COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State receiver Austin Mack made an acrobatic leaping catch near the sideline for a 31-yard gain with 9:45 left in the third quarter against No. 5 Oklahoma on Saturday night.
The play was originally ruled incomplete before the review. Mack slammed to the turf and headed to the locker room afterward. That demonstrates how difficult it was for No. 2 Ohio State to come up with the big play in a 31-16 loss to the Sooners at Ohio Stadium.
MORE: Oklahoma 31, Ohio State 16: Five things we learned
Use whatever denomination you want — 20 or 25 yards — to determine what a "chunk play" is. That was the Buckeyes' only big play of the night. That factor led to another big-game loss for Ohio State under Urban Meyer, who offered a blunt assessment afterward.
"Offense was bad," he said. "So, we're going to do what we do. That's get back to work as hard as we possibly can, starting somewhat tonight and tomorrow and figure this thing out."
The knee-jerk vitriol will come from impatient Buckeye fans until Ohio State figures that out. It's a combination of J.T. Barrett, the receivers, the protection and the play-calling that has led to the same gripes for a few years running. But it's clear the addition of offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day isn't a quick fix.
You've heard the saying, "Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games." Oklahoma's players did that all night — with most coming from two-time Heisman finalist Baker Mayfield.
Ohio State, meanwhile, was left with the same questions about a storyline that began in earnest in the 2015 season.
No, Barrett isn't getting benched. Meyer cut off the question. Yes, the passing game remains a concern. The Buckeyes, however, need to find an answer for the next time they are involved in a big-time game, or they will be eliminated from the College Football Playoff — and the Big Ten East arms race — if that doesn't happen.
"I feel the same pressure as everyone here to get very good at the passing game," Meyer said. "We've worked extremely hard at it. It wasn't good tonight. We've got to get the damn thing fixed, and we will."
MORE: Baker Mayfield planted the flag, stole the show
That trickled down to the running game. J.K. Dobbins averaged 5.5 yards per carry, and Ohio State rushed for 167 yards, but didn't net a single chunk play. Dobbins and Barrett each had a run of 16 yards. Mike Weber had a 13-yard run. That isn't enough when the passing game isn't clicking.
Meyer is now 7-4 against teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll since arriving in Columbus, but this is his second straight loss against a top-five team. This game was supposed to be an atonement of sorts after the 31-0 loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal last season, a loss that led to the addition of Wilson and Day in the offseason. Instead, Oklahoma stole the show under first-year coach Lincoln Riley. Last year, the Sooners missed the playoff largely because of a head-to-head 45-24 loss to the Buckeyes in Norman.
Oklahoma had that chip this time, and that leaves the Buckeyes with no margin for error the rest of the regular season. The vitriol might wear off by October — the Buckeyes have a favorable schedule leading up to an Oct. 14 trip to Nebraska. But Ohio State might not play a ranked team, let alone a top-10 team, until Penn State visits Columbus on Oct. 28. Michigan also will be a possibility in the regular season finale. Those games will determine whether Ohio State can hit the big play — and perhaps restore that big-game reputation.
The Buckeyes have taken a hit out of conference with losses to Clemson and Oklahoma. But as that 2014 season proved with Virginia Tech, one home loss could lead to something better.
That's a collective effort, and Meyer is focused on one goal now. At this point, you trust Meyer's 62-7 record at Ohio State and take the loss. Then you find a way to make more big plays.
"We gotta go beat Army is what we have to go and get on a roll," he said. "You've seen a roll around here a few times. So that's what has to happen."
