Ryan Day Reacts to OSU's Back-to-Back Losses vs. Oregon, USC, 'Didn't Expect Any of This to Happen'

Ohio State football entered this season as the No. 1 team in the polls, but the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff hopes are squarely on the brink after back-to-back losses to USC (30-18) and Oregon (41-28).

It's natural for Buckeye Nation to feel stunned after OSU's midseason downfall, and needless to say, head coach Ryan Day feels the same way per his postgame comments after Saturday's Oregon loss.

Ohio State has been without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who suffered an undisclosed right arm injury after a sack in the fourth quarter of the Buckeyes' 19-15 win over Indiana on Oct. 17.

Still, OSU has taken a precipitous nosedive, and the season reached its ultimate low point Saturday as Oregon scored 38 unanswered points over 29 minutes and 24 seconds of game time.

Oregon Ducks - Ohio State Buckeyes Highlights

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Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia's unit has struggled over the past two weeks. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 10.1 yards per attempt against OSU, while Trojan running backs King Miller and Waymond Jordan combined for 126 rushing yards and two scores.

Against Oregon, Ohio State gave up 395 yards from scrimmage. The Ducks also scored four touchdowns over five drives to help turn a 14-0 deficit into a 38-14 lead.

OSU still has talented playmakers, led by the best player in college football, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who finished with seven catches for 133 yards and a score on Saturday.

However, the OSU season has now been split in two: Before Sayin and After Sayin. Day's team hasn't been able to figure out how to forge ahead without Sayin.

The QB1 will not come back before the end of the regular season, per Day, who said "it's not going to be next week or next month" regarding his return. So Day has to figure this out quickly.

Unfortunately, it may already be too late. OSU was already the first team out of the College Football Playoff before the Oregon loss, and now the Buckeyes will fall even further away from the picture.

Looking ahead, Ohio State has home games against Northwestern and Michigan and a road game vs. Nebraska. Northwestern is up first on Saturday at noon ET.