USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Sep 13, 2026 4:09 AM
Updated Sep 13, 2026 4:13 AM
A fourth-quarter collapse in Austin turned a dominant lead into a heartbreaking defeat, leaving Ryan Day to rue conservative play-calling and a critical missed kick late.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day had a warning for his team at halftime after the Buckeyes took a 20-3 lead over Texas into halftime.
Day knew that the Longhorns weren't going away, and No. 1 Ohio State would need to show up in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 4 Texas at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
The Buckeyes won the third quarter 3-0, but a poor performance in all three phases of the game caught up to them. Texas scored the final three touchdowns, earning a 24-23 win on Saturday night.
During his postgame news conference, Day told reporters that Ohio State played well for 45 minutes, but that wasn't enough to earn the victory.
"Today, we really played well for three quarters and didn’t play well enough in the fourth quarter," Day said, via cleveland.com. "That’s the bottom line."
He called out one moment in particular, noting kicker Connor Hawkins had a chance to make it a 26-17 ballgame with 4:16 remaining in the game. Hawkins's 45-yard field goal attempt went wide left.
"Once that happened, they sustained some drives, certainly had a chance to kick the field goal and make it a two-score game and didn’t do that," Day said. "This one hurts.”
Hawkins, a native from Liberty Hill, Texas (a little northwest of Austin), played two seasons at Baylor before transferring to Ohio State before the 2026 season. He made his first three field goals, including a long of 48. He added two extra points.
Hawkins was a piece of the collapse, but Ohio State's problems had more to do with coaching and how conservative the Buckeyes decided to play in the second half.
Texas went aggressive, going for it on fourth and long in the fourth quarter. Day opted to punt on 4th and 4 from the Texas 39-yard line instead of going for it or attempting a long field goal.
Day was afraid to lose, and Ohio State lost because of it.
The defense appeared gashed and tired in the fourth quarter. Day could have stepped on the gas on offense, but tried to run out the clock instead.
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