Ohio State vs. Alabama: 1994's Citrus Bowl (1/2/1995)

In case you haven't noticed, we are set to play Alabama this New Year's Day in the Sugar Bowl as part of round one of the first College Football Playoff. Ohio State and Alabama have faced off three times before, with the Crimson Tide victorious each time.

The last time Ohio State met Alabama was at the end of the 1994 season, in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. Alabama fielded a great team in 1994, led by quarterback Jay Barker, and the Crimson Tide were real contenders for the national title. They went undefeated in the regular season and were ranked No. 3 going into the SEC Championship Game, which they lost to Florida. No. 5 Florida went on to the Sugar Bowl and played a rematch against No. 7 Florida State. Alabama had to settle for the Citrus Bowl and play Ohio State.

The Buckeyes were also great in 1994; under John Cooper's guidance the talent on that team was amazing. Eddie George was a junior and was already making his name as college football's eventual best player. Joey Galloway was a senior and was finishing up his 1,894-yard career as a Buckeye. Orlando Pace and Mike Vrabel were sophomores, and Corey Stringer was a first team All-American as a junior.

1994 started out fine, Ohio State was ranked No. 20 in the preseason, but in week three they went on the road to No. 25 Washington and lost. Despite that, the Buckeyes started out 3-1 and were back where they started at No. 20 when conference play began. They barely beat Northwestern and lost to Illinois in Columbus, which practically ruined all hopes of rising to the top of the rankings. However, the Buckeyes rebounded with wins over Michigan State and Purdue. Then, in week ten, they suffered an embarrassing 63-14 loss to No. 1 Penn State. The Nittany Lions went on to win the Big Ten and compete for the national title. Ohio State finished the regular season with convincing wins over Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan (yes, this was one of the two years that John Cooper's Buckeyes actually beat Michigan. It's totally worth watching that Michigan game -- the crowd at Ohio Stadium is so happy to see the first win over UM since 1987.).

Ohio State quarterback Bobby Hoying is chased out of the pocket in the 1995 Citrus Bowl

To the Citrus Bowl: Alabama's head coach Gene Stallings ran a really tough defense, as did John Cooper, so there was not a lot of scoring in this game. In the first quarter, the Buckeyes missed a field goal and then blocked an Alabama field goal. The Crimson Tide scored a touchdown on the ground in the second quarter, but Joey Galloway promptly made a 69-yard touchdown reception to tie the game at 7. After blocking a punt and hitting Galloway in the end zone for another touchdown, the Buckeyes took a 14-7 lead. However, Alabama's Sherman Williams scored on the ground before half time, sending the teams into the locker room tied 14-14.

The third quarter was scoreless, but full of excitement with turnovers going back and forth. At the end of the third, Alabama was knocking on the door of the end zone, but had to settle for a field goal try at the beginning of the fourth, which was missed. The score remained 14-14. With ten minutes left in the game, Ohio State managed a field goal, putting them ahead 17-14. A few minutes later, Alabama tied it up with a field goal of their own. Ohio State punted the ball away with 1:31 left in the game, with Cooper thinking he could rely on his defense to get a stop. Well, Sherman Williams, who had been running all over the field all day, caught a short pass at midfield and outran the Buckeye defense for a touchdown. Alabama 24, Ohio State 17 was the final score.

Watch highlights from the game here:

This game didn't exactly spoil the season, since we weren't about to win the conference or the national title, but it was still painful. The end of the season had been going so well, and to have this bowl win over Alabama within reach and let it slip away was just terrible. With an 0-3 all time record against the Crimson Tide, an Ohio State win over Alabama is overdue.

Ohio State vs. Alabama: 1977's Sugar Bowl (1/1/1978)

As you surely know, we are set to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on New Year's Day in the Sugar Bowl, which is round one of the inaugural College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes have never beaten Alabama, although we have met on the field three times in the past.

The first time Ohio State took on Alabama was at the end of the 1977 season, also in the Sugar Bowl, pitting two of college football's legendary coaches against each other: Woody Hayes and Bear Bryant. At Ohio State, Woody Hayes had won five national championships and thirteen conference titles; at Alabama, Bear Bryant had won four national championships and eleven conference titles.

The Buckeyes were ranked No. 5 to start the season in 1977, so the national title was certainly within reach. The trouble with this season, though, came with a one-point, last-second loss to No. 3 Oklahoma early on and a loss to Michigan in the final game of the year. No. 4 Michigan won the Big Ten and went to the Rose Bowl, where they lost to the No. 13 Washington Huskies. Ohio State (ranked No. 8) went on to the Sugar Bowl to face No. 3 Alabama.

The game was dominated by the Crimson Tide, although the first quarter was scoreless. Alabama opened the game driving 61 yards to the Ohio State three yard line, but was stopped on fourth and goal. Ohio State did not come close to scoring in the first quarter. Alabama's first second quarter drive ended in a touchdown, putting them up 7-0. Ohio State was forced to punt on their next possession and Alabama put together another touchdown drive to go up 13-0 (they missed the PAT).

The Buckeyes found some rhythm and started driving the ball, with the help of running back Ron Springs, who turned the corner and went 42 yards to get the ball to the Alabama 12 yard line. Soon faced with a fourth and seven on the five yard line, Woody decided to go for it, calling a short pass to Jim Harrell, who was brought down at the three, a yard short of the first down. Half time came and the score remained in Alabama's favor: 13-0.

Alabama put the game out of reach late in the third quarter, scoring on a 67-yard drive and converting for two to go up 21-0. It seems that Bear Bryant outsmarted Woody Hayes by setting up the offense in a wishbone (and other sets that look like run plays) and passing the ball while the linebackers are looking for the run. Also the Crimson Tide defense blew up a lot of Ohio State plays in the third quarter.

