The 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
in the
2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The regular season began on August 27, 2014 and ended on D ...
. It was the Buckeyes' 125th overall, the 102nd as a member of the
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
, and first season as a member of the newly reorganized Eastern Division. The team was led by
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fro ...
, in his third year as head coach, and played their home games at
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is an American football stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on the campus of Ohio State University. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is also the site for the university's Spring Commencement c ...
in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
. They finished the season with 14 wins and 1 loss (14–1 overall, 8–0 in the Big Ten), as Big Ten champions and as
national champions
National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...
after they defeated
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in the inaugural
College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Winning 14 games in a season tied the school record set by the Buckeyes'
previous national champion team.
After a 12–2 season the
previous year, Ohio State signed a highly ranked
recruiting class and entered the season ranked No. 5 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the coaches' preseason poll. In the second game of the season, Ohio State was upset by
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
, 35–21. Following the loss, Ohio State won five consecutive games, including four against Big Ten opponents. In the ninth game of the season, Ohio State defeated
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
in a rematch of the previous year's Big Ten Championship Game. After the 49–37 win over the Spartans, the Buckeyes moved into the top ten in all major polls. After a 42–28 win over
rival
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, Ohio State completed their third consecutive undefeated Big Ten regular season, and earned their second consecutive berth in the Big Ten Championship Game, where they defeated
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
59–0. In the first season of the
College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level ...
, Ohio State was selected as the No. 4 team, where they defeated
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
in the
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
42–35. The win advanced the Buckeyes to the
2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, where they defeated
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
42–20 to capture the 2014 national championship. They were voted consensus national champions as the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
(AP) and the
Coaches' Poll (AFCA) both named them the No. 1 team in their final polls.
Reigning two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
Braxton Miller
Braxton Marcellus Miller (born November 30, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was their starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013, before moving to the wide receiver posit ...
was set to be Ohio State's starting quarterback for the year, but he sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in practice just a few weeks before the start of the season. Redshirt freshman
J. T. Barrett started at quarterback for the majority of the season, until he, too, suffered a season-ending injury via a broken ankle during the regular season finale against
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. Redshirt sophomore
Cardale Jones, who was the third-string quarterback at the start of the summer, led the Buckeyes to wins in the Big Ten Championship Game, Sugar Bowl, and CFP National Championship in his first three career starts at quarterback.
Defensive end
Joey Bosa
Joseph Anthony Bosa (born July 11, 1995) is an American football outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was selected third overall by the (then San Dieg ...
led the Big Ten in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles, and was named
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Bosa was named a
unanimous first-team All-American. Bosa, Barrett, offensive lineman
Pat Elflein, and defensive back
Doran Grant
Doran Grant (born November 30, 1992) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Ohio State.
High school career
Grant attended St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. During his career he had 203 tackles ...
earned
first-team all-conference honors.
Before the season
Previous season
Following the
2012 undefeated season, head coach Urban Meyer entered his second season at Ohio State in 2013 and brought in his second consecutive top-five recruiting class.
The Buckeyes entered the 2013 season ranked No. 2 in all major polls, with many considering them a favorite to win the Big Ten championship, and also being in the discussion for the national championship. Ohio State continued to build on the successes of the 2012 team, extending their winning streak to 23 games following a 42–14 victory over
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the Nationa ...
, a school record for consecutive victories.
The Buckeyes won their second consecutive game over arch rival
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
and completed their second consecutive undefeated regular season, while also winning the Leaders Division and qualifying for the
Big Ten Championship Game
The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The game, held after the regular season has been completed, matches the division champions f ...
.
Following a 34–24 loss to
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
in the conference championship game, Ohio State was selected to play in the
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in th ...
as a
BCS at-large team.
The Buckeyes suffered their second consecutive loss against the
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ...
in the Orange Bowl, and finished the season with a 12–2 overall record, an 8–0 record in the Big Ten.
Ohio State ranked No. 10 in the final
Coaches' Poll and No. 12 in the final
AP Poll
The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
.
