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A Brief History of Ohio State Football

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1995 - 1998: Four Losses That Defined the Cooper Era

Nowadays it is unheard of for a head football coach at a powerhouse program to receive a seven-year grace period, but that's exactly what John Cooper got. Cooper's first seven years at Ohio State were mediocre by any standards, and dreadful by Ohio State standards, but he was able to keep his job into year eight.

And at first that seemed like a brilliant decision. Everything finally clicked for Ohio State in 1995, as the team won its first eleven games (including the Buckeyes' first ever win over Notre Dame) and shot to the top of the polls. In week twelve, #2 Ohio State played #18 Michigan and lost 31-23 when unheralded Wolverine running back Tim Biakabutuka rushed for a record 313 yards against the Buckeye defense. The loss cost Ohio State a trip to the Rose Bowl, a Big Ten title, and a shot at a national championship. With the season in ruins, Ohio State also lost another bowl game, this time to Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.

Despite the lousy finish to the 1995 season, several players had outstanding years. Eddie George rushed for a Buckeye single-season record 1,927 yards and single-game record of 314 yards (versus Illinois) and became Ohio State's sixth Heisman Trophy winner. Offensive tackle Orlando Pace was named an All American and won the Lombardi Award. Wide receiver Terry Glenn would set team records with 1,411 receiving yards for a season (since broken), 253 receiving yards for a single game (still standing), and 17 touchdown receptions for a season (still standing), was an All American, and won the Biletnikoff Award. Defensive end Mike Vrabel would set team records with 13.0 sacks (since broken) and 26.0 tackles for loss (still standing) and be named an All American. Quarterback Bobby Hoying would set several single-season and career records (all since broken), earn first team All Big Ten honors, and win the Draddy Award as the best senior student-athlete in college football.

The 1996 season started off much the same as 1995, with ten straight wins (including Notre Dame again) and a #2 ranking heading into The Game. And once again, a low-ranked Michigan team (#21 in the AP poll) would ruin the Buckeyes' perfect season and crush their national champion hopes. In the first half of The Game, Ohio State made it into the red zone three times but had to settle for three field goals. Even though the offense was unable to punch it into the end zone, the defense pitched a shutout and Ohio State led 9-0 at halftime. On the second play of the second half, Buckeye cornerback Shawn Springs slipped in single coverage and Wolverine wide receiver Tai Streets raced 69 yards for what would be the only touchdown of the contest. Michigan would add a field goal as the third quarter expired to take a 10-9 lead into the final session. Ohio State's offense sputtered to a halt in the fourth quarter and Michigan tacked on another field goal to make the final score 13-9.

The bitter loss to Michigan dropped Ohio State to #3 in the polls, but the Buckeyes were still headed to the Rose Bowl to play a perfect Arizona State squad that was ranked #2 in the country. Ohio State scored a late touchdown to prevail 20-17 for the team's first Rose Bowl victory since the 1973 season. However, #4 Florida upset #1 Florida State in the Sugar Bowl, and the Gators leapfrogged the Buckeyes in the polls to win the consensus national championship. With a record of 11-1-0, Ohio State would finish #2 in both polls.

Offensive tackle Orlando Pace was again named an All American, he repeated as the Lombardi Award winner, also claimed the Outland Trophy, and became the first pick in the 1997 NFL draft. Defensive end Mike Vrabel also repeated as an All American. Despite his unfortunate slip in The Game, cornerback Shawn Springs was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and an All American.

After losing all-time greats like Pace, Vrabel, and Springs, Ohio State took a step back in 1997, and the Buckeyes had little hope for a national championship after losing a mid-season contest against Penn State. Nevertheless, Ohio State still entered The Game with a 10-1-0 record a #4 ranking in the AP poll. Michigan was ranked #1, and even if the Buckeyes couldn't win a title for themselves, they still had the opportunity to prevent the Wolverines from doing so. Michigan jumped out to a 20-0 lead thanks to a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown from eventual Heisman winner Charles Woodson and a 43-yard pick six by Andre Weathers. Ohio State scored the next two touchdowns to close the gap to 20-14, but the Buckeye offense would gain only 20 total yards on its final three drives and the Wolverines survived with a six-point win. Michigan would go on to win the Rose Bowl and the AP national championship, while the Ohio State would get pounded in the Sugar Bowl by Florida State. Linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer won the Butkus Award and was named an All American.