Ohio State wide receiver Jim Harrell is brought down by Alabama defenders in the 1977 Sugar Bowl.

Finally, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes scored a touchdown (on a beautiful catch from Jim Harrell). We went for two and could not convert, so the score became 21-6. The Crimson Tide scored two more touchdowns before the end of the game, making the final score 35-6. This, along with the loss to Michigan, was a disappointing end to a season that started out with a lot of potential.

Watch a video of the Alabama-Ohio State Sugar Bowl here:

After all of the bowls were settled at the end of the 1977 season, No. 1 Texas had lost to No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 2 Oklahoma had lost to No. 6 Arkansas and No. 4 Michigan had lost to No. 13 Washington. This left the pollsters with a mess to deal with. The AP and UPI both ranked Notre Dame No. 1 and Alabama No. 2. Back then, there was a Notre Dame bias, whereas today the SEC bias would have probably put Alabama ahead of Notre Dame and given them the 1977 national title.

By the way, this week Eleven Warriors has a great look at all of our Sugar Bowls.

The Internet's Best Michigan Week Hype Videos

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Spend time with your loved ones today, but don't forget to get pumped up for The Game this Saturday. To help, watch these videos:

Ohio State vs. That Team Up North:

2014 preview video from Ohio State football

The best part of this one is Woody Hayes in the locker room saying, "If you take it to them, and you keep taking it to them, hell, there's no question who will win."

The Journey: Big Ten Football 2013 - Ohio State vs. Michigan Director's Cut:

OSU-UM highlights from the Big Ten Network

This one has some great footage that does a good job of capturing what that game felt like. In case you forgot, Brady Hoke had the brilliant idea to go for two at the end of the game and OSU safety Tyvis Powell intercepted the ball, handing the Wolverines a 42-41 loss.

Ohio State vs. Michigan: The Best Rivalry in Sports:

Made in 2011, this one has some great cuts of old games, leading up to the present era.

The Greatest Ohio State Coaches Early in the Michigan Rivalry

The Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry includes 110 installments, so there are many coaches to choose from. We all know about Woody Hayes and Jim Tressel,  but for this list, I will focus on the first half of Ohio State football history: 1890 - 1950. During many of these early years, Ohio State was a small, upstart program going up against a well-established Michigan program that was widely considered to be one of the best in the country.

Head coach Francis Schmidt in 1934

1. Francis Schmidt (4-3 vs. UM). When Schmidt took over in 1934, OSU already had a fairly successful football team, but they struggled against Michigan every year. Schmidt came from Texas Christian and brought his "razzle-dazzle" offense with him. His Buckeyes immediately made their mark with four straight wins against the Wolverines, who were a serious college football powerhouse at the time.

Francis Schmidt coached OSU from 1934-1940 and was the guy whose comment about UM players putting their pants on one leg at a time started the gold pants tradition at Ohio State. Schmidt's career with the Buckeyes is also decorated by the 1935 and 1939 Big Ten Championships.

Paul Brown leading a pep talk in the locker room in 1942

2. Paul Brown (1-1-1 vs. UM). Although his biggest impact was his career in the NFL coaching the Browns and Bengals, Paul Brown had an important short tenure at Ohio State (1941-1943). In 1941, Brown led the Buckeyes to a tie against Michigan and a No. 13 AP ranking at the end of the season. In 1942, Brown's Buckeyes beat the Wolverines, won the Big Ten and were awarded Ohio State's first National Championship.

Paul Brown is the guy the Bengals' stadium is named after, as well as the Massillon High School Tigers' stadium, where Brown coached before coming to Columbus. Also, the Cleveland Browns are named after him.

John Wilce, the man that brought
national recognition to the Buckeyes

3. John Wilce (4-7 vs. UM). Wilce was the longstanding head coach of the Buckeyes (1913 - 1928) during their formative years. He coached greats like Chic Harley, Pete Stinchcomb and Wes Fesler. He got Ohio State three Big Ten Championships and two undefeated seasons. When he took over from John Richards, the Michigan game was not even an established event yet. UM was a powerhouse at the time and they "won" the "National Championship" in 1918, even though World War I had shortened their season to five games. Under Wilce's guidance, the Buckeyes got their first win ever over UM in 1919, which began a three-game win streak against the Wolverines. Although the 1919 & 1920 Wolverines were rebuilding their former glory, Wilce's Buckeyes handed Michigan their only loss of 1921, spoiling their comeback. Toppling the Michigan giant was now possible, and the rivalry was cemented. Without John Wilce's Buckeyes standing up to Fielding Yost's Wolverines, there would never have been much relevance to The Game.

In addition to beating UM for the first time, Wilce's tenure also saw the Buckeyes' first Rose Bowl and the construction of Ohio Stadium. "Fight the Team" was written in 1915 and was dedicated to John Wilce.

Michigan Week Tweetcap

This is pretty much the best week of any year, and it is made even better by the fact that Ohio State has a real chance to make the College Football Playoff and Michigan is likely to be ineligible for a bowl of any kind. Goings-on this week include the Mirror Lake jump and covering all of the Ms on campus signs. Here are some of the highlights from the OSU Twitterverse so far:

Meyer on getting ready to play TTUN: "The most motivated, prepared team will win this game. I know this rivalry."
— Jeff Rapp (@RappUp) November 22, 2014

BREAKING: Ohio State remains at No.6 in the College Football Playoff #CFB pic.twitter.com/9sdOEhQKFa
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStFootball) November 26, 2014

Great TD catch on Saturday by @JalinMarshall https://t.co/HJ0z8nydO2
— Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) November 24, 2014

