Ohio State has fired special teams coordinator Robby Discher, sources confirmed to ESPN, one day after the Buckeyes surrendered a pivotal fake punt conversion in Saturday's loss to Oregon.
Discher had been in his first season with the Buckeyes. He arrived after holding the same position at Illinois, where he also coached tight ends, and his earlier stops included special teams roles at Tulane and Toledo.
The decisive moment came in the second quarter Saturday. Ohio State held a 14-3 lead and had forced Oregon into a fourth-and-9 punt from the Ducks' own 31-yard line. Instead of kicking, Oregon defensive lineman Teitum Tuioti lofted a jump pass to fellow defensive lineman Matayo Uiagalelei, who rumbled for a 30-yard gain.
The Ducks turned that conversion into a touchdown, and it proved to be the start of a collapse. Oregon scored 38 unanswered points on its way to a 41-28 victory, handing Ohio State a second consecutive defeat.
After the game, head coach Ryan Day made clear that changes could be coming, saying he would "evaluate everything" in the wake of the loss.
"Getting off the field there before the fake punt would have been a huge stop and enabled for us to get the ball on offense and eat up some more clock there in the second quarter," Day said. "But it didn't happen. So I've got to evaluate everything and try to come in [Sunday] and figure out with the staff the things that we're just coming up short on and figure out how to adjust those things."
Day emphasized that the responsibility began with the coaching staff. "And I think it all starts with the staff. And then it goes to the players. So there needs to be accountability for all of it. And then we go from there."
The fake punt was not the only special teams breakdown. Ohio State was flagged for several special teams penalties during the game, an issue Day described as untenable. "The penalties are a killer," he said. "At the end of the day as a coach, you've got to look yourself in the mirror and find out why that's happening."
The numbers reflected those struggles. The Buckeyes entered the week ranked 102nd nationally in special teams efficiency this season, a striking figure for a program with championship expectations.
247Sports/CBS first reported Discher's dismissal.