Returning starters
Offense
Defense
Special teams
Coaching staff
![Urban Meyer vs Michigan, 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Urban_Meyer_vs_Michigan%2C_2013.jpg)
Urban Meyer was in his third year as the Buckeyes' head coach during the 2014 season. In his previous two seasons with Ohio State, he led the Buckeyes to an overall record of 24 wins and 2 losses (24–2), while also winning the Big Ten Leaders Division championship in those two seasons. On December 21, 2013, co-defensive coordinator
Everett Withers
Everett Rowe Withers (born June 15, 1963) is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator for the Florida Atlantic Owls. He formerly served as the defensive ...
accepted the head coaching position at
James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
. On January 23, 2014, Ohio State announced the hiring of
Chris Ash to replace Withers as co-defensive coordinator, along with being named the safeties coach.
Defensive line coach
Mike Vrabel
Michael George Vrabel (; born August 14, 1975) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned con ...
also left the Ohio State staff following the 2013 season to accept a coaching position with the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. On January 15, 2014, former
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
coach
Larry Johnson was brought onto the Ohio State staff as the defensive line and assistant head coach.
Coaching staff
*
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fro ...
– Head Coach (3rd year)
Offense
*
Tom Herman
Thomas Herman III (born June 2, 1975) is an American football coach and head coach of the Florida Atlantic Owls. He was the head football coach for the Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas at Austin from 2017 to 2020. Prior to that, he se ...
– Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks
*
Stan Drayton
Stanley Drayton (born March 11, 1971) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at Temple University. He formerly served as the associate head coach, running backs coach, and run game coordinator at The University of Texas at ...
– Assistant Head Coach / Running Backs (3rd year)
*
Tim Hinton – Tight Ends / Fullbacks (3rd year)
*
Zack Smith
Zachary Smith (born April 5, 1988) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him 79th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). ...
– Wide Receivers (3rd year)
*
Ed Warinner – Co-Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line (3rd year)
Defense
*
Luke Fickell
Luke Joseph Fickell (born August 18, 1973) is an American football coach and former player. He will be the head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers starting in December 2022. Previously he was the head football coach at the University of Cincinnati, ...
– Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers (13th year)
*
Chris Ash – Co-Defensive Coordinator / Safeties (1st year)
*
Kerry Coombs
Kerry Coombs (born September 9, 1961) is an American football coach who is the interim head coach at Cincinnati. Previously, Coombs was an assistant coach for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL) in 2018 and 2019 and the def ...
– Cornerbacks / Special Teams (3rd year)
*
Larry Johnson – Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Line (1st year)
Strength and Conditioning
*
Mickey Marotti – Strength Coach (3rd year)
* Scott Ray- Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach
*
Anthony Schlegel
Anthony Schlegel (born March 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former linebacker. He previously served as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Ohio State University from 2011 to 2015 and was the head strength and conditionin ...
-Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach
Recruiting class
Prior to
National Signing Day
National Signing Day has traditionally been the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for a collegiate sport with a school that is a member of the United States National Collegiate Athletic Association ( ...
on February 6, 2014, seven high school players of the 2014 recruiting class enrolled for the spring semester in order to participate in spring practice.
These early enrollments included: quarterback Stephen Collier, wide receivers
Johnnie Dixon and
Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel (born August 11, 1996) is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a member of the team that won the 2015 Colle ...
, offensive linemen Marcelys Jones and Kyle Trout, linebacker
Raekwon McMillan
Raekwon McMillan (born November 17, 1995) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins and has also played for the Las Vegas Raiders. He played coll ...
, and kicker Sean Nuernberger.
Ohio State's recruiting class was highlighted by eleven players from the "
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
300", including five from the top 100: No. 13 Raekwon McMillan (inside linebacker); No. 34
Johnnie Dixon (wide receiver); No. 45
Marshon Lattimore
Marshon Demond Lattimore (born May 20, 1996) is an American football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the Saints 11th overall in the 2017 N ...
(cornerback); No. 58
Damon Webb (cornerback); and No. 74
Jamarco Jones
Jamarco Jones (born June 4, 1996) is an American football guard who is a free agent. He played college football at Ohio State. He started his final 27 games at Ohio State at left tackle.