Don't sleep on TTUN... The Wolverines are wounded and very dangerous!!! This is the GREATEST RIVALRY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!! #Buckeyes
— DOM TIBERI (@DOMTIBERI) November 23, 2014

#BuckeyeNation, question and answer of the day: Why doesn't TTUN have a website? #GoBucks! #BeatBlue! pic.twitter.com/XpEbDkK2jJ
— Buckeye Fans Only (@buckeyefansonly) November 25, 2014

A great tradition having TBDBITL join our team after practice to start off Rivalry Week pic.twitter.com/JaYqeT2Z4Q
— Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) November 24, 2014

_ichigan _onday! Ga_e Week ... WORK WEEK! #GoBucks Beat Blue! @EddieGeorge2727 http://t.co/r3iPehggjB pic.twitter.com/1aK0I94b1r
— Brutus Buckeye (@Brutus_Buckeye) November 24, 2014

ICYMI: Troy Smith joined last night's @BTNLive, to talk @OhioStAthletics, Heisman favorites & more. http://t.co/VwL1ewCUD7
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 25, 2014

The Four Greatest Wins Over Michigan

Since we are four days from the annual game against that team up north, here is a look at Ohio State's four all time best wins over Michigan. Of course, any win over Michigan is a good one, and there are many, many to choose from, but these here are my favorites. Not listed: the 50-14 victory in 1968, the missed Wolverine FG victory of 1974 and the beautiful 21-14 victory of 1975. Upsetting them in 1952 was pretty cool, too.

1. November 21st, 1970. After the Wolverines snapped our 22-game win streak and kept us out of national championship consideration in 1969, we came back with a vengeance. Going into this game, OSU was ranked 4th and UM was 5th. Woody Hayes' super sophomores of 1968 were now seniors, and they had Michigan in the cross hairs. The Wolverines fumbled the opening kickoff, and from then on Ohio State dominated. The final score was 20-9. The Buckeyes went on to lose the Rose Bowl, but still win a national title. Thirteen Buckeyes from that squad were drafted in the spring.

Here is a video of the highlights of the 1970 game. Quarterback Rex Kern ran a lot of option plays in this game. Ohio State's current offensive style is somewhat reminiscent of these days.

Here are the highlights of that crisp autumn day, when the air was thick with sweet revenge:

2. November 18th, 2006. Called the Game of the Century, this was No. 1 OSU vs. No. 2 UM, in a battle that would decide who would play for the national championship. This was Michigan's latest effort to become a relevant college football team again. Chad Henne and Mike Hart did a good job, but Troy Smith, "Beanie" Wells, Antonio Pittman , Ted Ginn and Brian Robiskie were too much for the Wolverine defense to handle. OSU (in case you had forgotten) went on to lose the BCS National Championship Game to Urban Meyer's Florida Gators and Michigan went on to lose the Rose Bowl to USC. Since 2006, Michigan has never regained their status as a serious college football champion material. Instead, teams now take joy in beating the once-great Wolverines.

Relive the glory here:

Fullback Gene Fekete (bottom) carries the ball down field for the Buckeyes

3. November 21st, 1942. En route to our first national title, the Buckeyes were led by Gene Fekete, Paul Sarringhaus and eventual Heisman winner Les Horvath. The single loss that year was to Wisconsin, but the Buckeyes overcame it and were named National Champions in Paul Brown's second year as head coach. This season took place during the U.S. involvement in World War II, so the school was disrupted by the enlistment and drafting of potential football players. Nevertheless, Ohio State proved the best team in the country, beating No. 4 Michigan 21-7. Michigan ended up with a 7-3 record and a No. 9 ranking.

Les Horvath (right) passes to Paul Sarringhaus (left) for an Ohio State touchdown

4. November 21st, 1998. While this season was spoiled by the Michigan State loss, John Cooper and the Buckeyes salvaged their honor with a victory over Michigan. Three consecutive losses to the Wolverines had left Ohio State hungry for a win. The Joe Germaine-David Boston combination was way too much for Michigan to handle. We finished the season by beating Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl and settling for a No. 2 ranking.

Enjoy the 1998 highlights:

Six Reasons to Hate Michigan

It's six days until the Michigan game, so here are six great reasons to hate the Wolverines. Six reasons aside from their ugly helmets, neanderthalesque fight song, and the fact that you can buy a UM baseball cap in every corner drug store around the world.

1. They are winning the series. Since the first match up in 1897, Michigan has won 58 times and Ohio State has won 45 times. Six have been ties. Many of those losses to Michigan were early in football history, at a time when UM was the dominant Midwestern power and OSU was a fledgling program. Michigan also pulled away during the 1990s, when John Cooper could only get two wins against the Wolverines in his thirteen seasons as head coach. The Buckeyes have dominated the contest in the Tressel and Meyer Eras, but we still have some catching up to do.

Cleveland native and Michigan Wolverine Desmond Howard

2. They recruit their best players from Ohio. Desmond Howard is probably the most well-known example of this, but it has long been Michigan's policy to come down to Ohio and try to steal the best high school football players from us.

3. November 22nd, 1969. Ohio State was still rolling after the 1968 National Championship and had won 22 straight games, with what Woody Hayes called his best squad ever. Rex Kern, Jim Otis, Jack Tatum, and the rest of the Buckeyes were unbelievably good. Bo Schembechler was a brand new coach at UM and no one expected him to upset the No. 1 ranked Buckeyes. At the end of the heartbreaking loss, our win streak was snapped and our shot at the 1969 national title was gone. Michigan went to the Rose Bowl and lost to USC.

