The Ohio State Buckeyes hosted the Oregon Ducks Saturday, where they jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Shortly after, the Ducks scored 38 points unanswered, killing the Buckeyes’ season. From this point on, there are a lot of questions surrounding the Buckeyes, we set out to answer the key ones.

What’s the New Goal for the Season?

The Game. No matter the state of either program, this game means so much to every fan, player and coach in both states. The College Football Playoff is completely out of the picture for the Buckeyes at this point. Meaning, the Buckeyes need to ensure they win The Game or this season will be considered a complete failure on all levels with no positive takeaways.

Is the Heisman Still in Play for Jeremiah Smith?

Yes, Smith had 7 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown Saturday. Fellow Heisman candidate Malachi Toney is out for the foreseeable future, while his quarterback Darian Mensah didn’t look at his best without his star target. If Smith can continue to rack in these massive numbers, he is clearly still in the Heisman race.

Does Tavien St. Clair get a Chance at Quarterback?

Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey was 36-50, throwing for 360 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. On paper, the numbers don’t look bad. However, the offense hasn’t done what is needed to win games the past two weeks. Fahey has numerous plays where he missed an open man, including Jeremiah Smith, causing some frustration to boil over for Smith late.

Is Ryan Day in Danger of Losing his Job?

Many fans are extremely unhappy with the coaching staff after tonight’s game. Simply, three losses are not the standard for a program like Ohio State. Saturday’s game signified a similar story for the Buckeyes. They jumped out to an early lead, 14-0 in this sense. After that, Ohio State shifted to a conservative play style and all of Columbus watched the game slowly slip out of their hands. Seeing the same story play out multiple times in the same season is extremely painful, it gets to a point. His buyout is $75 million dollars right now.

What has Gone Wrong with the Defense?

Through the front half of the season, the Buckeye defense was looking like one of the top units in the Big Ten. Since the loss of quarterback Julian Sayin, the defense has taken a significant step down. Against USC, they let up 30. Tonight, they let up 41. When you combine a struggling unit with a true freshman backup quarterback, it doesn’t mix well. Why has this happened, we’re not exactly sure. To start, the Buckeye defense has struggled with adjusting their game plan, as shown by USC and Oregon’s massive runs. Also, perhaps there has been a morale loss with the absence of a Buckeye leader in Julian Sayin on the field. Either way, it’s been a rough two weeks.

Saturday was a nightmare for the Buckeyes, getting blown out in front of their own fanbase, who bleeds Scarlet and Gray. Boos rained down, which is an extremely rare occurrence in the Shoe, a host to one College Football’s most coveted programs. Despite that, the season isn’t over, Jeremiah Smith has got an award to chase and the Buckeyes still need support.