Professional career
Seattle Seahawks
Jones was drafted ...
(offensive tackle). The Buckeyes signed the No. 3 recruiting class according to
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
and
247Sports.com, the No. 5 recruiting class according to
Scout.com
Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...
, and the No. 7 recruiting class according to ESPN.
Spring practice
*Sources:
Ohio State's spring practice began on March 4 and consisted of fifteen separate practice sessions, which culminated with the spring game on April 12. Following a shoulder surgery on February 21, quarterback
Braxton Miller
Braxton Marcellus Miller (born November 30, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was their starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013, before moving to the wide receiver posit ...
was limited in practice, while receiver Evan Spencer, still rehabilitating from an injury during the previous season, did not participate in any spring practice drills. The spring game was broadcast on the
Big Ten Network
Big Ten Network (BTN) is an American sports network based in Chicago, Illinois. The channel is dedicated to coverage of collegiate sports sanctioned by the Big Ten Conference, including live and recorded event telecasts, news, analysis programs, ...
and returned to Ohio Stadium, after being played at
Paul Brown Stadium
Paycor Stadium, previously known as Paul Brown Stadium, is an outdoor football stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League and opened on August 19, 2000. Originally named after the B ...
in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, Ohio in the previous season.
As done in previous seasons, the Buckeyes were divided up into two teams, with the Gray team defeating the Scarlet team 17–7 in the annual spring game.
The game opened with the Scarlet team receiving the ball and were forced to punt after six plays.
On the opening offensive play for the Gray team, Rashad Frazier sacked freshman quarterback J. T. Barrett and forced a fumble, which was returned for a touchdown, giving the Scarlet team a 7–0 lead.
The Gray team closed the gap later in the first quarter with a 43-yard field goal from Sean Nuernberger. A fifteen-play, 80-yard drive to start the second quarter by the Gray team resulted in a 2-yard touchdown run from Bri'onte Dunn and gave the Gray team the lead at 10–7.
A 3-yard touchdown run from Warren Ball in the fourth quarter gave the Gray team the ten-point advantage while also being the last scoring play of the game.
Starting quarterback Braxton Miller did not compete in the game.
J. T. led the Gray team in passing, completing 17 of 33 passes for 151 yards, while Cardale Jones led the Scarlet team in passing after completing 14 of 31 pass attempts for 126 yards.
Warren Ball was the overall rushing leader with 55 yards on eight attempts, including one touchdown.
Chris Worley led both teams in defensive stats with six solo tackles.
Fall camp
Seven separate Ohio State players were on the preseason awards watch lists in eleven different award categories. These included Michael Bennett and Joey Bosa for the
Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional Ameri ...
,
Bronko Nagurski Trophy and
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lomba ...
; Bennett for the
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Ame ...
; Devin Smith for the
Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...
; Curtis Grant for the
Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
;
Braxton Miller
Braxton Marcellus Miller (born November 30, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was their starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013, before moving to the wide receiver posit ...
for the
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Co ...
,
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
and
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information directo ...
; Jeff Heuerman for the
Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, ...
; as well as Cameron Johnston for the
Ray Guy Award
The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding punter as adjudged by the Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, an All-American for Southern Mississippi and an All-Pro in the National F ...
. Ohio State opened their fall camp on August 4. On August 19, it was announced that quarterback Braxton Miller, who had surgery on his throwing shoulder in February 2014, would miss the entire season, after re-injuring his shoulder during camp.
Personnel
Depth chart
Starters and backups.
Schedule
The
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
released the schedule for the 2014 season on May 16, 2013.
With the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, the Big Ten abandoned its previous format to accommodate expansion.
As a result, Ohio State faced all six Eastern Division opponents
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
,
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
,
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
and
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
.
Ohio State also faced two Western Division opponents:
rival
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
and
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
.
Ohio State played four non-conference games:
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
, an
FBS Independent,
Kent State of the
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twel ...
,
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
of the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
, and
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
of the
American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...
. Ohio State had two
bye week
In sport, a bye is the preferential status of a player or team that is automatically advanced to the next round of a tournament, without having to play an opponent in an early round.