David Boston taunting Charles Woodson in 1997

4. November 25th, 1995. Ohio State was undefeated and ranked No. 2. On the way to the Rose Bowl and a bid for the national title, all the Buckeyes had to do was beat Michigan. Somewhere in the first half of that game, they forgot how to tackle and Wolverine running back Tim Biakabutuka tore upfield continually, amassing 313 yards and sending Ohio State packing. The season was over and Michigan went on to lose tha Alamo Bowl and we went on to lose the Citrus Bowl.

5. November 23rd, 1996. Ohio State was again undefeated and ranked No. 2. Again we were on the way to the Rose Bowl and were serious national title contenders. And again Michigan ruined the season. We did end up going the Rose Bowl that year, and beat Arizona State, ending the season ranked at No. 2.

6. They are arrogant. Michigan players, coaches and fans act like their program is a big deal in college football. Despite having one (shared) national championship in 60+ years. Despite barely staying above a .500 win percentage Since Lloyd Carr's tenure. Mike Hart was arrogant. Brady Hoke is arrogant. Part of the duty of an Ohio State team is to chip away at that Ann Arbor arrogance each November by handing these spoiled brats a loss.

Seven Distinguished Michigan Alumni

We are seven days from the Michigan game, so out of respect for the Michigan Wolverines, here is a look at the seven most distinguished graduates of the University of Michigan.

1. Unelected former U.S. president Gerald Ford: Ford even played football for the Wolverines during his time at the school. Gerald Ford is best remembered for his pardoning of hated president Richard Nixon and for losing the 1976 Presidential Election to Jimmy Carter. Here Ford can be seen showing off some of that Wolverine athleticism:

Michigan alumnus Gerald Ford bumbling around with a soccer ball. Photo is from www.vintag.es.

2. Terrorist and anarchist Theodore Kaczynski: Kaczynski is best known for attempting to murder people through homemade bombs that he sent through the mail. He currently resides in a federal prison.

Ted Kaczynski after Michigan's 17-16 loss to Northwestern in 1996.

3. Old timey serial killer H. H. Holmes: you may know Holmes from his habit of murdering and disfiguring people at his giant property in Chicago in the 1890s. He was hanged in 1896.

H. H. Holmes staring on in disbelief after Michigan was shut out 4-0 by Harvard in 1895.

4. Famous wife-killer Dr. Hawley Crippen: in 1910, after taking a mistress, Crippen poisoned his wife, hid her torso under their house, and told the police that she had moved away. He was convicted of murder and hanged later that year.

Dr. Hawley Crippen remaining stoic after the Buckeyes tied Michigan 3-3 in 1910.

5. Former domestic terrorist Bill Ayers: Ayers is best known for his involvement with a radical group that bombed the Pentagon and the NYC Police headquarters.

Bill Ayers trying to make sense of Michigan's 3-9 season in 2008.

6. Inflammatory political pundit Ann Coulter: her career consists mostly of yelling and screaming on television and writing books that are little more than racist tirades.

Coulter watching the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

7. Voice actor James Earl Jones: best known for lending his evil Wolverine tones to the role of imperial overlord Darth Vader, Jones also played Santa Claus in the direct-to-video cartoon Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street.

Jones catching the end of Michigan's 18-15 loss to Ohio State in 1979.

As you can see, some of America's best and brightest come from the University of Michigan. A week from today, the Buckeyes have the honor of taking on the Wolverines once again.

The Pride of the Buckeyes sings We Don't Give a Damn for the Whole State of Michigan

Looking Back Through the Schedule: Kent State at Ohio State (9/13/2014)

The Buckeyes have met Kent State only twice, in 2002 and 2007; we won both games easily. In fact, we have played a MAC team almost every season since the 1990s and have never lost to one of them. The last time we lost to a school that is currently in the MAC was September 15th, 1894, when we lost to Akron in the season opener, which was held at the 1894 Ohio State fair. Kent State, as far as I can tell, has never beaten a Big Ten team.

Have a look at the Buckeyes 48-3 victory over Kent State in 2007, the last time we played. 

Coach Tressel put in a lot of second string players to develop some depth on the bench.

Kent State has a football program that dates back to 1920, and has some well-known former players such as Lou Holtz (linebacker 1956, 1957), Nick Saban (defensive back 1970, 1971) and Gary Pinkel (tight end 1970-1973). Current NFL players from Kent State include Cleveland Brown Ishmaa'ily Kitchen, Denver Bronco Jameson Konz, Indianapolis Colt Monte Simmons, New England Patriot Julian Edelman, New York Jet Brian Winters, and Oakland Raiders Daniel Muir and Usama Young. Former Bengals linebacker James Harrison and cornerback Rico Murray also played for Kent State. Linebacker Jack Lambert is Kent State's most famous football product. He played for the Steelers from 1974 - 1984 as one of the best linebackers to ever play the game.

Kent State started their football program in 1920, and promptly lost every game they played until finally getting a win on the field in 1925. For the Buckeyes, 1920 was one of our best seasons, we went 7-0 in the regular season and played California in the Rose Bowl. In 1931 Kent State joined the Ohio Athletic Conference and in 1951 they joined the Mid-American Conference, where they still play today. In 1954, the Golden Flashes made it to the Refrigerator Bowl, which they lost to Delaware. While Kent State was getting their first taste of success in the 1950s, we were on our second and third national titles (1954 & 1957). The early 1970s were Kent State's best years, winning the MAC in 1972 and going to the Tangerine Bowl. They lost the Tangerine Bowl to the Tampa Spartans, who were coached that year by future Buckeye head coach Earle Bruce. This era was also one of Ohio State's golden ages of football, as we won Rose Bowls and national titles in 1968 and 1970. We also went to the Rose Bowl after the '72, '73, '74 and '75 seasons. The Golden Flashes made it to the GoDaddy.com Bowl after the 2012 season, which they lost to Arkansas State.

