Ohio State Streak: 15-year drought ends in double-digit defeat

Oregon’s 41-28 victory over Ohio State on Saturday ended the Buckeyes’ 14-season streak of finishing with two or fewer losses. The result marked the first time since November 2011 that the program lost two consecutive regular-season games. This milestone places Ohio State in a position it has not occupied in a decade and a half, following a 30-18 road loss to USC the previous week.

The current slump contrasts sharply with the program's recent trajectory. Since the 2011 season, when Ohio State lost its final three regular-season games, the team compiled a 171-24 record. That stretch included two national championships and four bowl victories. The 87.7% win percentage over that span was the highest of any college football program. Urban Meyer took over as head coach in 2012, and Ryan Day succeeded him in December 2018, continuing a period of sustained dominance.

Head coach Ryan Day entered Saturday with a 5-3 record in games following a defeat. His three losses in those situations all occurred in bowl games. The team’s defensive struggles were pronounced in this matchup. Oregon scored 38 unanswered points, the fifth-highest consecutive point total allowed at Ohio Stadium since it opened in 1922. The 41 points surrendered were the second-most allowed at home under Day’s tenure.

A specific play in the second quarter shifted the momentum. Facing fourth-and-9 at its own 31-yard line, Oregon called a fake punt. Linebacker Teitum Tuioti caught the snap and threw a jump pass to Matayo Uiagalelei, who ran 30 yards for the first down. From that moment until 12:51 remained in the fourth quarter, Oregon outgained Ohio State 288 to 47. The Ducks led 38-14 at that mark.

Ohio State had entered the game with a 14-0 lead, a situation in which the Buckeyes had won 140 consecutive home games. The last home defeat with such a lead occurred against Wisconsin in 2001. The team also held a 137-game streak of winning home games when leading by double digits, a record that stood as the longest for any team since 2004.

The back-to-back double-digit losses mark the first occurrence for Ohio State since 2004. The gap between those two games was 8,057 days. The team has only lost three consecutive games by at least 10 points twice in its history. Ohio State allowed 30 or more points in both the USC and Oregon games, breaking a 31-game run of holding opponents under that threshold.

Next week, Ohio State hosts Northwestern. The Buckeyes will look to stop the slide after their second straight regular-season defeat by double digits.