In knockout (elimination) tournaments they can be granted eit ...
s during the season, the first between their games against Kent State and Cincinnati and their second between their games against Maryland and Rutgers. Following their win over Indiana, Ohio State won the Big Ten East Division championship and qualified to play in the
Big Ten Championship Game
The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The game, held after the regular season has been completed, matches the division champions f ...
against
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, whom they defeated 59–0. Ohio State was selected to participate in the inaugural
College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level ...
, as the fourth ranked team, and faced top ranked
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
in the
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
, whom they defeated 42–35.
Following their Sugar Bowl victory, the Buckeyes advanced to face second ranked
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in the
CFP National Championship Game
The College Football Playoff National Championship is a post-season college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), which began play in the 2014 college football season. ...
, whom they defeated 42–20. The ranking in parenthesis below are the rankings from the
College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level ...
selection committee.
All games during the 2014 season were broadcast on the Ohio State Football Radio Network.
Paul Keels
Paul Keels is the current play-by-play announcer for Ohio State University's football and men's basketball teams for WBNS Radio and the Ohio State Sports Network.
A native of Cincinnati, Keels began his broadcasting career in his hometown as a n ...
headed the crew with
play-by-play
In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...
,
Jim Lachey
James Michael Lachey (born June 4, 1963) is a radio analyst for Ohio State football and a former American football offensive tackle who played for ten seasons in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Raiders, and ...
with
color commentary
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and the ...
, Marty Bannister as sideline and locker room reporter, and Skip Mosic as the pre-game and halftime show host.
Game summaries
Navy
*Sources:
On March 2, 2010, officials from both Ohio State and the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
agreed to a matchup between the Buckeyes and
Midshipmen
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
at
M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the ...
. In the game, Ohio State defeated the Midshipmen 34–17.
Redshirt freshman
J. T. Barrett started at quarterback for the Buckeyes following a season-ending injury to
Braxton Miller
Braxton Marcellus Miller (born November 30, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was their starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013, before moving to the wide receiver posit ...
during fall camp. Ohio State started the game on offense, with Barrett completing his first pass attempt on the first play of the game, however, the Midshipmen defense would force a punt.
Ohio State scored the first points of the day on their second offensive drive with a 46-yard field goal from Sean Nuernberger to give the Buckeyes the 3–0 lead.
Navy quarterback
Keenan Reynolds drove the Midshipmen 75 yards in eleven plays on their ensuing offensive possession, with the drive resulting in a touchdown run for DeBrandon Sanders, giving Navy a 7–3 lead at the start of the second quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, Barrett threw an interception, ending the Buckeyes' 67-yard drive and pinning Navy deep in their own territory.
The Buckeyes' next offensive drive would end in a second field goal from Nuernberger. After a missed field goal from the Midshipmen at the end of the second quarter, Navy went into halftime with a 7–6 lead.
Navy received the ball to open the third quarter, however on the fifth play of the drive, the Midshipmen fumbled the ball, which was returned for a touchdown by Darron Lee and gave Ohio State the lead at 13–7.
After a 59-yard kickoff return, Navy ended a 4-play, 84-yard drive with a touchdown from Reynolds, giving Navy the lead again at 14–13. Ohio State responded late in the third quarter with an 80-yard touchdown pass from Barrett to Devin Smith.
A field goal early in the fourth quarter was the last scoring play for the Midshipmen.
A 10-yard touchdown run from Ezekiel Elliott on Ohio State's ensuing offensive drive and a touchdown pass from Barrett to Michael Thomas put the Buckeyes well ahead, with the final score being 34–17 in favor of Ohio State.
Barrett, who made his first collegiate start, completed 12 of 15 pass attempts for two touchdowns, while also leading the team in rushing with 90 yards.
For his achievements, Barrett was recognized as the co-Big Ten Freshman of the Week. With the victory, Ohio State improved their overall record against Navy to 5–0.
Virginia Tech
*Sources:
In the first home game of the 2014 season, Ohio State was defeated by the
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
Hokies in the first meeting between the two schools.