Two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin running the ball against USC in the 1974 Rose Bowl.
Photo from buckeyeempire.com

Kent State is a substantial football team: in 2012 they won the MAC East Division and beat #15 Rutgers along the way. Last season was not as good for them, as they went 4-8. This year they will have a hard time getting to 6 wins, due to a relatively strong schedule. Here is a detailed preview of their upcoming season.

We will play a day game against them on September 13th at Ohio Stadium. The game should be an easy one for us, and if we get ahead early, maybe we will get to see Cardale Jones come in at quarterback to give Braxton Miller a break. At this point in the season, we should be coming off of wins against Navy and Virginia Tech and looking forward to a week off before facing Cincinnati on September 27th. This will be a day game and hopefully an entertaining win for us.

Kent State Golden Flashes Football Facts:

Program Duration: 1920-present

All-time Record: 320-499-28

Record Against Ohio State: 0-2

Bowl Appearances/Wins: 3/0

National Championships: none

Heisman Winners: none

Looking Back Through the Schedule: Virginia Tech at Ohio State (9/6/2014)

Our second game of the season is against Virginia Tech. We have never played them before, but Virginia Tech has a long history of successful football. They played their first football game in 1892, about 17 months after Ohio State's first game. The uniforms were gray and black, but apparently the fans thought they looked too much like prison uniforms, so they were changed to maroon and orange. In their early days, the Virginia Tech nickname was the Gobblers or Fighting Gobblers, but now they are known as the Hokies.

Much like Ohio State, Virginia Tech played in a local conference in their early days. Ours was the Ohio Athletic Conference; theirs was the Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In 1912, we joined the Western Conference (now the Big Ten) and in 1921 Virginia Tech joined the Southern Conference. The major football schools left the Southern Conference and formed the SEC and ACC. In 1965, Virginia Tech left the Southern Conference to compete as an independent. The Hokies joined the Big East in 1991, but left to join the ACC in 2004, where they still compete today.

Virginia Tech's only undefeated season came in 1954, the year the Buckeyes won the national championship. We also went undefeated, 10-0, including a victory over USC in the Rose Bowl. At the time, Virginia Tech was still playing local schools with basic football programs, but an undefeated season is always something to be proud of. The Buckeyes know that, we have had ten undefeated seasons and are proud of each one. In the late 1960s, Virginia Tech built Lane Stadium, where they still play today. The home field crowd is reputed to be very intense, giving a real edge to the Hokies when they play at home.

Howard "Hopalong" Cassady hopping into the end zone against Michigan in 1954. Photo is from Cleveland.com

Virginia Tech's best shot at a national title came in the 1999 season, when quarterback Michael Vick led the Hokies through an undefeated regular season only to lose to Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. Since then, they have been a strong contender in their conference every year. Playing in the ACC since 2004, they are one of the teams that makes the conference strong, along with Florida State, Clemson and Boston College. Virginia Tech currently has a streak of bowl appearances stretching back to 1993, with nine wins and twelve losses.

Michael Vick playing in the 2000 Sugar Bowl against Florida State. Photo is from blog.nola.com

With such a long history and so many bowl games, it is surprising that the Buckeyes have never met the Hokies on the field. This year the game will be our home opener, after the away game at Navy to start the season. If we had to travel to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, VA to face the Hokies on their own turf, I might be worried. But, since they will have to face the emotion and clamor of Ohio Stadium in its first football game since November 23rd, we should have them on their heels right from opening kickoff. This is a prime time game, so we will take to the field at 8:00 PM.

Ohio Stadium pumped up for a night game. Photo is from Dan Harker of the-Ozone.net

Virginia Tech Hokies Football Facts:

Program Duration: 1892 - present

All-time record: 701-441-46

Record against Ohio State: 0-0

Bowl Appearances/Wins: 27/10

National Championship(s): none

Heisman Winners: none

Osman C. Hooper: Columbus poet and journalist

I am sharing a wonderful poem by a great Ohioan, Osman Hooper, along with a short biography.

Osman C. Hooper was born in 1858 in Alexandria, a village in Licking County, near Columbus. He went to Denison and graduated in 1880. Hooper began working for the Columbus Dispatch (originally as a telegraph editor) and stayed there until 1938, having worked his way up to Literary Editor. That's right, he worked for the Dispatch for 58 years, until he was 80 years old.

Hooper also did some work for the Cincinnati Enquirer and taught Journalism at Ohio State. He published History of the City of Columbus, Ohio in 1920. He founded the OSU Journalism Hall of Fame in 1925. In 1932, Hooper became a Professor Emeritus at Ohio State. He published "The History of Ohio Journalism" in 1933. Hooper died in 1941. The Ohio Newspaper Association gives out the Osman C. Hooper Newspaper Award each year to the best weekly newspapers in Ohio.

This poem was published in an anthology in 1911, so the date of composition is unknown. I love it, and not just because it contains the phrase, "sturdy sons" when referring to Ohioans. The imagery is beautiful and Hooper's understanding of Ohio history is evident. The references to the Civil War are interesting, as we can see that Hooper takes pride in Ohio's role in preserving the Union and combating slavery. The great men he speaks of are William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and James A. Garfield, among others.

Ohio Beautiful 

by Osman C. Hooper

In beauty Ohio stands cut from the forest,
     Early rough-hewn by the pioneer's blade, 
But chiseled at length to majestic completeness. 
     Glorious home-land in sun or in shade. 

Once clad in the green of the forest primeval, 
     The Indians trod o'er her hills and her vales, 
And sang in the rapturous joy of the morning 
     A song which the breeze taught the westering sails. 

O'er sea and o'er land to thy beautiful river, 
     E'er by the beckoning benison led, 
The home-seekers come, bringing virtue and vigor 
     Meet for the riches thy bounty had spread. 

