Ryan Day carried the look of a coach who knew exactly what happened and exactly how much it hurt.
“Very disappointed just overall with how we played,” Day said after the Buckeyes 13-10 loss to Indiana. “Third downs were not very good. Not very good in the red zone…and that’s how you lose a game.”
Ohio State arrived unbeaten and on the brink of locking in its postseason path. Indiana immediately disrupted all of it. The Buckeyes gave up five sacks in the first 35 minutes, squandered scoring chances inside the 10, came up short on a quarterback sneak, and watched a potential game-tying field goal sail the wrong way with the season in the balance.
Day didn’t need a stat sheet to summarize it.
“We went down there two times and ended up with zero points. And that’s how you lose a game.”
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And then he framed the entire night in one sentence, a line that captured both the frustration and the truth of championship football.
“It can come down to one play or two plays or three plays. This is a tough lesson to learn.”
He talked about protection issues. He talked about third downs. He talked about sneaks that had worked all season until the two they needed most. But what cut deepest was the accountability.
“When it doesn’t work, I always regret it. That’s how life works,” Day said. “I’ve got to make sure we’re putting our guys in the right situation to be successful.”
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Asked about the locker room afterward, Day didn’t soften the reality.
“This is going to sting…there are a lot of guys in that locker room that are pissed off right now.”
The playoff remains ahead. The mission isn’t over. But the perfect season is gone, and Day made it clear the response will define what comes next.
“We can’t let this game beat us twice. But it’s not going to sit well with anybody.”
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