Jackson showed up when Ohio State struggled to generate much of a pass rush. Jackson recorded one of the Buckeyes’ two sacks and did a stout job setting the edge, not allowing much to develop coming his way. It was a strong day for Jackson in front of a bunch of NFL evaluators.
Safety Earl Little Jr. led Ohio State’s defense with 10 tackles and looked like a Caleb Downs-type player with his usage near the line of scrimmage. He was arguably their best defender on the day. Little plays with fierce competitiveness, is a hard-hitting player downhill, and made himself felt. The Florida State transfer is going to be a key piece of this defense all year long.
Stock down report for Ohio State after losing to Texas
Wide receiver Devin McCuin managed just 1 catch for 5 yards after a debut against Ball State where he had 6 catches for 97 yards. McCuin took snaps like he was Ohio State’s second wide receiver, and he was again tonight, but the production wasn’t there. The Buckeyes needed another receiver to step up and get open against Texas, and none of them did that at an acceptable rate. It was a tough day for McCuin in his home state.
Linebacker Payton Pierce made a couple of good plays but still had a game where he got exposed some too. Despite six tackles, he took bad angles, couldn’t get off blocks at times, and missed tackles were an issue. Pierce is the communicator for this defense and an important part, but Ohio State needs him to play at a higher level than he did against Texas.
Kicker Connor Hawkins went 3-of-4 on field goals, including a 48-yarder, but the missed 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter is what he’ll be remembered for. That kick would have been the difference in the game, and it wasn’t even close, sailing wide left. Hawkins is going to have to prove himself in a big way after this one.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith rounds out the losers. Smith’s inability to dial up touches for Jeremiah Smith in the fourth quarter was a problem. The Buckeyes needed to get the ball to their best player when it mattered most, and it didn’t happen. The lack of offense down the stretch, when Ohio State appeared to take its foot off the pedal, was part of the Buckeyes’ downfall. Smith called a great game in the first half and moved his star receiver all around the formation, but he’s going to be remembered for the fourth quarter, and it simply wasn’t good enough.
Ohio State has to find a way to close out games they control. How the Buckeyes respond from here will say a lot about this team.
