Ohio State Defender Makes Surprising Claim On Oregon Loss

This Ohio State Buckeyes defender has revealed a rather bold claim about the team's Week 7 loss to the Oregon Ducks.

Oct 26, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jordan Hancock (7) celebrates a tackle for a loss during the second quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes' loss to the Oregon Ducks is getting further and further in the rearview mirror, but it still haunts many Ohio State fans to this day.

It was all the way back in Week 7, and the Buckeyes fell, 32-31, in Eugene, Or.

However, while it may have seemed like a crushing defeat at the time, Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock has revealed that the loss may have served as an impetus for the Buckeyes' recent play.

“Oregon game. We addressed the issues right there,” Hancock said, via Brandon Little of A to Z Sports. “Now, we're playing with a chip on our shoulder. We got a lot of confidence after the Nebraska game, and we just pitched a shutout, and now we expect that at Northwestern."

Ohio State has won three straight games since the Oregon loss, rattling off victories against Nebraska, Penn State and, most recently, Purdue.

While the Buckeyes did look a bit "off" against the Cornhuskers, they made a rather massive statement with their road victory over the Nittany Lions. They then hammered the Boilermakers by a score of 45-0 last week.

Ohio State has three contests remaining on its schedule. Its Saturday matchup with Northwestern should be relatively easy, but the Buckeyes will then conclude their regular season with tough matchups against Indiana and Michigan.

Hancock has represented a significant part of Ohio State's defense this year, having logged 26 tackles, an interception, a couple of forced fumbles and five passes defended.

We'll see if Hancock and the Buckeyes can continue their dominance heading into the College Football Playoff.