Ohio State used to be one of those teams whose home tickets required a little planning and a healthy wallet. But now, with the Buckeyes stumbling through November, the price of getting into Ohio Stadium has gotten cheap. It may be good news for fans wanting to pay less and watch OSU play, but for Ryan Day and his program, it probably stings.

According to The Buckeye Nut, tickets for Saturday’s Northwestern game are now going for as little as $25 on the resale market. That’s quite a drop for a program that usually commands a premium, particularly at home. Before the season began, the cheapest tickets for this same matchup were reportedly around $128. Now, fans can get through the gates for less than the cost of a decent meal for two.

The reason is unmistakable. Ohio State has lost consecutive games, first falling 30-18 to USC before Oregon came into Columbus and handed the Buckeyes a 41-28 defeat on November 7. The latter was particularly painful. It was a home loss that left sections of the Horseshoe empty before the final whistle.

The boos have become harder to ignore. So have the early exits. During the Oregon game, spectators were already heading toward the exits in the fourth quarter, with large sections of the 102,780-seat stadium (which has an attendance record of 103,551) visibly emptying out. Even the sight of Brutus leaving early caught attention. 

Now, the ticket market is offering another indication of just how much enthusiasm has slipped. Ohio State enters Saturday at 6-3, dropping to No. 20 in the Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the AP Poll, their lowest AP position since 2014. Back-to-back regular-season defeats are especially unusual. The last time the Buckeyes suffered that fate was in 2011. And this isn’t just about two bad afternoons.

The defense has looked increasingly vulnerable. Ohio State is allowing 287 yards and 18.3 points per game across the season. Over its last three outings, however, those figures have climbed to 367 yards and 28.7 points. 

On offense, the QB situation hasn’t helped either. With Julian Sayin sidelined indefinitely, freshman Luke Fahey is expected to get another start against Northwestern. The offense needs him to settle things down, especially with Jeremiah Smith still waiting for the kind of involvement that can change a game.

Smith hasn’t looked quite the same without Sayin. Against Oregon, he went nearly two quarters without a target. That’s a long stretch to leave a player of his ability watching from the sidelines. No wonder he displayed his frustration publicly. Meanwhile, questions surrounding Tavien St. Clair’s readiness have added another layer of frustration to the QB discussion.

On Saturday, Northwestern won’t make things comfortable. The Wildcats arrive at 6-3 and have already shown they can cause problems. They nearly upset Indiana earlier in the season and built a 6-1 record before running into tougher opposition. 

Aidan Chiles is unavailable, leaving Nicco Marchiol expected to take over at QB, with OC Chip Kelly overseeing the attack. RB Caleb Komolafe also gives Northwestern something to work with. He’s collected 643 rushing yards and five touchdowns this season. On defense, LB Braydon Brus is worth watching after recording 13.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

There is an opportunity here for Ohio State. Northwestern has surrendered 365 yards per game, and the Buckeyes should have enough talent to exploit that weakness. But after two straight losses, just being the more talented team isn’t going to settle the crowd.

Saturday’s noon kickoff at Ohio Stadium comes with Ohio State favored by 14 points. But the bigger concern is what happens in the stands if things start going wrong again. A $25 ticket might be a bargain for someone hoping to experience the Horseshoe for the first time. But for the Buckeyes, seeing prices tumble from roughly $128 before the season is a much less appealing development.