They felled and they builded, they spun and they planted, 
     And lo! rose a State from the wild-wood austere,
A lake is her crown and her path-way a river, 
     And e'er as she walks she is scattering cheer. 

Her fire-sides have given new strength to the nation — 
     Men for the mightiest problems of peace, 
And war heroes, leading their armies to victory, 
     Giving to bond-men a gracious release. 

An empire within a vast empire of free-men, 
     Ohio stands binding the east and the west, 
Her sturdy sons striving and ever achieving 
     For God and our country the highest and best. 

CHORUS 

Ohio, Ohio! Fair home-land we love thee! 
     Millions of glad voices give thee acclaim ! 
Rich are thy fields and the sky blue above thee ! 
     Ohio, forever enduring thy fame. 

Looking back through the schedule: Ohio State at Navy (8/30/2014)

We are set to open the season in Baltimore against the Naval Academy. While this should be a win, you can never tell at the beginning of the season, so I am sure Urban Meyer will have the Buckeyes on guard. Navy's football program has been improving over the last several years under head coach Ken Niumatalolo. Last year they went 9-4, beat their rival Army and won their bowl game against Middle Tennessee State. Their star quarterback Keenan Reynolds is coming back, as is our Braxton Miller, so this should be a great game. We have met Navy a few times before but have never lost to them. Here is a look at those games. These photos are from the Makio yearbook.

November 8, 1930:

Here we are in our away white jerseys forcing a Navy ball carrier to the ground in 1930. I hate to see it, but we wore winged helmets in those days.

The Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to Municipal Stadium (now Memorial Stadium) in Baltimore for our first meeting with Navy. In the first quarter our big halfback Stuart Holcomb eluded six Navy tacklers before scoring on a 23-yard run, making it 6-0 Buckeyes (PAT was no good). We then scored on an interception ran back by Dick Larkins to make it 13-0 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Lewis Hinchman intercepted a Navy pass and ran the ball back for a touchdown; we were now up 20-0. Bob Grady grabbed another Navy pass out of the air to give us the ball on the Navy 39 yard line in the fourth quarter. Wes Fesler ran the ball to the 14, from where Joe Benis threw a touchdown pass to Bob Horn, giving us a 27-0 lead. Navy mustered a 64-yard drive at the end of the fourth quarter, but Bob Grady ended it by pulling down his second interception of the day. As the Makio described it, this was "a great day for the Scarlet and Gray aggregation."

This was much-needed win as we had just lost two games and tied one. We had not won since beating Indiana on October 4th. We finished the season (Wes Fesler's last) 5-2-1 with losses to Northwestern and Michigan and a scoreless tie against Wisconsin.

November 7, 1931:

Hard to tell in black and white, but the Buckeyes are on defense here against Navy in 1931. We are sporting red jerseys and winged helmets.

A crowd of 60,649 fans came out to Ohio Stadium to watch the Navy game in 1931. Our strong defense, aided by heavy rain, stifled Navy's offensive progress at every turn. The first quarter was a punt exchange, with little offense from either side. Early in the second quarter, a pass to Ohio State tight end Sid Gilman was deflected by a Navy defender, but then caught by Gilman, who ran it in for a touchdown. It was now 6-0 (PAT no good). Right before halftime, Navy attempted a field goal which was blocked by Robert Haubrich. Buckeye end Junie Ferrall scooped the ball and took it all the way back to the Navy end zone, giving us a halftime lead of 13-0.

In the third quarter, Navy came out throwing, but Junie Ferrall picked off the ball and ran it in for another Ohio State defensive touchdown. Neither side could get much going on the ground or in the air in the second half, and we have our defense to thank for this win. The final score was 20-0 Ohio State. The Navy offense outplayed us, but four interceptions and a blocked kick stole any momentum that Navy built. The Lantern described our play as "straight, alert football."

December 30, 1981: The Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN

Watch the highlights here:

On Navy's first drive, we blocked their punt and recovered the ball at the 24 yard line and ended up with a field goal. Their next drive ended when out nose tackle Nick Miller caused a fumble behind the line and jumped on the ball at midfield. We jumped out to a 10-0 lead after quarterback Art Schlichter found Gary Williams outrunning the Navy defensive backs and hit him in stride for a 51- yard touchdown pass.

Navy fought back and tied the game up in the second quarter. We lost the ball as Schlichter bungled an option pitch, but soon got it back when our big, fast defensive line powered through to knock the ball loose from the Navy quarterback and recover the fumble on the Navy 28-yard line. We drove down and Jimmy Gale punched in the touchdown on a one-yard run. Navy managed to get a field goal before the half, making the halftime score 17-3 in favor of the Buckeyes.

Early in the 3rd quarter, Navy blocked our punt and ran the ball in for a touchdown to go up 20-17. Schlichter led another drive with good passing that ended in another short touchdown run by Jimmy Gale, making it 24-20 Ohio State. Before the end of the quarter, we got great field position as Navy's long snapper sent the ball over the punter's head, giving it to us on the Navy 21 yard line. We got a field goal try out of this, but missed.

So, in the 4th quarter we were up 24-20. Our cornerback Kelvin Bell got us every defensive player's dream and every quarterback's nightmare: a 4th quarter interception. A 9-yard TD pass from Schlichter to Cedric Anderson increased our lead to 31-20. But the Navy Midshipmen, never losing heart, down by 11 points, drove for another touchdown and 2-point conversion, cutting our lead to three points in the final seconds of the game. Navy did an onside kick, which we recovered to end the game. The Buckeyes came out victorious: 31-28.

Just to recap the crazy special teams plays in this game: we blocked one punt, then another (which was called back because we were offside), Navy faked a punt, then blocked a punt, and screwed up a punt with a high snap.