Virginia Tech received the ball to open the game, with the Buckeye defense forcing a turnover on an interception thrown by quarterback Michael Brewer to cornerback Eli Apple.
After the Hokie defense forced a three and out, they received the ball in Ohio State territory after a 24-yard punt.
Virginia Tech took advantage of the field position, driving 43 yards and scoring on a Shai McKenzie touchdown run, giving them a 7–0 lead.
J. T. Barrett and the Buckeye offense responded on their next drive, driving 83 yards in seven plays and scoring on a 2-yard run from Barrett.
The Hokies' again started near midfield after a big kickoff return and took the lead back, this time on a 14-yard run from Marshawn Williams, giving Virginia Tech a 14–7 lead.
After receiving the ball again late in the half, the Hokies extended their lead, scoring on a touchdown pass from Brewer to Sam Rogers, giving Virginia Tech a 21–7 lead at halftime.
The Buckeyes' offense continued to struggle, being forced to punt on their first possession of the second half. Both defenses continued to dominate the game, with Ohio State forcing the Hokies to punt on their next two possessions and Virginia Tech intercepting a pass from Barrett.
Ohio State reduced Virginia Tech's lead late in the third quarter on a touchdown pass from Barrett to Michael Thomas.
The Buckeye defense forced Brewer into his second interception of the game on their next offensive possession, though Ohio State would be forced to punt. Ohio State again forced a turnover on the Hokies' next possession, this time on a fumble recovery by Rashad Frazier.
Two plays later, Ohio State tied the game on a 15-yard run from Ezekiel Elliott.
Virginia Tech put together a 6-play, 65-yard drive on their next possession and again scored on a Brewer touchdown pass, giving them a 28–21 lead.
After Barrett was sacked twice on their next possession, the Buckeyes were forced to punt and though the Buckeye defense forced a Hokie stop, an interception by Barrett again gave momentum to the Hokies.
Another Barrett interception returned for a touchdown with less than a minute remaining in the game, sealed 35–21 the upset victory for Virginia Tech, which also ended Ohio State's 25-game regular season win streak.
This is the only game Ohio State scored under 31 points in the 2014 season.
Kent State
*Sources:
In their third game of the 2014 season, Ohio State defeated the
Kent State Golden Flashes of the
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twel ...
66–0 in Columbus.
Ohio State opened the game on offense, scoring in five plays on a 14-yard touchdown pass from
J. T. Barrett to Michael Thomas.
A three and out by the Buckeye defense gave the ball back to the Ohio State offense, who then drove 65 yards and took a 14–0 lead on pass from Barrett to Rod Smith.
After both defenses' forced interceptions on the next two possessions, the Buckeyes extended their lead late in the first quarter on a Rod Smith touchdown run. After driving deep into the Golden Flash territory, the Buckeye offense stalled and was forced to settle for a field goal early in the second quarter, giving Ohio State a 24–0 lead.
The Ohio State offense scored on each of their possessions in the second quarter, which included a 63-yard touchdown pass from Barrett to Michael Thomas, as well as touchdown passes to
Marcus Baugh
Marcus Baugh (born December 9, 1994) is an American football tight end for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Oakland Raiders ...
and Devin Smith, which gave the Buckeyes a 45–0 lead at halftime.
After a Buckeye defensive stop on Kent State's first possession of the second half, Barrett and the Ohio State offense put together a 6-play, 28-yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass from Barrett to Jalin Marshall, expanding the Buckeyes lead to 52–0.
On Ohio State's next offensive possession, Barrett was replaced with backup quarterback Cardale Jones, who drove Ohio State 32 yards, with Curtis Samuel scoring on a 3-yard run.
A second Curtis Samuel touchdown run early in the fourth quarter was the last scoring play of the game. J. T. Barrett was recognized as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the Freshman Player of the Week for his record-tying six touchdown passes. With the victory, they improved their all-time record against Kent State to 3–0.
Cincinnati
*Sources:
In their final non-conference game of the 2014 season, Ohio State defeated the
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
Bearcats of the
American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...
50–28 in Columbus.
