Ohio State bettors had the worst bad beat to end Saturday’s game

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ohio State bettors had the worst bad beat to end Saturday’s game

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Nov 15, 2026 9:02 AM ET

Anyone who bet on the Ohio State Buckeyes to cover the point spread against the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday wound up with a very frustrating bad beat on their hands.

The Buckeyes were favored by roughly 14 points heading into Saturday’s game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, and they appeared to be on their way to covering with a 28-13 lead and Northwestern holding the ball deep in their own territory with 1:05 left. The Wildcats put together a last-ditch drive powered by a 41-yard reception, however, to give themselves a chance to save face a little bit.

On the final play of the game, Northwestern quarterback Nicco Marchiol connected with wide receiver Luke Dehnicke for a 17-yard touchdown. While meaningless in relation to the outcome of the game, the last-second touchdown meant the Wildcats had covered, as Fox announcer Connor Onion was quick to point out.

“A bad, bad, bad beat.” — @ConnorOnion nails Northwestern’s TD on the final play to cover the 14.5-point spread at Ohio State https://t.co/XtsipoO2QS
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 14, 2026

Ohio State ultimately won 28-19. That was no good for those who had them covering the two-touchdown spread.

The Buckeyes certainly needed the win in the grand scheme of things, and they got it, albeit by a lesser margin than they likely anticipated. Gamblers, meanwhile, might just want to avoid Big Ten games for a bit due to their propensity for wacky endings.

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