This season marks the 100th anniversary of Ohio Stadium. Earlier this year we looked at the 10 greatest plays in the history of the facility.
Ohio Stadium has witnessed some magical games in its 100-year history.
Surely the first game at the facility, now on the National Register of Historic Places, must have awed its spectators. Yet the 5-0 win over Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 7, 1992, was hardly memorable for any other reason.
Likewise, the dedication game for Ohio Stadium reportedly drew more than 70,000 fans on Oct. 21, 1922. But the action itself fell flat, a 19-0 loss to Michigan, the first team to hand the Buckeyes a defeat in their new home.
Alas, that would not become a trend. Some of the greatest games in all of college football have taken place at The Horseshoe, and not all of them went Ohio State’s way.
Hence, any objective review of the stadium would discount the victor and judge the contest on its own merits for importance and excitement.
With those factors and more in mind, Here’s one argument for the 10 greatest games ever played in Ohio Stadium:
No. 1. Nov. 23, 1968: No. 2 Ohio State 50, No. 4 Michigan 14
This had to be the best game Ohio State has ever played, on both sides of the ball, against an elite foe in the Horseshoe. That it came against arch-rival Michigan and led to a consensus national championship is what pushes it to No. 1.
The Buckeyes fell behind the fourth-ranked Wolverines 7-0 before nudging ahead 21-14 at halftime. Coach Woody Hayes watched his team explode to a 29-0 beatdown in the final two quarters.
Ohio State ran for 421 yards and fullback Jim Otis scored four touchdowns.
“This is the best victory we ever had,” Hayes said. “This is a good football team, and we played a good football team.”
This was the game Ohio State went for two at the end. The real reason is because lineman Jim Roman couldn’t find his kicking shoe amid the celebration. So Woody just left the offense on the field.
Nope, he never said “Because I couldn’t go for three.” Never happened. It’s a helluva story. Woody would probably like to have claimed it, but it was a Lou Holtz story first told in 1987. Nice story, though.
No. 2. Nov. 18, 2006: No. 1 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Michigan 39
At the time, it was called the Game of the Century. The pregame was dripping with anticipation.
Former Michigan coaching legend Bo Schembechler, also a former assistant and the offensive coordinator to Woody Hayes for Ohio State’s 1961 national championship team, died the week of the game.
The No. 2 Wolverines and No. 1 Buckeyes were both undefeated. This was a high-scoring affair with multiple big plays as neither team played even a hint of defense.
Ohio State overcame an early 7-0 deficit and led from the second quarter on to secure the victory and qualify for the national championship game.
Unfortunately, the fact that both of these squads were absolutely hammered in their ensuing bowl games significantly diminished the historical weight of this contest. But it was fun while it lasted.
No. 3. Nov. 26, 2016: No. 2 Ohio State 30, No. 3 Michigan 27 (2 OT)
There’s never been a more exciting game played in Ohio Stadium. Michigan’s brilliant defense led the Wolverines to a 17-7 third-quarter lead, but Michigan was simply unable to stop the Buckeyes and quarterback J.T. Barrett after that.
Ohio State marched the length of the field multiple times in the fourth quarter to tie the game, weathered a second missed chip-shot field goal that should’ve ended it in regulation, and then scored in each overtime, with Curtis Samuel’s 15-yard run finishing it.
The Buckeyes, the youngest team in college football, qualified for the playoffs, but got drubbed, knocking the luster off this memorable victory.
No. 4. Nov. 20, 1970: No. 5 Ohio State 20, No. 4 Michigan 9
This was the great revenge game from the 1969 humiliation in Ann Arbor.
Rex Kern, Jack Tatum, Jim Stillwagon, Jan White, Leo Hayden, John Brockington and all the rest of the greatest recruiting class in school history made sure their three-year unbeaten streak in Ohio Stadium remained intact.
The Buckeyes led throughout, but undefeated Michigan stayed perilously close until midway through the fourth quarter. A Stan White interception set up Kern’s 4-yard option pitch to Hayden, who scored in the closed end of the Horseshoe to finally put away Bo Schembechler’s Wolverines.
Yet again, a disappointing Rose Bowl loss (which the Buckeyes led into the fourth quarter), cost Hayes another national crown, and a few slots on this list.
