Ohio State football hosted Oklahoma on Saturday night in a marquee matchup, but the Buckeyes came out on the losing end.
In a rematch of last year’s thrashing of Oklahoma in Norman, Ohio State football hosted the Sooners on Saturday night, but this time it was a different story. The Sooners shut down the Buckeyes on offense and held the nation’s No. 2 team in check.
The 31-16 “upset” in Columbus was Ohio State’s second loss in its past three games, dating back to last year’s College Football Playoff’s debacle against Clemson. Although it’s way too early to rule the Buckeyes out of playoff contention this year, this loss was a big blow to Ohio State’s hopes.
While watching the game, it was fairly evident who the better team was. Oklahoma out-played the Buckeyes in the second half after playing a fairly even first half.
What did we learn from the Buckeyes’ 15-point home loss to Oklahoma?
3. Secondary not where it needs to be
Let’s face it, Ohio State’s secondary isn’t nearly where it should be. Granted it’s early, but giving up over 800 yards through the air in the first two games combined is eye-popping. Sure, the secondary is young, but that might mean there are major gaps and guys who are unable to fill the void of those who left in the offseason.
Ohio State gets hyped quite often for having an elite defensive backfield, but it didn’t show on Saturday night against Baker Mayfield and the Sooners. He carved up Ohio State’s secondary to the tune of 386 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers.
It’s time to make some changes in the defensive backfield, if you’re Urban Meyer, but the panic button should be pushed to the side. It’s too early to truly panic. If this happens 2-3 more times, then maybe we can talk about that.
Stanford’s secondary is not nearly where it should be, especially with the talent back there.