‘It's maddening' – Ryan Day sounded off on where things stand for Ohio State football after losing to Texas

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Ohio State's loss to Texas was a tough pill for the Buckeyes to swallow, and Ryan Day got real about that loss on Tuesday.

Ohio State’s loss to Texas in Week 2 of the college football season has the Buckeyes searching for answers. The Buckeyes blew a 20-3 halftime lead in Austin, scoring just three points in the second half while Arch Manning and the Longhorns rallied for 21 fourth-quarter points to complete what stands as the one of the more painful comebacks Ohio State has surrendered in program history.

The fallout from that collapse was always going to make it a tough week in Columbus, and on Tuesday, Ohio State coach Ryan Day addressed where things stand with the team.

"It's extremely frustrating, it's maddening and we're excited to get back on the field and get going because the last couple of days haven't been fun around here," Day said. "Had some really good conversations with the guys. I think they're going to be in a good mindset moving forward."

We understand we have a lot of football ahead of us. So this highlighted some things that we got to get fixed."

Ohio State has some clear issues to work through

Among the areas the Buckeyes need to address, the wide receiver room beyond Jeremiah Smith stands out. Smith was dominant against Texas with eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown, but just two other passes were caught by wide receivers in the entire game. That’s unacceptable for a program with Ohio State’s talent level.

Finding a consistent second option alongside Smith will be critical for the Buckeyes if they want to avoid putting the offense in a position where defenses can zero in on one player. The production gap between Smith and everyone else at the position was too wide against the Longhorns, and closing it has to be a priority. It's believed that UTSA transfer Devin McCuin can be that player, but it wasn't the case against Texas. 

Ohio State also missed a 45-yard field goal at a key moment. Kicker Connor Hickens, a Baylor transfer, is still settling in with the Buckeyes, but Ohio State keeps finding itself in the same spot with missed kicks when the stakes are highest. That pattern has to change.

On the defensive side, the Buckeyes managed two sacks on Manning, but failed to generate consistent pressure throughout the night. If Ohio State wants its defense to resemble anything close to what it was last season, the front will need to be far more aggressive. Manning grew comfortable in the pocket as the game wore on, and that comfort helped fuel the Longhorns’ fourth-quarter surge.

Day’s comments suggest the Buckeyes are heading back to the drawing board. Ohio State has a lot of football left to play, and this loss has made clear what needs to be fixed.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: ‘It's maddening' – Ryan Day sounded off on where things stand for Ohio State football after losing to Texas

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