Cincinnati jumped out to an early lead, after a 60-yard touchdown pass from
Gunner Kiel to Chris Moore, on their first possession of the game.
The Buckeyes responded with an 8-play drive that ended in a 3-yard touchdown run from Rod Smith. On their second offensive possession, Ohio State drove 91 yards and took their first lead of the game on a 3-yard run from Ezekiel Elliott.
On the first play of Cincinnati's ensuing possession, the Buckeye defense forced a fumble in the endzone, which was recovered by the Bearcats for a safety, extending Ohio State's lead to 16–7.
Ohio State continued to execute on offense after the safety, scoring their third touchdown on a 19-yard pass from
J. T. Barrett to Devin Smith.
The Buckeyes extended their lead to 30–7 on their first possession the second quarter, after a touchdown pass from Barrett to Evan Spencer.
An Ohio State fumble on their next possession set up the Bearcats to score their second touchdown of the game on a Kiel pass to Johnny Holton.
An 83-yard touchdown pass from Kiel to Chris Moore late in the first half closed the gap, with the Buckeyes holding onto a 30–21 lead at halftime.
After Ohio State settled for a field goal on their first possession of the second half, Cincinnati again closed the gap with their first possession, scoring on another long touchdown pass from Kiel to Moore, cutting Ohio State's lead to 33–28.
Ohio State began to pull away late in the third quarter with another field goal and a 24-yard touchdown pass from Barrett to Dontre Wilson, expanding the Buckeyes lead to 43–28.
A 34-yard touchdown pass from Barrett to Devin Smith early in the fourth quarter gave Ohio State a 50–28 lead and would be the last scoring play of the game.
Quarterback J. T. Barrett completed 26 of 36 pass attempts for 330 yards with four touchdown passes, along with 79 rushing yards and was recognized as co-Big Ten Freshmen of the Week. With the victory, Ohio State improved their overall record against Cincinnati to 7–0.
Maryland
*Sources:
For the first time, Ohio State traveled to College Park to play
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
in the first conference game of the season, in which Ohio State defeated the
Terrapins
Terrapins are one of several small species of turtle (order Testudines) living in fresh or brackish water. Terrapins do not form a taxonomic unit and may not be closely related. Many belong to the families Geoemydidae and Emydidae.
The name " ...
52–24.
Ohio State received the opening kickoff and scored eight plays later on a Rod Smith touchdown run.
Ohio State scored again on their second possession, this time on a 9-yard touchdown pass from
J. T. Barrett to Jalin Marshall, giving them an early 14–0 lead.
Maryland scored their first points of the game on their second possession, scoring on a 57-yard field goal from Brad Craddock.
Early in the second quarter, Ohio State again added to their lead after driving 56 yards and scoring on a 25-yard pass from Barrett to Michael Thomas.
A Sean Nuernberger field goal on the Buckeyes' next possession gave Ohio State a 24–3 lead.
Maryland scored their first touchdown following a 13 play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Wes Brown run.
Late in the first half, the Ohio State defense forced a turnover on a pass intercepted by C.J. Brown, setting up the Buckeye offense at the Terrapin 1-yard line.
Ohio State took advantage of the turnover, and scored on a pass from Barrett to Nick Vannett, giving the Buckeyes a 31–10 lead at halftime.
Both teams failed to score on their first possessions of the second half. On the Buckeyes' second drive of the third quarter, Barrett completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith, giving Ohio State a 38–10 advantage.
The Terrapins responded on their ensuing possession, driving 75 yards and scoring on a Brandon Ross touchdown run.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Ohio State again added to their lead, scoring on a 9-yard touchdown run from Barrett, and giving them a 45–17 lead.
Maryland quarterback Caleb Rowe again led the Terrapins down the field and scored on a Stefon Diggs 4-yard touchdown reception on their first possession of the fourth quarter.
Rowe was intercepted on Maryland's ensuing possession by Raekwon McMillan, who returned it 19 yards for a touchdown.
With the win, Ohio State extended their Big Ten regular season win streak to 17 games, dating back to the
2012 season.
