Oregon Scored 38 Straight Points on Ohio State in Columbus: What Ryan Day Said Afterward
Ohio State led 14-0 in the first quarter on Saturday. Oregon then scored 38 consecutive points in Ohio Stadium and won 41-28.
Per Sports Illustrated, it was the first time an opponent had scored 38 straight on Ohio State’s home field since 1999. Much of the announced crowd of 103,551 was gone by the middle of the fourth quarter.
Both teams are now 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. Ohio State has lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2011 and has three losses in a season for the first time since 2011. The Buckeyes entered the day ranked 11th in the AP poll and 12th in the College Football Playoff rankings, and the AP noted they are in danger of dropping out of the Top 25 for the first time since that same 2011 season.
They Outgained Oregon and Lost by 13
Ohio State had more total yards, 413 to 395, and more passing yards, 360 to 287. It did not matter, because the Buckeyes rushed for 53 yards on 21 attempts and went 0-for-4 on fourth down. They turned the ball over on downs on four consecutive second-half possessions. Their defense recorded zero sacks.
The turning point was a fake punt. Facing fourth-and-9 from its own 31, Oregon had linebacker Teitum Tuioti throw roughly 30 yards to linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei. Dierre Hill Jr. scored six plays later and finished with 75 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Dylan Raiola completed 25 of 40 passes for 257 yards and two scores without an interception.
Luke Fahey, a true freshman making his second career start, went 36-of-50 for 360 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception. He is playing because Julian Sayin, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, hurt his throwing arm at Indiana on Oct. 17. Day said Sayin’s return “is not going to be next week or next month.”
Jeremiah Smith caught seven passes for 133 yards and a touchdown, pushing the junior to 69 catches, 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns through nine games. The Columbus Dispatch pointed out that most of that production came after Ohio State already trailed by multiple scores.
What Day Actually Said
“We didn’t expect any of this to happen,” Day told reporters afterward, a line that traveled further than anything else from the podium.
He pointed at the second quarter. “I think anyone could see where the game changed was [when] we lost those two possessions there in the second quarter,” he said. On Fahey: “that’s his second start ever against you know a really good team.” On Oregon: “that team right there is as much talent as there is in the country.”
The locker room message was the telling part, per video of his remarks relayed by A to Z Sports. “So I just told the team in the locker room that you know now we got to weather this storm,” Day said. “It’ll be a storm here, something that none of us are used to at Ohio State.”
A week earlier, after losing 30-18 at USC, he had been blunter. “We’re not allowed to lose games, and when that happens there’s consequences,” Day said then.
The Job Question Nobody Has Actually Reported
Fans spent Saturday night calling for Day to be fired, and several columnists joined them. One SB Nation writer said Day should resign. Former Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards said on the record that “Ryan Day is just not it.”
None of that is reporting. No beat writer or national insider has reported that the administration is considering a change, and Ohio State has said nothing about his status. Athletic director Ross Bjork has not commented since the game. A viral post claiming Ohio State had fired Day came from a parody account.
Day signed a seven-year contract in February 2025 worth $12.5 million per year through 2031, with a buyout written at $11.5 million per remaining year. Ohio State’s own game notes from Oct. 25 listed him at 88-13 with the program. He won the national championship for the 2024 season, beating Notre Dame 34-23. He is also 2-4 against Michigan, and Michigan comes to Columbus on Nov. 28.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
