Ohio State’s Hidden Flaws: 5 Critical Fixes Standing Between Them and Another CFP Title

The Ohio State Buckeyes slipped up in a tough battle against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium, marking their second loss of the season to fall to 12–1. This setback—especially against a hard-nosed Curt Cignetti squad—stings deeper considering the ongoing Big Ten title drought. Yet, the road doesn’t end here. The Buckeyes’ sights are now firmly set on another shot at College Football Playoff glory. The big question is: Will this defeat spark the same fire in Ryan Day and his squad that last year’s loss to Michigan did, driving them to tighten up and avoid any further slips on their CFP quest? As the postseason looms large, Ohio State faces a critical juncture — identifying what must be sharpened if they hope to blaze a trail deep into the playoff. After watching their offense stall, questionable calls mount, and defensive lapses show against Indiana, the time for adjustment is now. Let’s unravel the five key areas the Buckeyes must refine to turn this promising season into a national championship triumph. LEARN MORE

The Ohio State Buckeyes are 12–1 after falling to the Indiana Hoosiers and Curt Cignetti on Saturday night in Lucas Oil Stadium. It was not the result the Buckeyes wanted, and the Big Ten championship drought continues, but the focus now shifts to chasing another College Football Playoff national championship. One can only hope that this loss fires up Ryan Day and the team the same way last year’s Michigan loss did as they prepare to avoid slipping even once during their CFP run.

So what actually needs to improve if Ohio State wants a deep run in the Playoff? After that showing against Indiana, the concerns around this team feel more pronounced than ever. That may sound harsh, but during the regular season, the Buckeyes cruised and left no doubt. Against Indiana, the offense became one-dimensional, Ryan Day made several questionable decisions, the defense suffered breakdowns in coverage, and kicker Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard field goal.

Facing adversity is not the worst thing before the CFP, especially if it exposes issues that can be fixed. Last year’s Oregon team entered undefeated as the one seed and folded in the Rose Bowl, while Ohio State steamrolled the Ducks. With that in mind, here are five things that must improve after the Indiana loss in order for the Buckeyes to have a chance to repeat as national champions.

Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese’s deployment

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) chases after Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) as passes the ball Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Arvell Reese is likely a top ten pick in April, but his usage in Matt Patricia’s defense has shifted in puzzling ways. Since November 1, he has produced only three total pressures. Patricia has been using him more as a quarterback spy or in coverage on running backs and tight ends. Considering how well Kayden McDonald, Kenyatta Jackson Jr, and Caden Curry are pressuring quarterbacks, the logic is understandable. Even so, Reese is an outrageous athlete, and he feels wasted dropping into space rather than attacking off the edge. Curry has 11 sacks, but pairing him with Reese as a full-time edge duo would create chaos in opposing backfields. Ohio State needs to unleash him.

The Ohio State red zone and goal line offense

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) carries the ball Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Throughout the Indiana game, the Buckeye red zone offense left fans, myself included, completely baffled by several playcalling decisions. Time after time, Jeremiah Smith was isolated in single coverage on the outside with no safety help against Indiana’s 5-foot-9 cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. Ponds is a solid player, but Smith was winning that matchup with ease. It was as favorable a look as you could ask for near the goal line, yet Sayin and the offensive staff rarely took advantage of it. Smith had a six-inch and well over fifty-pound size advantage, and the Buckeyes barely even tested it.

Another issue was Bo Jackson receiving only six red zone carries. Whether Ryan Day still has hesitation after Jackson’s goal-line fumble against Rutgers or something else is going on, it makes no sense. Jackson is the most elusive and complete back on the roster. Even without the size of the other backs, he has the best vision and ability to find lanes. Instead of leaning on him, the staff called Julian Sayin quarterback sneaks and roll-out passes to the fourth-string tight end. It was hard to understand the logic behind several of those decisions.

Sayin is an excellent quarterback and a Heisman finalist, but running the ball is not his strength. That showed on the failed quarterback sneak when his knee was ruled down short, turning the ball over on downs at Indiana’s five-yard line. This is exactly the kind of situation where Lincoln Kienholz, an Iron Buckeye award winner and a 6-foot-3, 220-pound runner who embraces contact, should be on the field.

