History of Ohio State Buckeyes football
Future Nebraska governor Chester Hardy Aldrich captained the team in 1886, and Stevens Institute of Technology alumnus Joseph Frederick Firestone led the attempt in 1887.
Harley returned in 1919, named an All-American for the third time, but Ohio State finished second in the Western Conference when Illinois, in the season's last game, scored the only touchdown of the year against the Buckeyes, then kicked a field goal on the final play to win 9–7.
Criticism of Wilce was widespread, particularly from the "downtown coaches" (a term that came into usage in the 1920s to describe vocal businessmen and other influential supporters of the program), for both failing to win the conference and for the extended losing streak to Michigan.
Whether Rockne was merely trying to gain leverage for a new, larger stadium at Notre Dame and fewer road games, or whether he seriously contemplated coaching the Buckeyes will never be known, for history records that he was "unusually silent on the matter.
[23] Brown immediately changed Ohio State's style of offense from the complex "razzle-dazzle" schemes of Schmidt to a power attack using the single-wing and T-formations, stressing precise play execution.
Brown planned and organized his program in great detail, delegating to his assistant coaches and using highly structured practices limited to 90 minutes duration to create a strong sense of team unity and identity.
Wartime demands forced the team to travel on passenger cars that had been in storage when first-line equipment was diverted to the war effort, and to be housed on the 6th floor of a downtown hotel without elevators.
Although the Big Ten promulgated a special wartime exemption in 1943 allowing freshmen to play varsity football, Ohio State found itself in competition against older and larger teams (both military and college) featuring players such as Elroy Hirsch.
[24] Eligible for call-up into the military by the Selective Service, Paul Brown accepted a commission as a lieutenant (junior grade) in the United States Navy on April 12, 1944, and was assigned to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center at Chicago.
[27] Wes Fesler became head coach with a five-year contract as the result of a collaborative selection process by retiring Athletic Director Lynn St. John and his successor, Dick Larkins.
Fesler employed a single wing offense with returning Dean Sensenbaugher at tailback and Joe Whisler at fullback, but two of his key veterans, Tommy James and Tony Adamle, had left school to play professional football and the Bucks had a dismal 2–6–1 record, shut out four times and scoring only 60 points the entire season.
Although again hurt by players leaving to play pro football, Ohio State improved greatly in 1948, winning six games and losing three in a year when the Big Ten was an exceptionally strong conference.
Fesler responded by playing Janowicz at halfback again, although he continued to be a serious passing threat to opposing teams, and Ohio State won six games in a row, most by wide margins, to move into the top ranking in the AP poll.
An 88-yard interception return by Cassady against second-ranked Wisconsin and a 4th quarter goal-line stand inside its own one-yard line against Michigan propelled Ohio State to a perfect season that included a 20–7 victory over USC in the Rose Bowl.
The game drew a then-record attendance in Ohio Stadium, including Vice-President of the United States Richard Nixon, and the Buckeyes beat Iowa 17–13 on a late 4th quarter drive featuring sophomore fullback Bob White.
[42] The Class of 1970 was one of the strongest to ever play for Ohio State, and came within two games of three consecutive undisputed national championships, losing only in what may have been the bitterest loss in Buckeye history to arch-rival Michigan in 1969 and again in the 1971 Rose Bowl to Stanford.
The Buckeyes continued to an undefeated season that saw wins over four ranked teams (three in the top ten), a 50–14 rout of Michigan, and a Rose Bowl victory over the USC Trojans that resulted in the national championship.
The 1969 loss to Michigan initiated what came to be known as "The Ten Year War", in which the rivalry, which pitted some of OSU's and UM's strongest teams ever, rose to the uppermost level of all sports and the competition between Schembechler and Hayes became legendary.
[48] Bruce inherited a strong team led by sophomore quarterback Art Schlichter but that had also lost eleven starters, and the 1979 squad exceeded pre-season expectations, ending the 3-year loss drought against Michigan and going to the Rose Bowl with an opportunity once again to be national champions.
All-Americans and future National Football League stars included Keith Byars, Cris Carter, Chris Spielman, John Frank, Jim Lachey, Tom Tupa, Marcus Marek, and Pepper Johnson.
His program was also known for the number of notable assistant coaches on staff, including Jim Tressel, Glen Mason, Pete Carroll, Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and Dom Capers.
Sophomore running back Keith Byars had a stand-out season in 1983, rushing for 1,199 yards, and Ohio State defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, but three losses in conference meant a 4th-place finish.
1984 witnessed what Bruce called "the greatest comeback after the worst start" when Ohio State fell behind Illinois 24–0 at home but roared back on 274 yards rushing and five touchdowns by Byars to win 45–38.
On the Monday of Michigan week, after a weekend of rumors and speculation, Ohio State President Edward Jennings fired Bruce but tried to keep the dismissal secret until after the end of the season.
[51] The Buckeyes enjoyed an emotional come-from-behind victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor after the entire team wore headbands bearing the word "EARLE", then declined an invitation to play in the Sun Bowl.
After renewing his contract and becoming a member of the "million dollar coaching club",[55] Cooper started sophomore Austin Moherman against the Miami Hurricanes in the nationally televised Kickoff Classic and was soundly beaten.
At a university that was accustomed to experiencing fewer than 2 or 3 losses a season, 2001 was considered a disappointment until Tressel made good on his promise and did what his predecessor could not, beating Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Even more impressive was the fact that Tressel gave the quarterback reins to untested sophomore Craig Krenzel after senior starter Steve Bellisari was suspended following a DWI arrest just prior to the Illinois game, a decision applauded as finally drawing the line on a program perceived as "getting out of hand".
[69] Following the loss to Florida, the team lost senior Troy Smith to the end of his college eligibility and juniors Ted Ginn Jr., Antonio Pittman, and Anthony Gonzalez to the NFL.
However, playing what was sometimes criticized as a weak schedule, and behind the statistically best defense among Bowl Series teams, Ohio State finished the season at 11–1, its only defeat in its final home game, against Illinois.
