How could it possibly be a negative? Football players understand that teams lose sometimes (fans should realize this as well). A prospect's visit won't be spoiled by a loss unless the home team got completely blown out or dogged it on the field. A recruit simply isn't going to leave The 'Shoe saying, "OSU played hard from beginning to end and lost to the #2 ranked team in the country by three points - no way I'm going there!" Recruits look at the big picture - how the team played; what kind of plays the team ran; did the team play with class and composure; did freshmen get to play (note to CB recruits - true freshman Malcolm Jenkins played yesterday, including crucial situations in the 4th quarter); and what were the fans and game day atmosphere like. In addition, the recruits will look at the "non game" aspects of the visit - the city, the campus, the classes, the coaching staff, the current players and commitments (that is, are the guys cool to hang with), the depth chart, and probably a few dozen other things as well. Remember, many recruits won't take official visits until after the season, so game day happenings aren't really as big a factor as most fans think.