The 1998 season saw the unthinkable - a win over Michigan and a victory in a bowl game during the same year. The problem in 1998 was an upset loss to Michigan State, a game that must rank as one of the most bizarre in the history of Ohio State football. The Buckeyes had destroyed their first eight opponents by a combined score of 306 to 72 (38.3 to 9 on a per game basis) and were the clear number one team in the country. During week nine, the 4-4 Michigan State Spartans, led by head coach Nick Saban, visited the Horseshoe as 28-point underdogs. Through the first two-and-a-half quarters, the game progressed as anticipated, with the Buckeyes holding a 24-9 lead and the Spartans lining up deep in their own territory for their fourth punt of the contest. Michigan State's punter shanked the ball so badly that it hit one of the Ohio State gunners in the foot. The Spartans recovered the muff and promptly drove the short field for a touchdown to cut the lead to 24-15. Ohio State's next drive ended quickly with a fumble and Michigan State kicked a 49-yard field goal to cut the lead to 24-18. Ohio State got the ball back and punted, and Michigan State drove 92 yards for a touchdown to take a 25-24 lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Ohio State still had plenty of time to re-take command of the game, but their next four possessions ended with a punt, a fumble, a turnover on downs, and an interception in the red zone in the final minute of the game. Final score: Michigan State 28, Ohio State 24. Ohio State would rebound with easy wins over Iowa and Michigan to close out the regular season, but it would provide little solace for a team that was supposed to win a national title.

1998 was the first year of the BCS Championship, and Ohio State narrowly missed being selected for that game (Tennessee would defeat Florida State to earn the national championship that year). However, the Buckeyes did play in the Sugar Bowl, and they defeated #8 Texas A+M by the score of 24-14 to finish with a record of 11-1-0 and in second place in the final polls. Wide receiver David Boston was named an All American after setting the Ohio State single-season record with 1,435 receiving yards (still standing), plus career records with 2,855 receiving yards (since broken), 191 receptions (still standing), and 34 touchdown receptions (still standing). Cornerback Antoine Winfield won the Thorpe Award and became a two-time All American (also 1997).

John Cooper will forever be defined by four losses: the losses to Michigan in 1995 and 1996, and to Michigan State in 1998, that ruined perfect seasons and cost Ohio State a chance for a national championship; and the loss to Michigan in 1997 that propelled the Wolverines to a national championship of their own. If Cooper could have won a couple of those games, and a national title along the way, then his legacy at Ohio State would be much different today.
 
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1999 - 2000: The Cooper Years Come to a Bitter (But Predictable) End

John Cooper was fired on January 2, 2001, but his pink slip was signed on November 7, 1998, when his team suffered an improbable upset loss to Michigan State and he squandered the Buckeyes' best chance to claim a national title in twenty years. The last two years of Cooper's reign was merely a case of going through the motions until the formal conclusion became inevitable. 1999 was a 6-6 campaign with a season-ending loss to Michigan and no bowl game. The team improved somewhat in 2000, but again lost to Michigan to close out the regular season with an 8-3 record. The Buckeyes did go to bowl game that year, but they barely showed up and got hammered by a South Carolina in the Outback Bowl, 24-7; one player who didn't show up at all was wide receiver Reggie Germany, who was ruled academically ineligible after posting a 0.0 GPA.

Cooper was canned the day after the Outback Bowl fiasco for a "deteriorating climate within the football program". Translation: Cooper was 2-10-1 versus arch rival Michigan, and 3-8 in bowl games.

