Buckeyes National Title Team Among 'Most-Hated of All Time'
With success comes hate. And that is especially the case for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Throughout its history, Ohio State has more often than not been one of the top programs in the country. And as a result, the frustration of other fan bases began to stack up.
So much so, that the Buckeyes have emerged - outside of Columbus at least - as one of the villains of college football. Even in the light of the recent Michigan scandal, the hate for Ohio State is palpable no matter where they play.
That said, according to 247Sports, there is one version of the Buckeyes that stands out above the rest - the 2002 national title-winning 'Luckeyes', which they ranked as the No. 7 most hated team in the history of college football.
Said 247Sports:
It wouldn't be a most-hated ranking without mention of Ohio State. The Buckeyes remain the Big Ten's primary villain and that's not changing anytime soon. Miami fans still want an explanation from Terry Porter on what exactly he saw when Hurricanes ballhawk Glenn Sharpe blanketed Buckeyes wideout Chris Gamble in the end zone, only to be called for defensive holding to extend the national championship game in overtime.
Ohio State would eventually win, beating top-ranked Miami, 31-24, to shock the defending national champions. The “Luckeyes” seemed to always have a flair for the dramatic during Jim Tressel’s only national championship season and benefited from several calls — including that big one — to be the last team standing. Freshman Maurice Clarett was Ohio State's star, a trash-talking ballcarrier no one seemed to like in the Big Ten or nationally.
Indeed, the Buckeyes did have a tremendous amount of luck in the national title game, with the infamous Gamble call still resonating with fans today.
That said, that wasn't their only luck throughout the year. Seven times throughout the season, the Buckeyes won by single digits, with four of those close calls coming against unranked teams in Cincinnati, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Illinois.
Against Cincinnati, the Buckeyes trailed 19-14 in the fourth quarter, winning on a Craig Krenzel score with just under four minutes to go. Against Wisconsin, they once again trailed in the fourth, holding on for dear life after a touchdown pass from Krenzel to Ben Hartsock.
Against Purdue, the Buckeyes were held to just three points going into the fourth quarter, scoring on a Krenzel touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins with just 1:37 to go in regulation.
And vs. Illinois, it was an overtime win for the Buckeyes thanks to a run by Maurice Hall.
As for their ranked matchups vs. Michigan and Penn State, it was much of the same with the Buckeyes scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown to edge the Wolverines, and outscoring the Nittany Lions 10-0 in the second half to squeak out a 13-7 win.
In other words, they lived life on the edge, and as is to be expected, that frustrated everyone who wished to see their season derailed.
But hey, a win is a win, and as much as people apparently hated to see it, the Buckeyes were still national champions.
You can view the full list of 'most-hated' teams below:
10. 1993 Notre Dame
9. 2011 Alabama
8. 2012 Texas A&M
6. 2017 Oklahoma
5. 1996 Florida
4. 2010 Auburn
3. 2014 Florida State
2. 2005 USC
1. 1986 Miami
