Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · Sep 13
Ohio State, Oregon and Oklahoma Suffer 3 Same-Day Losses as Flaws Deepen
Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · Sep 13

Ohio State, Oregon and Oklahoma Suffer 3 Same-Day Losses as Flaws Deepen

3 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Sep 13

Summary

  • Three marquee "O" programs all lost Saturday, with Ohio State blowing a 23-3 lead at Texas, Oregon falling at Oklahoma State and Oklahoma losing at Michigan.
  • Ohio State’s collapse spanned every phase: Julian Sayin completed just 2 of his final 8 passes, the pass rush had no sacks over the final 36 minutes, and a missed 45-yard field goal helped open the door for Texas.
  • Oregon’s defeat looked worse on the numbers, as Oklahoma State piled up 554 yards and kept quarterback Drew Mestemaker clean on 43 dropbacks while the Ducks managed only 90 rushing yards and remain 0 for 6 on fourth down.
  • Oklahoma’s offense again sputtered against a stronger opponent, with John Mateer completing 1 of his final 8 passes for 3 yards before a fourth-quarter interception, intensifying scrutiny of Brent Venables despite his recent extension and $10 million salary.
  • The last same-day losses for all three came on Nov. 26, 2022, and while each still has chances for quality wins, the setbacks have already pushed all three programs into early-season crisis mode.

Insights

How will Ohio State, Oregon, and Oklahoma overcome their devastating early-season collapses to survive the unforgiving 12-team playoff format?
Could Dan Lanning's aggressive fourth-down failures permanently derail Oregon's once-promising path to the college football playoffs?
Will Brent Venables' massive contract extension become a trap for Oklahoma if offensive inconsistencies ruin their national championship ambitions?