John Cooper was an enigma at Ohio State. He posted a decent overall record of 111-43-4 (.715 winning percentage) and won three Big Ten championships, but as noted above he was absolutely terrible at the end of the season when games counted the most. On the other hand, Cooper won two major bowl games in three years (1997 Rose Bowl, 1999 Sugar Bowl) and earned a #2 final poll ranking after each of those big wins. Cooper also developed 22 All Americans and a Heisman Trophy winner, brought the Buckeye offense out of the "three yards and a cloud of dust" Stone Age, and crafted the vaunted Silver Bullets defense. As a recruiter, Cooper was one of the first northern coaches to make valuable inroads into the state of Florida, and those connections that he formed in the 1990s are still paying dividends to this day. Cooper is still a loyal Buckeye and he is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

But at the end of the day, John Cooper was 5-18-1 in the games that really mattered, and nothing else that he accomplished could save his job or his reputation.
 
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2002: The Buckeyes Win the BCS National Championship

When Jim Tressel was hired on January 18, 2001, he promptly "guaranteed" that Ohio State would finally beat Michigan. At least that's how Ohio State fans interpreted his quote: "I can assure you that you will be proud of your young people in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan." Although the 2001 season was a disappointment overall, with a 7-5 record and a bowl game loss, Tressel did make good on his guarantee and the Buckeyes did defeat Michigan by the score of 26-20.

The 2001 victory over Michigan was a feel good event, but it certainly didn't provide any indication of what was to come. With an inexperienced quarterback, no featured running back, and a defense that had surrendered over twenty points per game the previous season, the experts didn't expect much from Ohio State in 2002.

The season began well for Ohio State as the Buckeyes not only had blow out wins over Texas Tech (45-21), Kent State (51-17), and #10 Washington State (25-7), but also found their feature back. In those three games, true freshman Maurice Clarett rushed 63 times for 471 yards (7.5 average) and 6 touchdowns.

With Clarett on the sidelines with an injury, the Ohio State offense took a step backward in week four against Cincinnati. The Bearcats actually led 19-17 late in the fourth quarter, but quarterback Craig Krenzel scored the go-ahead touchdown with 3:44 left in the game. After receiving the ensuing kickoff, Cincinnati drove the length of the field but stalled in the red zone. A game-saving interception by Buckeye safety Will Allen ended Cincinnati's upset bid, and Ohio State hung on for a hard fought 23-19 victory.

The Cincinnati game saw the debut of Chris Gamble at cornerback for the Buckeye defense. Gamble, a sophomore wide receiver, was inserted at cornerback due to injuries and poor play in the defensive backfield. In the fourth quarter of that game, with Cincinnati leading and driving for another score, Gamble picked off a pass in the end zone. The interception would prove to be the first of many huge plays involving Gamble on the season.

After the Cincinnati scare, Ohio State ran off three straight relatively uneventful victories over Indiana (45-17), Northwestern (27-16), and San Jose State (50-7). In week eight, the Buckeyes had another challenging contest, this time against Wisconsin on the road. The Badgers led at halftime, 14-13, but the Buckeyes scored the only points of the second half and eked out a 19-14 victory. Once again, Chris Gamble picked off a pass in the end zone to halt a promising drive in the fourth quarter.

Maurice Clarett was injured early in the next game, a home contest against Penn State. With their star running back on the sidelines, the Buckeye offense sputtered and produced only 253 yards (3.7 yards per play) and two field goals. The Buckeye defense held Penn State to just 179 yards (3.5 yards per play) and forced three turnovers. The difference in the game was a 40-yard pick six by Chris Gamble, and Ohio State held on for another close victory, 13-7.

Ohio State had an easy 34-3 win over Minnesota before facing arguably their toughest challenge of the season. Although the Purdue Boilermakers entered the game with a record of just 4-5, the Buckeyes were once again without their best offensive playmaker, Maurice Clarett. Trailing Purdue 6-3 with just 1:36 left in the game, the Buckeyes faced a fourth-and-one at the Boilermaker 37-yard line. Instead of attempting a long field goal and playing for overtime, Jim Tressel kept his offense on the field. The Purdue defense covered the underneath routes but wide receiver Michael Jenkins broke free down the left sideline. Under tremendous pressure from the Purdue pass rush, Craig Krenzel stepped up in the pocket and launched a perfect strike to Jenkins. Holy Buckeye! Purdue got the ball back but once again Chris Gamble intercepted a pass to seal the Buckeye victory, 10-6.

