COLUMBUS, Ohio — The record books will remember Caden Curry’s performance at Washington, but those who watched the contest know the senior defensive end was robbed of an even more remarkable showing.
Curry had five tackles for loss and three sacks for Ohio State. The former tied a program single-game record, but the latter was one short of doing the same.
If you thought you saw Curry get a fourth sack, though, it’s because you did. The Indiana native had a sack of UW quarterback Demond Williams Jr. early in the fourth quarter, but it was negated due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by Eddrick Houston.
After Curry completed the sack, Houston appeared to swing at a Washington offensive linemen, costing Ohio State 15 yards and keeping his teammate from matching another single-game record.
It was a low point in what has been a difficult start to Houston’s season.
“There’s a lot of things when you’re a young player that you have to work through,” coach Ryan Day said. “A big part of it is showing up every day and understanding… that scarlet line that we cross when we walk on the field every day — the game doesn’t care what you’re going through.
“The game doesn’t care about your feelings. It doesn’t care if you’re having a good day or a bad day.”
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Houston was a five-star prospect out of Georgia in the 2024 recruiting class with offers from many of the nation’s elite programs. After signing with Ohio State, he worked on the edge before transitioning inside to tackle.
Houston made an impact late in his freshman season, making a start against Purdue and playing 55 snaps across four College Football Playoff games.
He was a projected starter at tackle alongside Kayden McDonald entering the 2025 season. Despite suffering an injury early in preseason camp, he started in Ohio State’s wins against Texas and Grambling State.
After committing two penalties against the Tigers — a game in which he only played 10 snaps — he came off the bench during OSU’s Week 3 win against Ohio. He only played 18 snaps against the Bobcats.
Tywone Malone started again at Washington on Saturday, with Houston playing 13 snaps. His most memorable one cost Curry a sack.
Day pointed to inconsistency when challenging Houston during Ohio State’s bye week. This week, he alluded to a mantra plastered throughout the walls of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center: tough love.
“For a young player that’s going through a difficult time, invest in your faith, family and friends off the field so they can help you through it,” Day said. “When you get on the field, the game doesn’t care, man. You’ve got to show up every day, and that’s part of growing up.”
Day used an unnamed player as an example of what he means.
Leading into the Washington game, a veteran Buckeye was dealing with sickness. However, the player didn’t say anything. Instead, he battled through and eventually graded out as a champion in the victory.
That mentality stems from the program’s culture, according to Day.
“It’s about a mindset,” Day said. “It starts when they first get here. Everything starts with a thought. Thoughts lead to feelings. Feelings lead to what you say. What you say becomes your actions and your behavior.”
The seventh-year head coach believes the alignment on this year’s team is strong. Part of that stems from a roster filled with players who have been around the program for multiple years, even if they’re in starting roles for the first time.
Houston is an underclassman, even if he’s played valuable snaps in the past.
He’s still learning while trying to reestablish himself as a trustworthy option for Day and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
“When you’re a younger player, you think you know,” Day said, “and sometimes you don’t. I think you need to rely on your coaches and guys who have been through it before — when you face adversity to look to them for advice.
“The biggest thing is just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Avoid all distractions.”