Christmas in July: Top Buckeye Football Championship Moments of the Last 25 Years
It’s Christmas in July! To celebrate July 25, and quite frankly to find something to celebrate in this whirlwind of 2020, we decided to put together a list of “presents” Ohio State has given fans in recent years. In honor of 7/25, here are your top seven Buckeye championship moments over the last 25 seasons. Games may include conference championships, most memorable performances against Michigan or bowl game victories. Let’s get started:
7. 2001 Ohio State at Michigan (W, 26-20)
Perhaps one of the more disappointing seasons from a powerhouse decade for Ohio State football in the 2000’s was a 7-5 record in 2001. Following an 11-1 record and Sugar Bowl victory over Texas A&M in 1998, Ohio State did not make a bowl game for the first time since 1988 the following season, and their 8-4 record in 2000 led to a coaching change. John Cooper was relieved of his duties by a fairly unknown Jim Tressel and, as first seasons often go for new coaches in college football, 2001 was a rocky start to the Tressel era. With veteran leadership in the locker room that was recruited by Cooper, Tressel’s Buckeyes dropped games to No. 14-ranked UCLA, Wisconsin, Penn State and No. 11 Illinois before traveling to Ann Arbor to face off with an 11th-ranked Michigan squad that held an 8-2-1 record against Ohio State since 1990.
Adding to the legend of this victory is a basketball halftime speech Tressel upon being hired, stating that the Buckeyes would “most especially make the school proud in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan.” Even with Ohio State’s struggles against "That Team Up North" in the era, Tressel’s confidence in his players was a defining characteristic of the success his teams would have for years to come.
Ohio State, led by senior running back Jonathan Wells (25 rushes, 129 yards and 3 touchdowns), jumped out to a commanding 23-0 halftime lead that Michigan was never able to recover from. Craig Krenzel began his illustrious career with his first win as a starter after taking over for Steve Bellisari prior to the loss vs. Illinois the previous week. Krenzel would go on to hold a 2-1 record vs. Michigan and quarterback the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship.
6. 2010 Rose Bowl vs. Oregon (W, 26-17)
Ohio State may have controlled the ebbs and flows of this game from start to finish, but that was not indicative of its 2009 campaign. A young and talented roster showed promise en route to an 11-2 record, but disappointing losses to then No. 3-ranked USC team (15-18) that finished the season 9-4, and Purdue, who finished the year 5-7, showed that this team had a long way to go if they were to reach full potential. Adding to the fan base’s frustration early in the season was the quarterback competition that saw greyshirted (sixth year) senior Jake Bauserman and highly-touted freshman Terrelle Pryor splitting reps during the middle of meaningful games (i.e. USC), before Pryor ultimately took hold of the starting role.
To make matters worse, Ohio State entered the Rose Bowl after three-consecutive seasons where it lost a bowl game, and often not in elegant fashion (41-14 vs. Florida in 2007, 38-24 vs. LSU in 2008, and 24-21 vs. Texas in 2009). Developing a reputation for coming up short in big moments, along with the youth of their roster and fluctuating quarterback situation, the doubters were plenty entering the Rose Bowl in 2010.
What resulted was a commanding performance for Pryor and the Buckeyes when standing face-to-face with their greatest challenge of the season. Against the star-studded backfield of LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner and LeGarrette Blount, Ohio State held Oregon’s rushing attack in-check for the better part of the game by limiting the three-headed beast to 179 yards on the ground and almost completely eliminating the Ducks' passing game (Jeremiah Masoli was 9 of 20 passing for 81 yards and an interception). Only allowing the lead to change hands once early in the third quarter, a touchdown pass from Pryor to DeVier Posey sealed the game for OSU and reasserted prominence on the national stage.
5. 1997 Rose Bowl vs. Arizona State (W, 20-17)
Ohio State entered the 1997 Rose Bowl following a heartbreaking loss to No. 21-ranked Michigan after racking up a 10-0 record to start the season. With impressive victories early at No. 5 Notre Dame and vs. No. 4 Penn State in back-to-back weeks, and another victory over No. 20 Iowa, OSU was undefeated against ranked opponents prior to dropping yet another game to Michigan in a rough stretch against the Wolverines in the 1990’s. The loss still secured a Rose Bowl berth for the Buckeyes, who dropped from a long-held second rank in the AP poll to fourth, and were slated to play an extremely talented Arizona State team in a New Year’s Day matchup.