September 5th, 2009: Season Opener

Some of the highlights:

After losing a TON of great players to graduation and the NFL draft, we opened the 2009 season against Navy. Brandon Saine returned the opening kickoff 47 yards after a nifty hand-off from Jermale Hines. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor led the opening drive with receptions by Devier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher, who went in for a touchdown to put us up 7-0. Navy tied it up, but we answered with a field goal to make it 10-7.

Our linebacker Thaddeus Gibson forced a Navy fumble early in the 2nd quarter, giving us the ball on our own 44 yard line. Pryor, with help from Boom Herron and Dane Sanzenbacher, drove us down for a touchdown, running the ball in himself from two yards out. Later, our backup QB Joe Bauserman led a decent drive that ended in a field goal, making it 20-7 at halftime.

Navy, however, would not give up and fought back with a 3rd quarter touchdown drive to make it 20-14. Early in the 4th quarter, we got a field goal to go up by nine and our defensive back Kurt Coleman forced a fumble, giving us the ball on the Navy 30 yard line with 13:00 to play. Pryor passed, ran and then gave the ball to Boom Herron for a touchdown. We missed the extra point, so the score was 29-14 with less than 12:00 left. Kurt Coleman intercepted a pass to end Navy drive and it looked like we had the game in the bag.

But Navy pulled off some late heroics, scoring a touchdown on an 85-yard pass play and intercepting a pass from Pryor with 3:30 left. Navy's quarterback rushed from 24 yards out to score another touchdown, putting Navy just two points behind us at 29-27. They went for the two-point conversion and our linebacker Brian Rolle snagged the ball at the goal line and sprinted back to Navy's end zone to give us a rare defensive two-point conversion. Final score 31-27 Ohio State. What a way to open a season!

Navy Midshipmen football facts:

Program Duration: 1879 - present

All-time Record: 670-540-57

Record against Ohio State: 0-4

Bowl Appearances/Wins: 19/8

National championship(s): 1926

Heisman Winners: halfback Joe Bellino (1960) and quarterback Roger Staubach (1963)

The Male Animal: A great film for Ohio State fans

I recently watched a 1942 film called The Male Animal because it was based on a Broadway play by Buckeye alum James Thurber. Thurber's writing partner Elliott Nugent also went to Ohio State. The play, of the same name, was first performed in 1940 and was very popular. is about a college professor caught up in a controversy over his supposed communist sympathies, on the weekend of a big football rivalry game on campus. I will pretty much read or watch anything Thurber had a hand in, so I wanted to give The Male Animal a try. Having written the play together, Thurber and Nugent also collaborated on the film. The film sticks close to the play and is well-acted and very entertaining.

Henry Fonda plays the lead role (you may remember him from The Grapes of Wrath, How the West Was Won or On Golden Pond). He was a gifted actor and plays the role of Professor Tommy Turner perfectly. Olivia de Havilland plays his wife Ellen. De Havilland also acted in Gone with the Wind and They Died with their Boots On.

Because they wanted to use a football-crazy university setting for The Male Animal, Thurber and Nugent use Ohio State as the template for the school in the film. They call it "Midwestern State University" and the big football rivalry game is against University of Michigan. I thought this was interesting, but did not think about the OSU connection until the students sing, "We don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan . . . now or evermore." It made me laugh out loud to hear it - they took the tune and lyrics right from Ohio State. They also sing, to our very own tune, "and when we win the game, we'll buy a keg of booze and we'll drink to old Midwestern till we wobble in our shoes." There is no mistaking Ohio State as the basis for the school in the film.

Students in The Male Animal singing "We Don't Give a Damn for the Whole State of Michigan." The "M" on the sweaters is for Midwestern State University.

Thurber and Nugent also drew from Ohio State for the plot of the film, in which there is a lot of tension between the academics and the football team. The professors see the football players as idiots and refer to them as "stadium-builders." This has always been the case at Ohio State. There was a movement to scrap the football program in 1901, Wes Fesler promoted academics and good personal conduct over wins on the field as head coach, and the faculty voted to decline the Rose Bowl in 1961 due to football's huge popularity at OSU. Nowadays, the football program is more beloved.

The film shows a few plays in the Michigan game, which Midwestern University rallies to win by one point. While Midwestern is losing, one of the boosters says, "We build them a new stadium and they can't even beat Michigan in it." This was actually true for a while, since we began playing in Ohio Stadium in 1922 and went on a six-year losing streak to Michigan. The football game scenes are interesting to watch, they show the players in leather helmets, lined up with the ends in tight, in a full-house T formation.

Midwestern State's marching band entering the rally before the Michigan game. Don't those uniforms look familiar?

The film's story centers on Tommy Turner, a young English professor. A heroic football player, "Whirling" Joe Ferguson, returns to town and drives Professor Turner crazy. He can't stop talking about football and hitting on Turner's wife. Turner also has to deal with allegations that he is a communist, which could get him fired. During the Michigan game, he gets drunk at home with one of his students and hilariously reasons that he should fight Joe Ferguson, because of a primal instinct to protect his manhood. He attempts to fight Joe, then goes to bed and sleeps through Sunday. When he wakes up Monday morning, he has to face the faculty and argue that he is innocent of communism. It is quite funny and the acting is great.

If you are wondering about Ohio State football at the time, the year The Male Animal was released, we won our first national title.

Find the film and watch it some time, if you are a Buckeye fan, it will entertain you. Here is the trailer:

The seven Buckeyes that did NOT win the Heisman Trophy

Ohio State players have won the Heisman seven times, which ties us with Notre Dame for the most wins by University. Michigan players have only three Heisman trophies, but who's counting? Of course, there are great players every year that do not win the big trophy, and many of them have played at Ohio State. Here are the seven best Buckeyes who did not win the Heisman.