No. 5. Nov. 16, 1957 No. 6 Ohio State 17, No. 5 Iowa 13
This was the game of the 1957 season. It came in Week Eight, and led to a national championship. There’s not a more old-school contest on this list.
The matchup pitted Iowa coach Forest Evashevsky against Woody Hayes, two arch-nemesis who were battling for control of the conference as Michigan began a long dip.
The once-beaten Buckeyes trailed undefeated Iowa 13-10 late in the fourth quarter. OSU took over on its own 32. What ensued was the greatest power-football drive in program history.
Raw-boned sophomore fullback Bob White, a third-teamer when the season began, carried the ball on six of the next eight snaps, gaining 66 of 68 yards. He finally capped the march with a dramatic 5-yard blast.
Ohio State went on to win the Rose Bowl by beating Oregon 10-7 and claimed the UPI national championship.
No. 6 Nov. 23, 1974: No. 3 Ohio State 12, No. 2 Michigan 10
Once-beaten Ohio State fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter, but slowly worked its way back.
Kicker Tom Klaban drilled three second-quarter field goals to pull the Buckeyes to within 10-9 at halftime, and a Bruce Elia interception near midfield set up his Klaban’s final field goal in the third quarter to give OSU the lead for good.
While Archie Griffin ran for 111 yards, Michigan’s brilliant defense kept Ohio State out of the end zone. The reverse was also true, as tackle Pete Cusik, cornerback Neal Colzie, and defensive end Van DeCree consistently turned away the Wolverines, too. Tom Skladany had a fine day punting the ball, too, in a field-position game.
Michigan had one final chance, but Mike Lantry’s 33-yard field goal was wide left with 18 seconds remaining.
Once again, Ohio State dropped a frustrating 18-17 Rose Bowl decision to USC which cost Hayes a national title, or this game would also go higher on our list.
No. 7. Oct. 28, 2017: No. 6 Ohio State 39, No. 2 Penn State 38
Undefeated and second-ranked Penn State had this game in control from the opening kick, which All-American Saquon Barkley returned for a touchdown But the Nittany Lions could not put away the Buckeyes — and in particular quarterback J.T. Barrett.
It shouldn’t be surprising, Barrett was 9-3 against Top 10 teams in his OSU career. Only Rex Kern, among all Buckeye quarterbacks, has even half as many such victories, with 5 Top-10 wins.
On this day Barrett was simply unstoppable while rallying his team back from a 15-point third-period deficit. Evetually, he willed his team to a victory in the final moments with a dramatic drive capped by yet another TD pass.
Barrett went 13-for-13 with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter as part of a streak of 16 consecutive completions in the second half. He finished with 318 yards and four scores on 33-of-39 passing, as well as 95 rushing yards on 17 carries.
This ranks as the greatest quarterback performance, especially when considering the quality of foe, in the history of Ohio Stadium.
No. 8. Sept. 24, 1977: No. 3 Oklahoma 29, No. 4 Ohio State 28
This was the hardest-hitting game in the history of Ohio Stadium. Both teams had their starting quarterbacks knocked out of the game, Thomas Lott for Oklahoma and Rod Gerald for Ohio State. Buckeye linebacker Tom Cousineau, who would go on to be a No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, was also put on the injured list.
Coach Barry Switzer wielded his best-ever wishbone backfield with Lott pulling the trigger in front of fullback Kenny King and halfbacks Elvis Peacock and future Heisman winner Billy Sims.
Coach Woody Hayes was still recovering from the loss of Archie Griffin, but Gerald and lightning quick tailback Ron Springs gave Ohio State’s foes fits, too.
It began as a blowout, with Oklahoma rushing to a startling 20-0 lead, and ABC switching the national TV audience to another game.
“We were on our way to hanging half a hundred on ole Woody,” the insufferable Switzer bellowed years later.
Hardly.
The Buckeyes ripped off four straight touchdowns and ABC scurried to bring back their national TV audience to see the tables had turned. Ohio State led 28-20 deep into the fourth quarter when catastrophe struck.
Oklahoma scored a TD late in the fourth quarter, but was denied on its two-point conversion attempt.
However, the Sooner recovered the ensuing onside kick, completed a key pass, and set up Uwe von Schamann for a 41-yard boot. He calmly drilled it with three seconds left.
