Several former Ohio State players sharply criticized the program following the Buckeyes' 41-28 home loss to Oregon on Saturday, a defeat that severely damages their College Football Playoff hopes. The loss marked Ohio State's first consecutive defeats since 2011 and gave head coach Ryan Day his fifth loss in his last 11 games dating back to last season, as well as his third loss in a single season for the first time in his eight-year tenure.
Former defensive lineman Tommy Schutt, who had not tweeted in six years, posted that it was time to "CLEAN HOUSE" after an "embarrassing" performance at Ohio Stadium. Former All-Big Ten wide receiver Curtis Samuel made his first appearance on X in three years, writing, "Can't allow a team to come in the shoe and be the bully that's unacceptable and for sure not the culture," and also questioned the lack of usage for five-star freshman Legend Bey.
Ex-Ohio State standout Beanie Wells, who rushed for 3,382 yards and 30 touchdowns over three seasons in the mid-2000s, detailed long-standing defensive issues on CBS Sports HQ. "The eye in the sky doesn't lie and this doesn't just start last week against USC," Wells said. "You go back to the game vs. Indiana, the explosive plays and inability to get to the passer on a consistent basis. Those things have always been there with his defense and now everybody's starting to take notice." Wells added that Ohio State "is revealing who they've always been" and that the team failed to respond after building a 14-0 lead, allowing Oregon to score 38 unanswered points as fans left the stadium early in the fourth quarter.
The Buckeyes, ranked No. 12 in the first CFP Top 25, fell to No. 20 in Sunday's coaches poll and are expected to drop further in Tuesday's updated rankings. Day acknowledged the unexpected turn: "We didn't expect any of this to happen. I thought the way that we came out was how we thought we would play in this game. And then once the momentum swung, we weren't able to stop that and then swing it."
