Ohio State head coach Ryan Day admitted Tuesday that he should've let Texas score on its final drive to give the Buckeyes more time to potentially orchestrate a game-winning drive afterward.
"Well, it didn't work, so the answer is yes," Day told reporters when asked if he regrets his decision to try to stop the Longhorns at the goal line in the final minute.
"If we win the game, it would've been the right decision. And in the moment, you have to make a hard decision, and I decided to try and hold the line ... I decided to make that call, and ultimately, I'd loved to have seen what it would've looked like if they'd scored."
Day added: "We'll have to think about it when it happens again."
Texas got to Ohio State's 1-yard line while trailing 23-17 with 1:23 left after a 19-yard completion. Instead of using a timeout and letting the Longhorns score on the next play to keep time on the clock for another possession, Day let his defense try to get a goal-line stop.
Day called his final timeout on the next play when Texas was stuffed on its next run. After another failed Longhorns rushing attempt, they ultimately found the end zone on third down, leaving just 25 seconds left on the clock. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was intercepted moments later, as the Longhorns completed a remarkable comeback.
The Buckeyes were up 23-3 entering the fourth quarter, but the Longhorns stormed back to claim a huge win. Ohio State registered just 132 yards of offense in the second half, including 52 in the fourth quarter. Kicker Connor Hawkins also missed a 45-yard field goal that would've put them up nine points with under five minutes remaining.
"We had an opportunity certainly to finish the game and knock them out there in the third quarter," Day said. "It didn't happen. Then we lost momentum and couldn't get it back."
He added, "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."
Ohio State has now recorded 132 or fewer second-half yards in seven different games since 2023, according to TruMedia. Day's outfit posted a 4-3 record in those contests.
The 1-1 Buckeyes will look to bounce back against Kent State on Saturday, with kickoff slated for 12:00 p.m. ET.