Led by Heisman Trophy candidate Jake Plummer, Keith Poole, Terry Battle and J.R. Redmond, Arizona State held an 11-0 record which included a 19-0 trouncing over top-ranked Nebraska. A defense headlined by Pat Tillman had showcased the ability to shut down even the highest-flying offenses. In addition, the ASU offense averaged over 40 points per game and presented a tall task for Ohio State team. The Buckeyes were looking to overcome a defeat to middle-of-the-road Michigan in its previous action.
The resulting game was a treat for everyone watching as a 7-7 deadlock at halftime, and 10-7 Arizona State lead in the third quarter, saw Ohio State pull reserve quarterback Joe Germaine (an Arizona native) off the bench. Germaine promptly threw a 72-yard touchdown to senior Demetrious Stanley to give the Buckeyes the advantage before Plummer engineered what looked like the game-winning drive, as Arizona State held a 17-14 lead with just 1:40 remaining. Ohio State subsequently drove 65 yards and Germaine threw the game-winning touchdown to David Boston with 20 seconds remaining... and the Buckeyes captured their first Rose Bowl victory since 1974!
4. 2016 vs. Michigan (W, 30-27, 2OT)
The J.T. Barrett years were a success for Ohio State in many ways, but maybe the greatest statistic the BTN All-Decade First Team Quarterback held is that 4-0 record against TTUN. With three mostly lopsided conquests over the Wolverines in the career of the storied signal-caller, this is definitely the win that stands out.
Ohio State and Michigan entered the game as second and third, respectively, in the AP Poll, both holding a record of 10-1 at that point. As far as high-ranked OSU/Michigan games go, that already set the stage for one of the more memorable performances in the series’ history... but the conclusion of the game is what really sets this apart from many others.
In a game where Ohio State struggled to find its offensive rhythm, Michigan took what seemed to be a steep 17-7 lead midway through the third quarter of a hard-fought defensive battle. The Buckeyes answered with a touchdown toward the end of the third quarter, but neither could crack the scoreboard again until Ohio State mounted a 13-play, 77-yard drive that concluded with a game-tying field goal by Tyler Durbin to end regulation. Still, Michigan showed its resolve on this drive after Ohio State was set up with a first-and-goal on the 8-yard line and 2:17 to score a potential game-winning touchdown. After a false start and three downs where the Michigan defense stood tall, the game was set for overtime.
Michigan reclaimed its lead in both overtime periods, with a touchdown that was matched by Barrett in the first period and a field goal in the second. The field goal proved costly, as Michigan’s inability to find the end zone provided Ohio State with an opportunity to score a walk-off touchdown to win the game... and they delivered. The Buckeyes prolonged the second overtime on a memorable (and some would say controversial) 4th-and-1 conversion from Barrett that brought the chain gang out. Nevertheless, Curtis Samuel’s 15-yard TD scamper on the very next play ended a thrilling game that will be remembered in the series’ history for years to come.
3. 2015 CFP Championship vs. Oregon (W, 42-20)
There are several moments from the 2014 season that could have been worthy of making a list such as this one but, for the sake of variety, the one moment that has to shine above the others is certainly a national championship title. The beginning of the season seemed rather eerie for a squad that had title hopes, as season-ending surgery for Braxton Miller thrust Barrett into the spotlight before he also suffered an injury that placed Cardale Jones into the postseason starting lineup.
A Big Ten title over Wisconsin ensured Ohio State would play in the semifinal round of the college football playoff, but a victory over the Nick Saban-led Alabama dynasty is a tall task with a first-string starting quarterback, let alone a third-stringer with minimal experience. Still, Jones’ big arm, paired with Ezekiel Elliott’s rushing and the talent of the Ohio State defense saw OSU outlast the Crimson Tide in a 42-35 shootout with NFL talent all over the field. That triumph set the stage for Ohio State to compete for its first national title since 2003.
To win the championship, the Buckeyes had to contend with Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and an offense that scored over 45 points per game. Aside from a loss to unranked Arizona in PAC-12 conference play, Oregon was consistently in the top five across the country and featured wins over No. 7 Michigan State, No. 18 UCLA, a PAC-12 Championship victory over No. 8 Arizona in the second matchup, and a lopsided 59-20 win over Jameis Winston and No. 2 Florida State in the semifinal game. Jones needed one more magical performance in his bag to win the title for Ohio State, and he did just that.