A 4-6 Illinois squad also proved to be a surprisingly difficult opponent. The teams traded scores throughout the afternoon, and the Illini tied the game with a 48-yard field goal as time expired. In overtime, the first ever for Ohio State, the Buckeyes scored first on an 8-yard touchdown run from little-used tailback Maurice Hall. Illinois failed to score in their overtime possession, and Ohio State had another narrow victory, 23-16.

At the beginning of the 2002 season, Ohio State was ranked #13 in the AP poll. As the Buckeyes kept winning close games, the teams in front of them kept getting upset, and by the final week of the season Ohio State was ranked #2 in the country. Michigan entered The Game with a 9-2-0 record and a #12 ranking in the polls. Ohio State took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter thanks to a Maurice Clarett touchdown run, but Michigan added a pair of field goals in the second quarter to enter halftime with a 9-7 lead. At this point, Buckeye fans around the state were saying, "Here we go again...."

However, the Buckeye defense really stiffened in the second half, forcing four straight punts from Michigan. The Buckeye offense finally scored again with 4:55 left in the game on a 3-yard run from Maurice Hall. Michigan took the ensuing kickoff and drove into field goal range before defensive tackle Darrion Scott strip-sacked Wolverine quarterback John Navarre. Defensive end Will Smith recovered the fumble with two minutes left, but the Buckeye offense was unable to run out the clock. With less than a minute remaining in the contest, Michigan once again drove down the field, but safety Will Allen intercepted John Navarre's desperation pass as time expired.

With a record of 13-0-0 and a #2 ranking in the BCS, Ohio State was invited to play Miami in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship. Miami (12-0-0) was the defending national champ and riding a 34-game winning streak, and almost every so-called expert in the country predicted a massive blow out win for the Hurricanes. The game itself - especially a certain pass interference call - has been discussed at length, so I will not give a recap here. Miami might have been the better team, but the Buckeyes physically dominated the Hurricanes all night long and made just enough plays when they needed to. The game was one of the best ever in the history of college football, and Ohio State prevailed in double overtime, 31-24.

Ohio State finished the 2002 campaign with a 14-0-0 record, only the fifth time that the Buckeyes would have a perfect record. Maurice Clarett set an Ohio State freshman record with 1,237 yards rushing; Jim Tressel was named National Coach of the Year; safety Mike Doss became the Buckeyes' seventh three-time All American; wide receiver/cornerback Chris Gamble became the Buckeyes' first two-way player since the 1950s; and wide receiver Michael Jenkins became only the fourth Buckeye to have more than a thousand yards receiving in a single season (1,076).

The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes (14-0-0)
08/24/02: Ohio State 45, Texas Tech 21
09/07/02: Ohio State 51, Kent State 17
09/14/02: Ohio State 25, Washington State 7
09/21/02: Ohio State 23, Cincinnati 19
09/28/02: Ohio State 45, Indiana 17
10/05/02: Ohio State 27, Northwestern 16
10/12/02: Ohio State 50, San Jose State 7
10/19/02: Ohio State 19, Wisconsin 14
10/26/02: Ohio State 13, Penn State 7
11/02/02: Ohio State 34, Minnesota 3
11/09/02: Ohio State 10, Purdue 6
11/16/02: Ohio State 23, Illinois 16 (OT)
11/23/02: Ohio State 14, Michigan 9
01/03/03: Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (2 OT) (Fiesta Bowl)
 
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2003 - 2007: Several More Near Misses

Ohio State was a favorite to repeat as national champs in 2003, but their season was derailed before it even started when running back Maurice Clarett was suspended for the entire season pending an investigation for receipt of impermissible benefits. The Buckeyes had two regular season losses - Wisconsin and Michigan - but beat Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl to finish 11-2-0 and #4 in both major polls.