Or simply hand the ball to Bo Jackson. Or trust your elite playmakers like Smith and Carnell Tate. And while this is not meant as disrespect to Bennett Christian, Ohio State should not be designing one of the biggest plays of the game for a tight end with only seven career catches.

If Ohio State wants to make a deep CFP run, this entire area of the offense must get better.

The Ohio State cornerback play

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Charlie Becker (80) catches a pass in front of Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. (3) on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

For most of the season, Ohio State’s secondary has been steady and has shut down the majority of opposing wideouts. Against Indiana, though, the unit gave up multiple big plays because of breakdowns in coverage. Indiana’s top receiver, Omar Cooper Jr, left the game early with an injury and did not record a catch, which makes the performance from Ohio State’s corners look even worse. The Buckeyes allowed 15 receptions for 222 yards and a touchdown. Elijah Sarratt accounted for 37 of those yards and a score at the expense of Jermaine Matthews Jr.

The real problem was sophomore receiver Charlie Becker, who finished with six catches for 126 yards and made plays repeatedly against Lorenzo Styles Jr, Devin Sanchez, and Matthews. Many believed this was one of the best secondaries in the country, but outside of Davison Igbinosun, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza picked apart the corners and got whatever he wanted. That cannot continue. With a likely matchup against Texas A&M or Miami, both of which feature true star receivers, these coverage lapses would be costly. The Buckeyes may need to lean more on zone looks in the CFP, and the overall discipline in the secondary has to improve dramatically before facing explosive offenses like Miami or A&M.

The Buckeyes’ lackluster offensive line performance

Indiana's Rolijah Hardy (21) celebrates his sack of Ohio State's Julian Sayin (10) during the Indiana versus Ohio State Big Ten Championship football game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. — Indiana’s Rolijah Hardy (21) celebrates his sack of Ohio State’s Julian Sayin (10) during the Indiana versus Ohio State Big Ten Championship football game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.

Entering the Indiana game, the Ohio State offensive line had been outstanding and had allowed Julian Sayin to be sacked only six times through twelve games. Against Indiana, however, Sayin went down five times in one night. The Hoosiers do have one of the best defenses in the country, but this performance also revealed a clear message to other CFP teams. If you can pressure Sayin, you can disrupt the Buckeye offense.

The offensive line struggled with several of Indiana’s blitz looks and appeared confused at times, which left Sayin scrambling and forced into bad situations. Indiana’s defense is elite, and this level of pressure will not happen every week, but the playoffs are a different environment. Every opponent is talented, every team believes it can knock off Ohio State, and after seeing this film, most of them will test the Buckeyes by bringing pressure early and often. The protection must tighten up quickly if Ohio State wants to stay on schedule and avoid falling out of rhythm in the CFP.

The Ohio State lack of creativity on offense

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss (1) celebrates a touchdown by wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) during the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9.

Against Indiana, the OSU run game, excluding Sayin’s numbers because the sacks skew them, managed only 87 yards on 20 carries. In the passing game, more than half of the receptions and about 70 percent of the yardage came from Smith and Tate. While it is always smart to lean on your stars, other playmakers on this roster need to contribute, and the run game has to become more effective. Ohio State has too much talent not to involve more people. Brandon Inniss, Max Klare, Lincoln Kienholz, Bo Jackson, James Peoples, Mylan Graham, Quincy Porter, and others all bring something unique, yet almost all of the production against Indiana came from Smith, Tate, and Jackson.

The critique all season has been that Ohio State had not truly been tested, and on the biggest stage, the offense finally hit a wall. Ryan Day, Keenan Bailey, and Brian Hartline need to open things up during the CFP run and cannot simply rely on Sayin, Tate, and Smith to carry everything. More QB option looks with Kienholz, more throws to running backs out of the backfield, and more snaps for Inniss, Graham, and Porter as a third receiver option should all be part of the plan. The Buckeyes have the depth and talent to diversify the offense, and now is the time to use it.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State football: 5 things that must improve to win the CFP title