Rutgers
*Sources:
In their first conference home game of the 2014 season and in the first meeting between Ohio State and
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
, the Buckeyes defeated the
Scarlet Knights 56–17 in Columbus.
Rutgers received the opening kickoff and was forced into a three and out by the Ohio State defense. The Buckeyes drove 52 yards on their first possession of the game and scored on a touchdown pass from quarterback
J. T. Barrett to Nick Vannett.
Ohio State scored again on their next possession, with a touchdown run from Ezekiel Elliott, his fourth of the season.
Rutgers responded on their next drive, going 66 yards in ten plays and scoring on a touchdown run from Desmon Peoples, and cutting the Buckeyes' lead to 14–7.
Ohio State expanded their lead early in the second quarter, scoring on another Barrett touchdown pass to Vannett.
The Buckeye defense scored in their third consecutive game, this time on a fumble recovery by Eli Apple, which was returned four yards for a touchdown.
Rod Smith scored on a three-yard touchdown run later in the second quarter, which gave Ohio State a 35–7 lead.
The Buckeye defense forced another turnover after the Scarlet Knights drove 83 yards to the Buckeye six-yard line, securing Ohio State's four-possession lead going into halftime.
Ohio State, who received the second half kickoff, scored on a 4-play, 79-yard drive, which ended with a 33-yard run from Barrett.
Barrett again rushed for a touchdown on Ohio State's next possession, giving Ohio State a 49–7 lead.
Rutgers scored for the second time on their next possession, this time on a 42-yard field goal from Kyle Federico.
Ohio State continued to dominate on offense, and responded to the field goal by scoring another touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Barrett to Evan Spencer.
Rutgers put together an 8-play, 80-yard drive that ended in a 12-yard touchdown run for Desmon Peoples early in the fourth quarter.
Backup quarterback Cardale Jones eventually entered the game for Barrett as the Buckeyes began to run down the clock.
Neither team scored again in the fourth quarter making the final score 56–17 in favor of the Buckeyes. Following the game, Barrett was recognized as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week as well as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
Penn State
*Sources:
In their annual
rivalry game
Pairs of schools, colleges and universities, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, often establish a college rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry can extend to both ...
, Ohio State defeated the
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The interc ...
31–24 in double overtime.
The Nittany Lions received the opening kickoff and were stopped by the Buckeye defense, who forced an interception by Christian Hackenberg, which was recovered by Vonn Bell.
Ohio State capitalized on the turnover, scoring in seven plays on a 10-yard touchdown run from Ezekiel Elliott.
Following the touchdown, both defenses stepped up, with neither team scoring for the remainder of the first quarter. Ohio State had their second scoring drive early in the second quarter, driving 59 yards and extending their lead to 10–0 after a 49-yard field goal from Sean Nuernberger.
Ohio State scored again midway through the second quarter on a touchdown pass from
J. T. Barrett to Jeff Heuerman, giving the Buckeyes a 17–0 lead going into halftime.
Ohio State received the opening kickoff of the second half. The Nittany Lion defense forced a Barrett interception on the third play of the drive, with Anthony Zettel returning it 40 yards for Penn State's first scoring play of the game.
Midway through the third quarter the Buckeyes drove into Penn State territory, but were unable to capitalize on the field position, with Nuernberger missing a 41-yard field goal.
The Ohio State defense forced their second Hackenberg interception on the Nittany Lions' ensuing possession, but were unable to put together to take advantage, eventually punting after a three and out.
Penn State chipped the Buckeyes' lead to 17–14 early in the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from Hackenberg to Saeed Blacknall.
Following defense stops by the Nittany Lions' defense, Penn State drove 77 yards in 19 plays, and setting up a 31-yard field goal for Sam Ficken, tying the game at 17–17 and sending it to overtime.
Penn State received the ball first in overtime and scored on a touchdown run from Bill Belton.
The Buckeyes responded on their possession, scoring in three plays on a run from Barrett, sending the game to a second overtime.
Following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Penn State, Ohio State again drove the ball into the end zone on three plays, taking a 31–24 lead.
Penn State was unable to score on their ensuing possession, with Hackenberg being sacked on the final play of the game by Joey Bosa, sealing the victory for the Buckeyes.