PACE - 1996

Orlando Pace came in 4th in Heisman voting in '96, which is pretty great for a lineman. Pace was as good an offensive tackle as we have ever produced and he played with some great players, like Eddie George, Shawn Springs, Mike Vrabel and Joe Germaine. He became famous for his complete dominance of defenders, which included frequent "pancake" blocks. Until Orlando Pace came along, they were called knockdowns. The pancake block was a stat invented by Ohio State and Orlando Pace in 1996. 

The '96 season was going very well for Head Coach John Cooper and the Buckeyes, as usual. We were ranked No. 2 almost the entire season and were all set up to play Florida State for the national title when we lost to Michigan. We redeemed ourselves by defeating Arizona State in the Rose Bowl and finishing the season No. 2. Florida beat Florida State and won the national title. Their quarterback Danny Wuerffel won the Heisman. Pace at least won the Lombardi Trophy in 1995 and 1996.

To get an idea of Pace's dominance, see this video that shows him destroying Penn State's defensive line.

BYARS - 1984

Keith Byars, running back, was second in Heisman voting in '84. This was Byars' junior year and he was outstanding. He rushed for 1,764 yards and 22 touchdowns, and caught for 479 yards and two more touchdowns. Byars played with great players like Mike Tomczack, Jim Lachey, Cris Carter and Chris Spielman. Byars was a huge part of our 1980s Big Ten dominance. We beat Michigan and won the conference in 1984. Unfortunately we lost the Rose Bowl to USC. Doug Flutie, quarterback for Boston College, won the 1984 Heisman.

Here is Byars returning a kickoff for a TD against Pittsburgh. He was a big back with short strides, not the type you normally see returning kicks.

SCHLICHTER - 1979

Art Schlichter came in fourth in Heisman voting in '79. This was Schichter's sophomore season, and as quarterback, he led the team through a difficult transition. 1978 was Woody Hayes' last season and many doubted if the Buckeyes would carry on successfully without him. Head coach Earle Bruce was doubted by many, but he and Schlichter brought us a lot of success that continued into the 1980s.

Schlicter was a great passer, and he threw for 1,816 yards and 14 touchdowns in 1979, and rushed for 430 yards and nine more touchdowns. We went undefeated all year and were No. 1 going into the Rose Bowl against USC. We lost the national championship by a single point as USC came back in the fourth quarter to win 17-16. Fittingly, USC running back Charles White won the 1979 Heisman Trophy.

Here Schlichter impressively leads OSU down the field to win in the final minutes of the '79 UCLA game.

HICKS - 1973

John Hicks, offensive tackle, was second in Heisman voting in '73. He had the great honor of playing with the 1970 championship team, as well as the next generation of Buckeyes that included Archie Griffin. Or perhaps, all of those players had the honor or playing with John Hicks. Without him, Rex Kern and Cornelius Greene would not have had time to throw, and Champ Henson and Archie Griffin would not have had room to run. He was impossible to get around, and most footage of Hicks involves him shoving defenders helplessly backwards. 

Sports Illustrated did a good article in 1973 about how it is nearly impossible for a lineman to win the Heisman, which remains true today. Hicks did win the 1973 Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy, while Penn State's John Cappelletti won the Heisman.

This is a great photo of Hicks in action.

KERN - 1969

Rex Kern came in third in 1969's Heisman votes. Kern quarterbacked during the golden age of OSU football and '69 was his best year. He threw for just over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing for 583 yards and nine more touchdowns. He played with a ridiculously good group of players including Jack Tatum, Jim Otis, John Hicks, Jim Stillwagon, and Bruce Jankowski. 1969 was set to be our perfect year, with the Buckeyes defending the national title and continuing a win streak that lasted as a school record until 2013. Michigan, with their new Coach Schembechler, beat us at the end of the season, ending our win streak at 22 and dashing everyone's expectation that we would repeat as national champions. Oklahoma's Steve Owens won the '69 Heisman.

Here is Kern leading us to victory over Purdue in 1969.

FERGUSON - 1961

Bob Ferguson was second in Heisman voting in 1961. He was a tough fullback whose main job was to run the ball right up the middle for four or five yards to keep drives going. In 1961, he ran for 968 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was one of the best running backs to ever play at Ohio State, and we would probably have won the national championship with his rushing abilities, but OSU itself denied us.

We had tied the first game of the '61 season, but had won every game since, so we had an undefeated record and were on our way to the Rose Bowl to play UCLA, a team we had already beaten back in the second game of the season. Things looked great as we were cruising to our fourth national title, when the Ohio State faculty voted to decline the Rose Bowl invitation because they wanted the university to stay focused on academics. The students rioted in response, but Woody Hayes remained calm. Minnesota went to the Rose Bowl instead, and beat UCLA. 

Ferguson won the Maxwell Award, but the brilliant running back Ernie Davis (of Syracuse) won the Heisman. On a much more tragic note than our missing out on the national championship, Ernie Davis went on to the NFL, but died of cancer at age 23, before he could play a game.

Here is Ferguson rushing; check out that uniform! Photo: fanbase.com

WHITE - 1958

Bob White came in fourth in 1958's Heisman votes. White had played on the 1957 national championship team and had a great 1958, too: 859 yards and 12 touchdowns. He played alongside Buckeye greats Don Clark and Dick Lebeau. We came into the year ranked No. 1, but after two ties and a loss, we fell in the rankings. Although we beat Iowa by ten points, they won the conference and went to the Rose Bowl. At least we beat Michigan. Army's Pete Dawkins won the Heisman.

Here is an old photo of Bob White, looking tough. Photo: fanbase.com