Some might view Ohio State’s Week 2 loss to Oregon in Columbus as an early knockout punch to its national championship hopes. Defensive lineman Haskell Garrett doesn’t believe that’s the case, though.

Despite being a heavy underdog, the Ducks walked out of Columbus with a huge 35-28 victory over the Buckeyes on Saturday. It was an early-season outcome that boosts the resume for Oregon but is certainly a blow for Ohio State.

After the game, Haskell Garrett didn’t appear to lose any hope. He referenced Ohio State’s run in 2014, despite a Week 2 loss to Virginia Tech in The Horseshoe.

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“We got a long season. This ain’t COVID anymore. The main objective is still there,” Garrett said after the game. “They did it in ’14, and we can do it in ’21.”

Ohio State’s start to the season was incredibly challenging. The Buckeyes opened the year with a road trip to Minnesota before heading home to play a 12th-ranked Oregon squad. It was as tough of a two-week start as anyone had in college football.

Now, the Buckeyes get a bit of an easier slate. The next two week, Ohio State will host Tulsa and Akron before jumping back into B1G play.

Because the B1G has plenty of talented teams, there’s still a great chance Ohio State can win a fifth-straight B1G title and earn a trip to the College Football Playoff. It’s just a much tougher road, now.