2004 was a rebuilding year that was highlighted by an upset win over Michigan, 37-21, and a convincing victory over Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl, 33-7. Ohio State finished 8-4-0 and #20 in the AP poll (#19 in the coaches poll). Place kicker Mike Nugent won the Groza Award and was named an All American for the second time (also 2002). Freshman Ted Ginn set a Buckeye record with four punt returns for touchdowns, including an 82-yarder to clinch the victory in The Game.

In 2005, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns met for the first time in their storied histories. Both teams were national title contenders, and the game was one for the ages. Led by future Heisman Trophy winner Vince Young, the Longhorns prevailed, 25-22. Texas would go undefeated in 2005 and win the BCS national championship, while Ohio State would settle for a 10-2-0 season, another win in The Game (25-21), another Fiesta Bowl victory (over Notre Dame, 34-20), and another #4 finish in both major polls. Linebacker A.J. Hawk won the Lombardi Award and became a two-time All American (also 2004).

In 2006, the Buckeyes were favored to win it all, and their season got off to a very good start with a 24-7 victory in a rematch with Texas in week two. Ohio State breezed through its Big Ten schedule, thereby securing its #1 ranking in the polls. In the season finale, #1 Ohio State faced #2 Michigan for the right to go to the national championship game. The Buckeyes took an early 21-7 lead and held on to win 42-39 in possibly the most exciting version of The Game of all time.

The Buckeyes entered the 2006 national championship game as the clear favorite against the Florida Gators, who were then coached by Urban Meyer's evil twin. Ted Ginn returned the opening kick 93 yards for a touchdown, and after just 16 seconds the Buckeyes had a 7-0 lead. But it was all downhill from there, as Ginn was injured in an end zone celebration, and the rest of the team played flat and uninspired for the remaining 59 minutes and 44 seconds. The final score: Florida 41, Ohio State 14.

Ohio State finished the 2006 season at 12-1-0 and #2 in both polls. After a record-setting campaign, quarterback Troy Smith became Ohio State's seventh Heisman Trophy winner.

Ohio State won its first ten games in 2007, but a week eleven loss to Illinois seemed to derail the Buckeyes national title aspirations. Ohio State finished the season with a 14-3 domination of Michigan, holding the Wolverines to just 91 yards of total offense (1.5 yards per play). After an improbable series of late season upsets, Ohio State found itself back in the national title game, this time against LSU. The Buckeyes again took an early lead on a big play, courtesy of a 65-yard run from Beanie Wells, but again fell apart quickly in a 38-24 loss. The Buckeyes finished with a record of 11-2-0, and linebacker James Laurinaitis won the Butkus Award.
 
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2008 - 2010: Terrelle Pryor and the TatGate Scandal

After leading the team to a berth in the national championship game in 2007, fifth-year senior quarterback Todd Boeckman was named the starter for the 2008 season. However, after an embarrassing performance in week three, a 35-3 loss to the Southern Cal Trojans in which Boeckman threw for just 84 yards, was intercepted twice, and was sacked four times, the Buckeye coaching staff handed the reins to true freshman phenom Terrelle Pryor. In his first game as a starter, Pryor threw for four touchdowns in a 28-10 win over the not-so-might Trojans of Troy. Pryor would hold the starting job for the remainder of the season, and the Buckeyes would rebound to win ten games including a 42-7 drubbing of Michigan. The season ended on a down note with a heartbreaking 24-21 loss to Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. Linebacker James Laurinaitis became Ohio State's eighth three-time All American (also 2006, 2007) and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins won the Thorpe Award and became a two-time All American (also 2007).

In 2009, the Buckeyes suffered a gut-wrenching loss to Southern Cal and a head-scratching loss to Purdue, but finished the season strong with a 21-10 win over Michigan and a 26-17 win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes first Rose Bowl victory since the 1996 season. With an 11-2-0 record, Ohio State finished #5 in both polls.