Jones finished the game 16 of 23 passing with 242 yards and one touchdown while another 38 yards and touchdown as a bowling-ball of a designated rusher. But, it was the performance of Elliott that stole the spotlight. With 36 carries on the day, Elliott racked up a gaudy 246 rushing yards and four touchdowns, helping Ohio State overcome four turnovers and literally run away with this game. It was a season-ending stretch that looked worthy of the silver screen, and the Buckeyes capped off their Cinderella story with a National Championship.
2. 2006 vs. Michigan (W, 42-39)
This game may have been prematurely dubbed “The Game of the Century” in the week leading up, but the first-ever matchup between Ohio State and Michigan where the teams were ranked No. 1 and 2 in the polls lived up to all the hype. Both teams undefeated, both with Heisman candidates, and one winner moving on to play in the BCS National Championship. With over 100,000 fans packed into Ohio Stadium, a classic was in the making well before the teams suited up and took the field.
The Buckeyes’ explosive offense, featuring Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Antonio Pittman and an outstanding supporting cast was matched by a Michigan offense with the likes of Chad Henne, Mario Manningham and Mike Hart. Both schools featured sturdy defenses during the season, but this game was all about offense.
There were several points where Ohio State looked like they were going to run away with the game in-hand, jumping out to a 21-7 lead in the second quarter before Michigan clawed its way back at several points. After the Bucks took their second 14-point lead of the game (28-14), Michigan scored twice unanswered to come within four of the top-ranked team in the nation. Ohio State, however, was able to keep Michigan at arms length for the remainder of the contest.
The fourth quarter featured a memorable late-hit call against Michigan's Shawn Crable, an Ohio native, as Troy Smith was running out of bounds. That prolonged a Buckeye drive and resulted with an ensuing score. After Michigan responded again, trimming the lead to 42-39 with 2:16 left in the game, Ohio State was able to run out the clock and end any hopes of a Wolverine comeback. This game was set to be an instant classic and delivered, much to the chagrin of the Michigan faithful and the joy of Ohio State loyalists. Even though the season ended in a 41-14 defeat at the hands of Florida, fans won’t soon forget the thrill of victory in a 1 vs. 2 OSU-Michigan classic.
1. 2003 Fiesta Bowl National Championship vs. Miami (W, 31-24, 2OT)
A double-overtime nailbiter between two undefeated title contenders with NFL-caliber players at nearly every position on the field? Sign us up. Sign anyone up who is a fan of football, or sports, or drama in general. This game was a must-watch heading in, and ended up being one of the greatest games in college football history.
Writing a list of the prominent players featured in this game would be outrageous enough, but recognizing they all delivered at one point in the game to try and secure the National Championship game makes this contest all the more impressive. Miami, a sizeable favorite, controlled the early action of this one by jumping out to an early 7-0 lead. Ohio State ultimately reversed that deficit heading into the halftime break with a 14-7 advantage.
After the Buckeyes extended their lead by three in the third quarter, Miami fought back and Willis McGahee scored on a five-yard rush, set up by a deep connection between Ken Dorsey and Kellen Winslow Jr. After trimming the OSU lead to just a field goal, both teams found it difficult to crack the scoreboard in the final period of regulation, as both teams missed kicks that could have changed the course of the game. It wasn’t until Miami tied the game up with three seconds left that either team scored in the fourth quarter, and that set up an overtime to remember.
The scoring drought didn’t continue for either side in the first extra period, as a Winslow Jr. touchdown for Miami was matched by a Krenzel rushing score to cap off a 10-play Ohio State overtime sequence. Included in that stretch was a wild scenario where Miami had appeared to win the game after a pass intended for Chris Gamble near the pylon fell incomplete, and the Hurricanes rushed the field in celebration. However, a pass interference flag was thrown and gave the Buckeyes new life.
It was Ohio State that got the ball to start the second OT, and delivered on a Maurice Clarett rushing score that provided its first lead since the fourth quarter. It was then on the defense’s shoulders to secure the title for the Buckeyes, and the second-ranked unit in the country (allowed just 13.1 points per game during the season) stepped up yet again for their team. In a classic goal line stand, Miami had the ball with four downs to score on the OSU two-yard line and was denied four times... with pressure off the edge from Cie Grant sealing the victory in the final moments.
Winning its first National Championship since 1970 would have made this game a contender for the top spot on this list no matter how the game unfolded, but it undoubtedly has to be placed at number one given the nature of the way this title game unfolded.
