Oregon Scores 38 Straight Points to End Ohio State Season
No. 12 Ohio State falls 41-28 at home, giving up the most consecutive points against a single opponent since 1999.
By Fernando Rojas ·
Oregon scored 38 consecutive points in its 41-28 victory over Ohio State on Saturday, the longest scoring run allowed by the Buckeyes against a single opponent since 1999. The final score understated the lopsided nature of the second half, during which the Ducks dominated the scoreboard and the atmosphere inside Ohio Stadium shifted decisively toward the visitors.
The game was played at The Shoe in Columbus, Ohio, where fans began leaving their seats with 12 minutes and 51 seconds remaining. By the final whistle, the lower bowl of the stadium was filled with green Oregon jerseys and jackets. The visitors celebrated a road upset that eliminated the top-12 Buckeyes from contention for the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey, a three-star recruit, started in place of the injured Julian Sayin. Fahey completed passes in the first half but struggled in the second, particularly after Oregon coach Dan Lanning called a fake punt on fourth and 10 from his own 37-yard line. That play sparked a sequence in which Oregon outscored Ohio State 14-0 in under two minutes at the end of the first half, taking a 17-14 lead into the break that the Buckeyes never reclaimed.
Head coach Ryan Day faced immediate scrutiny following the loss. The Buckeyes are now 6-3, with their third loss occurring on or before November 7 for the first time since the 2011 season. Day admitted the performance was below the standard expected of the preseason national number one team. He told reporters he was "beyond disappointed" and acknowledged that losing three games in Columbus was unacceptable.
The roster costs more than $40 million, making it one of the most expensive in the country, yet the team displayed gaps in depth beyond star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The offense struggled to sustain drives, and the defense failed to record a stop in the second half of a must-win contest. Sophomore Tavien St. Clair, a top-five recruit, remained on the bench for the entire game.
Ohio State will play Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan in the final three weeks of the season. The loss to Oregon ends any realistic chance for a Big Ten title or a top-four playoff seed. Day stated his team must "weather the storm" as the season winds down.
The Buckeyes have lost five of their last 11 games. The defeat marks the third loss of the 2026 campaign, a mark that has intensified debate over Day's future and the development of the quarterback room.