No. 9. Nov. 2, 1935: Notre Dame 18, Ohio State 13
This was the first time the phrase Game of the Century had been used, before and after the contest was played. That there is video of this game shows just how significant it was for the time, as this was a luxury long before its time in the mid 1930s.
Future president Ronald Reagan was broadcasting another contest that day but like all college football fans kept track of this one. When the Fighting Irish scored three TDs in the fourth quarter to overcome a 13-0 deficit, Reagan reportedly did not inform his listeners — as he couldn’t believe such a miracle had taken place.
Unfortunately for Ohio State fans, it had.
These were two undefeated squads, and this marked the only loss for the Buckeyes, who finished 7-1, shared the Big Ten title with national champion Minnesota, and were slotted at No. 5 in the final UPI poll.
Ohio State seemed to be in control early as Frank Antenucci stepped in front of a pass from ND’s Mike Layden and intercepted it. He lateraled it to teammate Frank Boucher, who raced the remaining 65 yards for the game’s first touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Stan Pincura intercepted a pass by ND quarterback William Shakespeare near midfield. That set up Joe Williams’ 3-yard touchdown run and a 13-0 OSU lead. That score stood until the fourth quarter, when Notre Dame sprung to life.
ND’s Andy Pilney started the comeback with a 37-yard punt return, setting up Steve Miller’s 1-yard TD run. That cut the OSU lead to 13-6.
The Irish got the ball back with three minutes left. Mike Layden hit a pair of big passes and then he was on the receiving end of a 15-yard pass from Pilney for a touchdown. The PAT kick was low and was blocked, so OSU maintained a 13-12 lead.
OSU recovered an onside kick, but still needed a first down to try and run out the clock. OSU’s Dick Beltz took a handoff and was hit by ND’s Pilney and fumbled. The ball squirted toward the sideline, where an official ruled an ND player was the last one to touch it before it went out of bounds. The rules in those days gave possession to the team that had last touched it, so ND took possession near midfield with just over one minute left.
Pilney scrambled for 30 yards down to the OSU 19-yard line. Pilney was injured on the play and carted off the field. Coach Elmer Layden sent Shakespeare into the game as his replacement. Just 40 seconds remained when Shakespeare threw into the end zone to Wayne Millner, who caught the game-winning 19-yard T.
Notre Dame fans stormed the field and uprooted the goal posts and left with them.
New York Herald Times legend Grantland Rice: “This was one of the finest things I have ever seen in football.”
Revered scribe Damon Runyan: “I thought in the first half that Ohio State was one of the best teams I have ever seen. In the second half, the Irish showed the fight that is the tradition of Notre Dame. What a game!”
As it turned out, it would even be selected as college football’s “Game of The Century” 34 years later.
No. 10. Nov. 25, 1950: No. 9 Michigan 9, No. 5 Ohio State 3
The fact that this game was even played was a minor miracle. For Ohio State’s sake, it shouldn’t have been.
The Buckeyes, ranked No. 1 just two weeks earlier, were coming off a stunning upset at Illinois. Still, a win over Michigan would sew up a second straight Big Ten title for coach Wes Fesler’s squad.
Also, junior Vic Janowicz was in the process of winning the Heisman Trophy. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, a blizzard to be exact.
With near zero-degree temperatures and 30 mph winds, survival seemed more prudent than playing a game. The snow drifted so fast it measured two inches per hour — making it nearly impossible to see the yard markers.
The Buckeyes had three first downs. Michigan didn’t record a single first down, and won the game by blocking a couple of Ohio State punts. One went out of the end zone for a safety, the second one, in the final minute of the second quarter, was recovered in the end zone for a Wolverines’ touchdown.
Janowicz’s incredible 37-yard field goal, later voted one of the greatest sports feats in the first half of the 20th century, was largely forgotten even by Ohio State fans.
Earle Bruce was a teenager sitting in the stands for this game. He frequently told the story of an old lady behind him putting in her false teeth to scream at Fesler in the final minute of the half, begging him not to punt deep in his own territory.
“Don’t do it, Fesler! Don’t you do it, Fesler! Don’t you dare do it, Fesler!”
But he did, and the Wolverines won a trip to the Rose Bowl because of it.
Fesler quit the job six weeks later, which triggered the arrival of Woody Hayes.