The Buckeyes were a serious national championships contender in 2010, but a mid-season loss to Wisconsin basically dashed their title hopes. The Buckeyes ran the table after the Wisconsin loss and capped the season with a 37-7 victory over Michigan, their seventh in a row in The Game. With a record of 11-1-0, the Buckeyes missed out on the BCS title game but they were invited to the Sugar Bowl to play Arkansas.

In the month between the end of the regular season and the bowl game, the news broke that Terrelle Pryor and five other Buckeye players had traded memorabilia for tattoos. The six players were originally ruled ineligible for the Sugar Bowl, but were subsequently allowed to play pending a full investigation of the matter. Led by Pryor, Ohio State won the game 31-26, and finished #5 in both major polls.

Pryor and several other players were suspended for part of the 2011 season for their roles in the TatGate scandal, and the matter seemed to be over and done with. However, in March of 2011, an Ohio State internal investigation revealed that head coach Jim Tressel had learned about the TatGate allegations in the summer of 2010 and had knowingly played ineligible players (including his star quarterback Terrelle Pryor) throughout the 2010 season. The NCAA conducted a full investigation and Tressel was forced to resign on May 30, 2011. Ohio State received the following penalties from the NCAA: loss of nine scholarships over three years; three-year probation; a bowl ban for the 2012 season; and the vacation of all wins from the 2010 season.

TatGate was not Jim Tressel's first encounter with the NCAA enforcement wing. He had troubles at Youngstown State before arriving in Columbus, and while at Ohio State he had issues regarding Maurice Clarett, Troy Smith, and certain recruits who ended up signing elsewhere. Some people claim that Tressel was a calculating cheater who finally got caught, others that he was simply too forgiving with his players and finally got burned. The truth is probably somewhere in between.

On the field, Tressel had an overall record of 106-22 (.828 winning percentage) with a 9-1 record against Michigan and a 6-4 record in bowl games (including five wins in BCS bowls). Tressel led the Buckeyes to seven Big Ten titles in ten years and their first consensus national title since 1968. Tressel produced 27 All Americans, a Heisman Trophy winner, and several other major award winners.

Tressel will be remembered for TatGate. Tressel will be remembered for going 9-1 in The Game. You decide which is more important.
 
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2011: The Fickell Interregnum

After Jim Tressel was fired three months before the start of the 2011 season, Luke Fickell was named as the interim head coach for the Ohio State football program. Fickell had no head coaching experience, he had lost his starting quarterback (Terrelle Pryor) to a permanent suspension and several other players to temporary suspensions, and outside pressures were causing what remained of the team to implode. In short, it was not a recipe for success, and Fickell failed. In his sole year at the helm, the Buckeyes went 6-7, ending the season with a loss to Michigan and a loss to Florida in the Gator Bowl.

2012 - 2014: Urban Meyer Comes to the Rescue

On November 28, 2011, two days after losing to Michigan for the first time in eight years, Ohio State hired Urban Meyer to be the head coach of the football team. Meyer came to Ohio State with a record of 103-23 (.817 winning percentage) and two national championships (2006, 2008) from his days at Florida.

Meyer quickly changed the culture at Ohio State, and the Buckeyes rolled through their 2012 season without a loss. However, the season would come to an end after a 26-21 victory over Michigan, as the Buckeyes were ineligible for postseason play as the result of the TatGate scandal. Ohio State would have to be satisfied with a 12-0-0 record, their sixth perfect season in history, and a #3 ranking in the final AP poll.

The Buckeyes also ran the table during the 2013 regular season, but fell to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game. That loss knocked Ohio State out of the BCS championship game and into the Orange Bowl, where they lost to Clemson. After a 24-0 start to his Buckeye career, Urban Meyer suddenly found himself mired in a two-game losing streak.

