The loss against Texas left Columbus in disbelief, to say the least. This was not a case of tough competition between two equals who were at each other’s throats throughout the game. That would’ve been some consolation for the Buckeyes. Instead, they lost their 20-point, three-quarter lead in the last 15 minutes, which has prompted some much needed introspection in the locker room.
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Led by Ryan Day, the Buckeyes were the No.1, highly favored team touted to win on September 12, just as they had last season. The offense put up a performance that declared them college playoff contenders. For Luke Montgomery, this meant the final outcome has been a lesson in accountability and patience.
“Just individually, I feel like I let some of the guys down from that aspect,” the offensive lineman told reporters in a press conference. He made his comments at home in OSU on September 16 and opened up about what went down in Austin.
For the majority of the game, it looked like the Buckeys were going to win. Before Day switched to a defense-first approach in the fourth quarter, Montgomery & Co. were leading 23-3. Despite the outcome, Julian Sayin was the better quarterback between him and Arch Manning. He threw one touchdown and one interception for 278 passing yards.
Montgomery started as the left guard in his last outing. He and the Buckeyes are still reeling from the unexpected and heartbreaking loss. The senior, however, is not losing out on hope. He not only took responsibility for what transpired in the Texas Memorial Stadium but also shared where they failed as a group.
“I think overall, I think we’re a gritty group, and we want to finish people. I just think we have to have a controlled aggression to that,” he opined. “Sometimes I think we’re a little overaggressive, and that gets us sometimes. But I love our group. Last week, this past week s****, but we’ve got to move on from that.”
The Longhorns are relishing their victory of dethroning the Buckeyes as the No.1 program. More so now, considering they lost 14-7 last year. This victory, however, was a hard-earned one. They benefited from all the missteps that Ryan Day took.
Luke Montgomery addresses the negative OSU chatter online
If one win does not define the Longhorns, then neither does one loss. Montgomery is not forgetting that, nor does he want Ohio State fans to forget either.
“We’ve got a long season, and I still think we’re one of the best teams,” he said before adding, “We have the chance to go on and do everything we want to do… I think a lot of people’s days are made or break on a three-hour game. We don’t want that any more than they do.”
Montgomery was addressing the backlash Day opened his doors to after making the fatal mistake after the third quarter. Ardent Buckeyes fans share the same opinion: all his losses look the same. The Texas showdown was not a one-time turnout. It is a pattern that tests fans’ faith and patience in their team.
The offensive lineman is still clinging to hope. The Buckeyes did mess up big time, but as he said, they still have the season left. Redemption is possible, and it begins on September 19 against Kent State.