Just minutes after the Ohio State Buckeyes suffered their second straight loss, a gut-wrenching 24-14 Cotton Bowl upset to Mario Cristobal’s Miami Hurricanes, they are already on the verge of losing a tight end to the transfer portal. College football recruiting specialist Hayes Fawcett hopped onto X and delivered the devastating news.

 “BREAKING: Ohio State TE Jelani Thurman plans to enter the @TransferPortal, his agent tells @On3Sports,” he wrote on X.

Ditching the program right after a playoff loss might seem absurd to many. The official portal window opens this Friday, but based on the timing of the decision, it’s safe to say the 6’6” tight end didn’t even make it to the bus before making the announcement. Judging by his decision, it seems he’s ready for a fresh start somewhere else with two years of eligibility remaining.

Coming out of high school, Jelani was a big deal, a top-tier four-star recruit with tons of potential. Everyone expected great things from him.

However, the tight end room in Columbus is absolutely loaded with talent. The Florida native likely figured he had no real shot at consistent playing time behind Max Klare, Will Kacmarek, Bennett Christian, and Nate Roberts.

His stats at Ohio State reflect that limited opportunity. Across three seasons, he recorded just 13 catches for 144 yards and a just two touchdowns. Not exactly the kind of production you’d expect from a 6’6”, 250-pound player.

That said, besides Thurman, we already know one other Buckeye is officially out the door and headed to the transfer portal: Wide receiver Bryson Rodgers. Word around the program is that running back Sam Williams-Dixon, safety Malik Hartford, and possibly even backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz could also enter the portal.

However, the biggest storyline of the night remains Ryan Day’s blunder, which arguably cost the Buckeyes a chance at back-to-back national titles.

Ryan Day’s blunder costs Ohio State the game

The loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl sparked a lot of discussion about Ryan Day’s coaching decisions. Many fans are pointing out two major mistakes that could have potentially cost the Buckeyes the game.

The first one was Day deciding to call the plays himself for this huge playoff game, instead of letting Brian Hartline handle it like usual (Hartline is leaving to be a head coach at USF, so Day stepped in).

Many feel that Day calling the plays after a long break from that role threw off the team’s rhythm when they needed it most in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game. That offense was a total no-show in the first half: zero points, three punts, and a 72-yard pick-six that Miami took to the house.

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Being shut out in the first half for the first time since the 2016 Fiesta Bowl really hurt their chances and put them behind the eight-ball from the get-go.

Then, there was the missed field goal right before halftime.

Kicker Jayden Fielding shanked a 49-yard attempt that would have at least made it 14-3. The kick sailed wide left, allowing Miami to maintain its perfect two-touchdown lead.

Truth is, the issue isn’t just about the miss; it’s the pattern. Fielding also missed a crucial kick against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Many believe the Buckeyes lost because of two things: a flat offense under Ryan Day’s play-calling and his failure to add a kicker through the transfer portal.