Ohio State's loss to Oklahoma drops the Buckeyes' all-time prime time record in Ohio Stadium to 15-5 for all home contests starting at or after 7:30 p.m.
The record selecting on non-conference opposition is even worse, as you see in the emboldened in the accompanying table. The Buckeyes are 6-4 with the last win over a non-conference opponent coming in 2010. That run starts 5-0 for Ohio State but has been 1-4 after 2003.
| Year | OSU Rank | Opponent | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | No. 9 | Pittsburgh | Sept. 14 | W, 10-7 |
| 1993 | No. 16 | No. 12 Washington | Sept. 11 | W, 21-12 |
| 1997 | No. 9 | Wyoming | Aug. 28 | W, 24-10 |
| 1999 | No. 13 | No. 14 UCLA | Sept. 11 | W, 42-20 |
| 2001 | No. 14 Northwestern | Oct. 6 | W, 38-20 | |
| 2003 | No. 2 | No. 17 Washington | Aug. 30 | W, 28-9 |
| 2005 | No. 4 | No. 2 Texas | Sept. 10 | L, 22-25 |
| 2008 | No. 10 | No. 3 Penn State | Oct. 25 | L, 6-13 |
| 2009 | No. 8 | No. 3 USC | Sept. 12 | L, 15-18 |
| 2010 | No. 2 | Marshall | Sept. 2 | W, 45-7 |
| 2011 | No. 12 Wisconsin | Oct. 29 | W, 33-29 | |
| 2012 | No. 12 | No. 21 Nebraska | Oct. 6 | W, 63-38 |
| 2013 | No. 4 | No. 23 Wisconsin | Oct. 5 | W, 31-24 |
| 2013 | No. 4 | Penn State | Oct. 26 | W, 63-14 |
| 2014 | No. 8 | Virginia Tech | Sept. 6 | L, 21-35 |
| 2014 | No. 13 | Illinois | Nov. 1 | W, 55-14 |
| 2015 | No. 1 | Penn State | Oct. 17 | W, 38-10 |
| 2015 | No. 1 | Minnesota | Nov. 7 | W, 28-14 |
| 2016 | No. 6 | No. 9 Nebraska | Nov. 5 | W, 62-3 |
| 2017 | No. 2 | No. 5 Oklahoma | Sept. 9 | L, 16-31 |
It's even worse selecting on Power Five conferences since some of those wins come against teams like Wyoming and Marshall in cupcakes deliberately scheduled for prime time to attract viewers on television. Therein, Ohio State's last non-conference win under the Ohio Stadium lights came in 2003 against Washington. Losses since then include nail-biters in 2005 and 2009 to Texas and USC.
The two most recent losses to Power Five opponents under the light were even less competitive. Ohio State never looked ready against Virginia Tech and its defense tonight was never to the task of stopping what Oklahoma threw at it. A sputtering offense incapable of challenging the Sooners' secondary down the field did not help matters tonight.
Ohio State will have to wait for an opportunity to get that first win over a Power Five opponent under Ohio Stadium's lights. The Buckeyes open next year with Oregon State, a game that is unlikely to be at night. The more likely opportunities will come in 2021 when Ohio State hosts Oregon. The 2022 season may also provide such an opportunity if we extend the "Power Five" label to include Notre Dame.
