Ryan Day Addresses Jayden Fielding’s Future After Costly Miss

Ohio State’s Big Ten Championship loss to Indiana left fans stunned, but no moment hit harder than the missed 27-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter. With 2:51 remaining and the Buckeyes trailing 13–10, Ryan Day sent out kicker Jayden Fielding for what should have been an easy game-tying attempt. Instead, the ball sailed wide left, and Indiana held on for a historic upset.

While the miss was painful, what Ryan Day said afterward raised even more questions about Fielding’s future.

Speaking at his December 7 press conference, Ryan Day didn’t sugarcoat the situation.
“He needs to look in the mirror and get it corrected when he’s not doing his job,” he said. “There’s a reason I sent him out there. We don’t put players on the field unless we trust them. Now it’s on him to review everything and make sure he’s locked in.”

Those words felt sharper than a routine postgame evaluation, and they immediately fueled speculation that Fielding’s role could be re-examined heading into the postseason.

Up until Saturday night, Jayden Fielding had been one of Ohio State’s most reliable players. He arrived in Indianapolis having made 15 of 17 field goals and was perfect on all 73 extra points. Even his earlier misses — including a pair against Michigan — never caused major concern because Ohio State kept winning. That’s what made the miss so shocking. A veteran kicker with his résumé isn’t expected to slip on a short attempt in a championship setting.

But the game’s turning point may have come earlier. Late in the third quarter, Ohio State faced 4th-and-1 deep in Indiana territory. Julian Sayin appeared to convert on a sneak, only for replay to overturn it. That empty possession, along with a failed short pass to Jeremiah Smith on the previous snap, hinted at a bigger offensive problem. When crunch time came again on 3rd-and-1 in the fourth quarter, Ohio State chose to throw once more — an incompletion that set up Fielding’s fateful kick.

Criticism poured in quickly. Michigan supporter and media personality Dave Portnoy blasted the decision to kick on 4th-and-1 and labeled the miss “an absolute choke job,” echoing what many rival fans were already saying.

Beyond the missed field goal, Ohio State’s broader struggles told the real story. The Buckeyes moved the ball well but broke down in key spots, converting only 4 of 12 third-downs and failing to finish drives inside Indiana territory. Sayin threw for 258 yards, Bo Jackson added 83 rushing yards, and Smith had a huge 144-yard night — but none of it mattered once the red-zone issues piled up.

Indiana, meanwhile, played its best game of the year. Fernando Mendoza’s 17-yard touchdown to Elijah Sarratt midway through the third quarter gave the Hoosiers the lead for good, and his 33-yard strike to Charlie Becker late in the fourth sealed Indiana’s first Big Ten title since 1967. It also ended Ohio State’s 30-game winning streak over the Hoosiers.

Despite the loss, Ohio State is still expected to land a top-two College Football Playoff seed and earn a first-round bye. But inside the program, Fielding’s miss — and Ryan Day’s pointed comments — will be at the center of discussions as the Buckeyes try to regroup for the postseason.

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