It was supposed to be the year. You know the feeling. The roster was loaded, the freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith was making catches that didn't even look real, and the Buckeyes had finally—finally—conquered the Michigan mountain again with a 27-9 win in Ann Arbor. For a team that went 12-0 in the regular season, the ending felt like a punch to the gut. If you are looking for who did ohio state football lose to this year, the answer is a two-part tragedy: Indiana and Miami (FL).
Most fans are still trying to figure out how a team that held every single regular-season opponent to 16 points or less could suddenly drop two games in a row when the lights were brightest. It’s weird. It’s frustrating. And honestly, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher for anyone who watched them dismantle Penn State and Texas earlier in the fall.
The Shock in Indy: Indiana 13, Ohio State 10
The first domino fell on December 6, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium. This wasn't the Indiana team of the past. Under Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers were 12-0 coming in, but almost nobody expected them to actually outlast the Buckeyes in a rock fight.
Ohio State led 10-6 at halftime. It felt like one of those typical "grind it out" Big Ten games where the Buckeyes eventually find another gear. But that gear never came. The offense, led by Julian Sayin, just sort of stalled out in the second half. A late touchdown by the Hoosiers flipped the script, and Ohio State couldn't respond. It was their first loss of the season, and it cost them a Big Ten Championship trophy.
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- The Score: 13-10
- The Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
- The Context: Big Ten Championship Game
It’s crazy to think that a defense as good as Ohio State's—which literally gave up fewer points per game than any team since the 1975 Florida Gators—could lose a game while only allowing 13 points. But that’s what happens when you turn the ball over and can't find the end zone.
The Cotton Bowl Heartbreak: Miami 24, Ohio State 14
After the Indiana loss, there was still hope. The Buckeyes entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed (despite the CCG loss, their body of work was that strong). They had nearly a month to stew over the Indiana game.
On New Year's Eve, December 31, 2025, they met the Miami Hurricanes in the CFP Quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl. This was the game where things really came off the rails. Miami didn't just win; they sort of bullied the Buckeyes in the trenches.
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Ryan Day mentioned after the game that the 25-day layoff might have been a "backbreaker." The rhythm was gone. Miami’s defensive front lived in the Ohio State backfield, and for the second game in a row, the Buckeyes' high-powered offense was held under 15 points. Seeing a 24-14 final score felt like a glitch in the system for a team that had put up 70 on Grambling and 48 on UCLA.
Why did the offense disappear?
It’s the question everyone in Columbus is asking. Honestly, it came down to two things: red zone efficiency and pass protection. Against Miami, the Buckeyes couldn't establish the run with Bo Jackson or C.J. Donaldson Jr. consistently. When you become one-dimensional against a team like the Hurricanes, they’re going to pin their ears back and hunt.
Looking Back: A Season of What-Ifs
When you ask who did ohio state football lose to this year, you’re really asking about the two games that defined a season of "almost."
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The Buckeyes were perfect for 12 weeks. They beat Texas in a Week 1 thriller that 16 million people watched. They finally shut up the critics by handling Michigan. But in the postseason, the wheels just fell off.
| Opponent | Result | Date | Importance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | L 13-10 | Dec 6 | Big Ten Title Game |
| Miami (FL) | L 24-14 | Dec 31 | CFP Quarterfinal |
Key Takeaways for the Offseason
- Quarterback Development: Julian Sayin showed he's the future, but the postseason struggles showed he's still a young player learning to handle elite pressure.
- Roster Turnover: With stars like Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, and Arvell Reese heading to the NFL draft, the defense is going to look very different in 2026.
- The Ryan Day Narrative: The "can't win the big one" talk is unfortunately going to be loud this spring. Despite a 12-2 record, finishing with two losses is a tough pill to swallow.
The reality is that Ohio State remains a top-tier program. They won a national title just a year prior (January 2025) against Notre Dame. But 2025 will be remembered as the year they dominated everyone until the calendar hit December.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
Keep an eye on the transfer portal this month. With five major starters leaving early for the NFL, Ryan Day and Matt Patricia (who took over as DC this year) will need to be aggressive to fill holes in the secondary and the offensive line. The schedule for next year doesn't get any easier, so the "retooling" needs to happen fast.