What Buckeye Team Is the Greatest of All Time?

[kinch]

Lots of teams labeled 'the greatest of all time' at the beginning of the season didn't go on to win the NC.

Ask me after the games have been played.

Well then 1973.

 

[ScriptOhio]

I think these guys are #1 (i.e. greatest Buckeye team of all times)...

100 TEAMS IN 100 DAYS: THE SUPER SOPHOMORES LEAD THE WAY FOR OHIO STATE'S FIFTH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1968

Woody Hayes kept his job after a three-loss 1967 season but put together one of the most memorable years in Ohio State program history in 1968.


The dynamic recruiting class called the Super Sophomores finally made its debut and did not disappoint. Rex Kern, Leo Hayden, Jan White, Bruce Jankowski, Larry Zelina and John Brockington all started on offense as sophomores.

On the defense, sophomores Jim Stillwagon, Jack Tatum, Mark Davevc, Doug Adams, Mike Sensibaugh and Tim Anderson led the charge.

In all, 12 sophomores started regularly for the team that returned to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1957.

THE 1968 BUCKEYES
RECORD 10–0
B1G RECORD 7–0, 1st
COACH Woody Hayes (18th year, 117–41–7)
CAPTAINS Dave Foley, Mark Stier and Dirk Worden
GAMES OF NOTE
September 28th • SMU • Ohio Stadium
Hayden Fry and SMU came to Ohio Stadium with the plan to sling the ball around and sling the ball they did. The Mustangs attempted an NCAA record 76 passes and tallied 437 passing yards. However, the No. 15 Buckeyes slowed the aerial attack and intercepted five passes.

Mike Sensibaugh secured the first interception to end Southern Methodist's first drive. The Mustangs threatened to score when Sensibaugh snagged Chuck Hixson's pass at the Buckeyes' 9-yard line.

Ohio State put the first points on the board halfway through the first quarter when Rex Kern capped an 80-yard touchdown drive with a 2-yard keeper. SMU fumbled the ensuing kickoff return and the Buckeyes were again in business on the Mustangs' 28-yard line. Jim Otis ran into the end zone from the 8, carrying a Mustang defender along with him. Dick Merryman kicked his second point and Ohio State led 14-0.

Hixson eventually found his groove, and early in the second quarter took his team 70 yards for a touchdown. The 12-play drive consisted of 11 passes and ended when Hixson hit Ken Fleming from eight yards out.

With their lead cut in half, the Buckeyes kicked the offense into gear. Dave Brungard scored twice before halftime — first on a 41-yard run and then an 18-yard reception. His second touchdown came because Kern took control of the game, literally.

Ohio State faced 4th-and-10 and before the punt team hit the field, Kern lined up the offense and gained 15 yards on an option play. The sophomore showed he had some serious stones or proved he had stones in his head. Either way, his gamble worked and the Buckeyes led 26-7 at the half.

The second half featured more passing and decent drives from SMU. However, Ohio State's defense always rose to the challenge and forced key fumbles or interceptions. In the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes' defense recorded a safety and Brungard rushed in for his third touchdown. Ohio State won 35-14.
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In 1967, rumors about Woody Hayes' job security swirled. At the end of the 1968 season, he won his fourth national championship, fifth Big Ten title and the Buckeyes rode a 14-game winning streak.

With an experienced and talented team returning, many expected the 1969 season to be one for the ages.

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...s-lead-the-way-for-ohio-states-fifth-national

This was my junior year and I attended all the home games.

 

[Jaxbuck]

tough to compare the different era's but the case made by advanced statistics for A) the quality, and depth, of opponents and B) the level of ass whupping applied to said opponents makes a very strong case for the 2014 squad.

Fun one to debate though.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Here are my non traditional votes (no order);

• 1995, 1996, 19998 probably 3 NC in a 4 year span with any other coach in America.
• Fucking John Cooper.....smfh
• 2005, IMO even with 2 early losses was the best team of the Tressel era and best team in the country at the end of the year. In a playoff era they would have beaten Texas or USC.
• You always have to give a nod to 1973 in these conversations. They ape fucked (and I do mean ape fucked) everyone that was put in front of them but were once tied in a rivalry game when the rival was actually good. These days I'm guessing they get a pass and a spot in the playoff to do some more ape fucking.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

• 2005, IMO even with 2 early losses was the best team of the Tressel era and best team in the country at the end of the year. In a playoff era they would have beaten Texas or USC.

At the end of the year they were playing some average to very bad teams (MSU 5-6, IU 4-7, Minn 7-5, Illinois 2-9, NW 7-5, UM 7-5) and did not have a win against a quality team all year except an overrated ND team. I can't put this team as the best in the Tressel era. Especially ahead of 2002 or 2006.

 

[Jaxbuck]

At the end of the year they were playing some average to very bad teams (MSU 5-6, IU 4-7, Minn 7-5, Illinois 2-9, NW 7-5, UM 7-5) and did not have a win against a quality team all year except an overrated ND team. I can't put this team as the best in the Tressel era. Especially ahead of 2002 or 2006.

Troy Smith finally hitting his stride, Ginn/Holmes/Gonzales receiving corp, Pittman at RB and a Hawk/Carpenter led defense. In terms of overall most balanced team that was the best on both sides of the ball Tress ever fielded imo.

All of his other teams had a more glaring weakness on one side or the other (usually offense).

 

[exhawg]

I don't think you can compare teams across decades. Football is so different now than it was even 20 years ago. I don't think a great team from 68 would have a chance against elite teams from the 2000's. The 2002 Buckeyes had possibly the best DL that I've seen in college and MoC is the best freshman RB that I've seen in my lifetime. I think 2014 would have beat 2002 in a game because I think UM is a better X's and O's coach than JT. 2014 probably had more talent across the board, but 2002 had great talent at a few spots that would have made it a game. Zeke was probably a wash with MoC by that point of his career. It also depends if we're talking 2014 OSU with JT or CJ. I think both are better than CK, but that DL might have been good enough to neutralize the 2014 offense.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

• You always have to give a nod to 1973 in these conversations. They ape fucked (and I do mean ape fucked) everyone that was put in front of them but were once tied in a rivalry game when the rival was actually good. These days I'm guessing they get a pass and a spot in the playoff to do some more ape fucking.

Arguably the best Ohio State team of the "modern" era versus the best Michigan team of the "modern" era. Of course, the Game ended in a 10-10 tie and each team finished the season with an identical 10-0-1 record. The National Championship Foundation awarded both teams a share of their 1973 national championship (along with undefeated Notre Dame).

To further define "ape fucked", Ohio State won its first nine games in 1973 by a combined score of 361 to 33 (that's 40.1 to 3.7 on a per game basis) with four shutouts. Then came the 10-10 tie with Michigan before the Buckeyes routed defending national champ Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl by the score of 42 to 21.

Some of the notable players from that team: QB Cornelius Greene (Big Ten POY); RB Archie Griffin (3x AA; 2x Heisman); OT John Hicks (2x AA; Lombardi; Outland); DE Van De Cree (2x AA); LB Randy Gradishar (2x AA); CB Neal Colzie (AA); and P Tom Skladany (3x AA). In the 1973 Heisman Trophy voting, Hicks finished 2nd, Griffin 5th, and Gradishar 6th.