Former Ohio State players sound off on program, Ryan Day after humiliating loss to Oregon: 'Clean house'

Several former Ohio State players sounded off on the Buckeyes' catastrophic performance during Saturday's 41-28 home loss to Oregon, a setback that all but detonated the program's College Football Playoff hopes this season.

Ryan Day's fifth loss in his last 11 games dating back to last season put a negative spotlight on a program with one of college football's most talented rosters, just two years removed from a national championship under his guidance.

Former Ohio State defensive lineman Tommy Schutt, who hadn't tweeted in six years before Saturday night, noted it was time to "CLEAN HOUSE" after an "embarrassing" performance at home. Curtis Samuel, a former All-Big Ten wideout for the Buckeyes, made his first appearance on "X" in three years with a series of comments in the wake of the loss.

"Can't allow a team to come in the shoe and be the bully that's unacceptable and for sure not the culture," Samuel wrote, mentioning  five-star freshman Legend Bey and his lack of usage in another message.

Ex-Ohio State standout Beanie Wells, who rushed for 3,382 yards and 30 touchdowns over three seasons in the mid-2000s, went long-winded on the program and the Buckeyes' soft play defensively.

"The eye in the sky doesn't lie and this doesn't just start last week against USC," Wells said on CBS Sports HQ. "You go back to the game vs. Indiana, the explosive plays and inability to get to the passer on a consistent basis. Those things have always been there with his defense and now everybody's starting to take notice. This is something Ohio State went out and put on film weeks ago and nobody took notice because they got away with the victory at Indiana.

"These holes and these issues have been there, Now they're being exposed when they're losing on a national scale when you're supposed to be separating yourself."

"Ohio State is revealing who they've always been." 😳@BeanieWells26 #CFBPostgame pic.twitter.com/WRm8IgMpUQ

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 8, 2026

"Ohio State is revealing who they've always been." 😳@BeanieWells26 #CFBPostgame pic.twitter.com/WRm8IgMpUQ

The Buckeyes have lost consecutive games for the first time since 2011 and Day's third loss in a single season is the first time that's happened for him since he took over eight years ago.

"Ohio State is revealing who they've always been and those issues are showing themselves and this is why the committee is viewing themselves they way they did," Wells said. "They were at home against a wounded Oregon team and you did nothing, you did not respond. You were up 14-0 and you showed me all you can be a frontrunner, you can't get punched in the mouth and respond like Oregon did."

Oregon scored 38 straight points after trailing by two touchdowns early before Ohio State fans started leaving Ohio Stadium early in the fourth quarter. Ranked No. 12 in last week's first CFP Top 25, the Buckeyes will likely tumble down the poll in Tuesday night's update (they came in at No. 20 in Sunday's coaches poll). 

"We didn't expect any of this to happen," Day said. "I thought the way that we came out was how we thought we would play in this game. And then once the momentum swung, we weren't able to stop that and then swing it,"

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