Buckeye Recap: 11/6/2026

🏈 No. 11 Ohio State (6-2) vs. Oregon (5-3)

📅 Sat 11/7, 3:30pm ET

📺 CBS

After the loss at USC:
"It's truly frustrating just too many penalties. We found ourselves down in those red zone situations; we just weren't able to execute very well, play clean and then the penalties were not good."

Asked what coaching better looks like coming out of USC:
"we're not allowed to lose games and um you know when that happens you know there's consequences. That's just the way it is. And if you don't like it then don't come to Ohio State."

Asked how he handles Jeremiah Smith being frustrated at times:
"He he's he's unbelievable. like he he wants to win and when he doesn't win he gets frustrated. It's not about, you know, I need touches. Now, he also knows that when he touches the ball, good things happen."

Asked what he liked about Luke Fahey's play at USC and where he can grow this week:
"Well, I think like we said going into it, we all got to help this guy out and I don't think we did. Um, I thought he had the right approach. It was not all perfect. There were certainly things that um you know happened operationally that you know for a young quarterback it was a lot on him and he was working through it. You know there were some you know missed throws but we expected all that to happen. He also made a lot of plays. He also had command of the huddle. He also showed some grit out there uh and toughness"

Asked about the starter going forward:
"Right now he's going to start against Oregon."

Asked if he is happy with how the leadership committee selected in the summer has led the team:
"You know, no, I don't think, I don't think anybody's happy right now with what, how things are going and how that game went. So, um, you know, we all have, you know, have to show up every day like we have something to prove in general, but, um, yeah, I mean if anybody is happy about how things are going right now they're dead wrong, you know, it's just the way it is and certainly I, I would assume how the leaders feel that's the way I feel."

Asked how much effort is being discussed this week and whether it will be a point of emphasis:
"I think honestly the lack of effort was probably the most disappointing thing throughout the whole game, you know, especially after watching the film because all right, if you mess up a play call, you know, so be it. but if you're just not running to the ball or um you know not giving effort in the game like why are you playing football?"

After the loss at USC:
"Uh, I just feel like, you know, they made a good play, and, uh, it's just a little bit of lack of effort, uh, on our end, and we just, I mean, they scored it and they can't let that happen."

Asked what the message from team leaders has been since last week's game:
"It's pretty much playoff time now for us, because we can't lose. And so, there's a sense of urgency, and intensity, and focus, you know, starts with Coach Day, and then down to the coaches, from the captains to the players, we got to go and we got to get stuff fixed, and I feel like we're doing that."

After the loss at USC, on Luke Fahey's first start:
"Honestly, I don't, I don't think that we could have expected anything better from him. Uh, uh, in his first start as a freshman and stuff, you know, I told him in the locker room, I, I hugged him and I said, dude, like, listen, none of this was on you today. Like you did the best you could, like we, we are all so proud of you."

On Luke stepping in as quarterback:
"Even from the minute that he got here, he's got a certain confidence to him, he's got that confidence that you look for in a quarterback. Like, everybody, when Luke steps into the huddle, we all trust him."

Ohio State is No. 11 in the AP Top 25 after falling nine spots following its loss at USC, and No. 10 in the coaches poll. Oregon is unranked in both. The first College Football Playoff rankings, released Tuesday, have Ohio State at No. 12 and Oregon at No. 23.

Jeremiah Smith caught his 40th career touchdown pass at USC, passing Braylon Edwards' Big Ten record of 39.

Luke Fahey under center again.
Fahey completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown in his first career start at USC.

Jeremiah Smith.
Can Arthur Smith scheme ways to get the ball in Jeremiah Smith’s hands for explosive plays. Smith was limited to 83 yards across 10 catches. The down the field explosive plays were missing.

The offensive line.
Ryan Day, Head Coach, on Tuesday, asked if he has a good idea of his best five on the offensive line: "we'll see how the the health shakes out this week and then try to put the best five out there because part of that is this time of year is that you know, we had Phil that was out, then we had Austin that was out. So, the good news is we do have some versatility there. But, like you said, we got to find the right five that's available this week, and that's what we're going to do."

Penalties.
Day raised penalties in his postgame comments after USC.
Ryan Day, Head Coach, on Wednesday, asked how Ohio State is focusing on fixing them: "We hired even more refs to be out there [in practice]."

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Raiola was once committed to Ohio state. He transferred to Oregon after being at Nebraska. Raiola threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns in a win agains Nebraska last week.

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