Just days prior to the start of the 2014 campaign, Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes' starting quarterback and the reigning two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Already extremely young on the offensive side of the ball, the Buckeyes were forced to use redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett under center. Barrett had a rocky start to his career, including an ugly 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech in week two, but by the end of the season he was putting up record-breaking numbers and leading the Buckeyes to a ten-game winning streak. Barrett suffered his own season-ending injury late in the Michigan contest and he was replaced by Cardale Jones, who closed out a 42-28 victory in The Game and then led Ohio State on a 59-0 rout of Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. Based on that performance, together with a potent offense, an improving defense, and a 12-1 overall record, Ohio State was selected as one of the four teams to play in the initial College Football Playoff.

On Janaury 1, 2015, Ohio State defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl by the score of 42-35, and advanced to the National Championship Game against Oregon.

On January 12, 2015, Ohio State defeated Oregon by the score of 42-20 to win their eighth national championship!

The 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes (14-1-0)
08/30/14: Ohio State 34, Navy 17
09/06/14: Virginia Tech 35, Ohio State 21
09/13/14: Ohio State 66, Kent State 0
09/27/14: Ohio State 50, Cincinnati 28
10/04/14: Ohio State 52, Maryland 24
10/18/14: Ohio State 56, Rutgers 17
10/25/14: Ohio State 31, Penn State 24 (2 OT)
11/01/14: Ohio State 55, Illinois 14
11/08/14: Ohio State 49, Michigan State 37
11/15/14: Ohio State 31, Minnesota 24
11/22/14: Ohio State 42, Indiana 27
11/29/14: Ohio State 42, Michigan 28
12/06/14: Ohio State 59, Wisconsin 0 (Big Ten Championship Game)
01/01/15: Ohio State 42, Alabama 35 (Sugar Bowl - playoff round 1)
01/12/15: Ohio State 42, Oregon 20 (National Championship Game)

1890 - 2014: A Summary to Date

Ohio State has been playing football for 125 years. The Buckeyes' overall record is 875-319-54, for a winning percentage of .723, which is the third best in the history of college football (behind only Notre Dame and Michigan).

Ohio State has six generally recognized national championships (1942, 1954, 1957, 1968, 2002, 2014) and a seventh that stands on pretty firm ground (1961); the school also claims a eighth (1970) that is not generally recognized (although it is recognized by the NCAA). Ohio State also has four seasons in which it finished #2 in the AP poll but did not get a chance to play for a national title (1944, 1973, 1996, 1998). Unfortunately for Buckeye fans, Ohio State has lost no less than ten de facto national title games over the last 95 years (1919, 1933, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 2006, 2007). That's makes at least twenty seasons in which Ohio State might have been the best team in college football, but the Buckeyes have only six (or seven or eight) national championships to show for it.

Ohio State also has 36 Big Ten titles.

Ohio State has seven Heisman Trophy winners: Les Horvath (1944); Vic Janowicz (1950); Hopalong Cassady (1955); Archie Griffin (1974, 1975); Eddie George (1995); and Troy Smith (2006).

Ohio State has four Maxwell Award winners: Hopalong Cassady (1955); Bob Ferguson (1961); Archie Griffin (1975); and Eddie George (1995).

Ohio State has six Lombardi Award winners: Jim Stillwagon (1970); John Hicks (1973); Orlando Pace (1995, 1996); Chris Spielman (1987); and A.J Hawk (2005).

Ohio State has four Outland Trophy winners: Jim Parker (1956); Jim Stillwagon (1970); John Hicks (1973); and Orlando Pace (1996).

In addition to the above, several other Buckeyes have won major awards.

No less than 187 Buckeyes have been named first team All Americans, and eight Buckeyes have earned that honor three times: Chic Harley (1916, 1917, 1919); Wesley Fesler (1928, 1929, 1930); Lew Hinchman (1930, 1931, 1932); Merle Wendt (1934, 1935, 1936); Archie Griffin (1973, 1974, 1975); Tom Skladany (1974, 1975, 1976); Michael Doss (2000, 2001, 2002); and James Laurinaitis (2006, 2007, 2008). Twenty-nine others have been received that distinction twice.

In addition, 36 Buckeyes have been named Academic All American.

Twenty-four Buckeye players and six Buckeye head coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
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