Bosa was recognized for his achievements, which included six tackles and 2.5 sacks, by being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. With the win, Ohio State improved their overall record against Penn State to 17–12 .
Illinois
*Sources:
![Illibuck](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Illibuck.jpg)
In their traditional game for the
Illibuck Trophy
The Illibuck Trophy is the centerpiece of an American college football rivalry between the Illinois Fighting Illini football team of the University of Illinois and Ohio State Buckeyes football team of Ohio State University, with the winner of the ...
, Ohio State defeated the
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
Fighting Illini
The Illinois Fighting Illini () are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The university offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports.
The University operates a number of athletic faci ...
55–14 in Columbus.
The Buckeyes kicked off to start the game and forced a turnover on the seventh play of the game, when Darron Lee intercepted a Reilly O'Toole pass.
Ohio State took advantage of the turnover, scoring in three plays on a 23-yard Curtis Samuel touchdown run, giving the Buckeyes the early 7–0 lead.
Ohio State scored on their next two drives with a field goal from Sean Nuernberger and a 32-yard touchdown pass from
J. T. Barrett to Devin Smith, extending their lead to 17–0.
The Buckeye continued to put pressure on the Illini, forcing a fumble by running back Josh Ferguson that was recovered by Tyvis Powell late in the first quarter, and a second interception for O'Toole recovered by Curtis Grant.
Ohio State capitalized off of the interception, scoring a Curtis Samuel touchdown run, his second of the game.
After a 25-yard punt return late in the first half, Ohio State scored in two plays on a touchdown pass from Barrett to Devin Smith, giving the Buckeyes a 31–0 lead going into halftime.
After the first half, backup quarterback Cardale Jones replaced Barrett for the remainder of the game.
Ohio State, who received the opening kickoff of the second half, scored on an 8-play, 79-yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass from Cardale Jones to Dontre Wilson.
Illinois' ensuing possession ended after quarterback Aaron Bailey was sacked and fumbled the ball, with Curtis Grant recovering the fumble.
Ohio State extended their lead off of the turnover on a 26-yard field goal from Nuernberger, giving the Buckeyes a 41–0 lead.
Ohio State again scored quickly on their next possession, with Jalin Marshall scoring on a 30-yard touchdown run.
Illinois scored their first points of the game late in the third quarter on a touchdown run from Donovonn Young.
Ohio State scored early in the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from Jones to Michael Thomas.
A 7-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Bailey to Matt LaCosse by the Illini to make the final score 55–14.
With the win, Ohio State retained the wooden turtle trophy for which the game is famous for, and improved their all-time record against Illinois to 66–30–3 – including 62 Illibuck Trophies since it was established in 1925.
Michigan State
*Sources:
In a rematch of the
2013 Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State defeated the
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
Spartans
Sparta (Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referred t ...
49–37 in East Lansing.
Ohio State received the opening kickoff and drove 45 yards in nine plays and failed to score after a missed field goal from Sean Nuernberger.
Michigan State scored the first points of the game on their first drive off of a 15-yard touchdown pass from Connor Cook to Keith Mumphery.
The Buckeyes responded on their ensuing possession, tying the game at 7–7 after a touchdown run from
J. T. Barrett.
A 33-yard run from
Jeremy Langford
Jeremy Langford (born December 6, 1991) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Early years
Langfor ...
on the Spartans' next possession, gave Michigan State a 14–7 lead.
Ohio State tied the game again early in the second quarter on a second touchdown run from Barrett.
The Spartans' responded on their next drive, going 66 yards, and taking a 21–14 lead on another Langford touchdown run.
On the ensuing kickoff, Dontre Wilson fumbled the ball for the Buckeyes, turning it over to the Spartans, though they were unable to score off of it.
Ohio State and Barrett quickly recovered on their next possession, scoring in one play on a 79-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas.
A touchdown pass from Barrett to Devin Smith late in the first half gave Ohio State their first lead of the game at 28–21.
Michigan State received the ball to start the second half and settled for a 40-yard field goal from Michael Geiger, cutting the Ohio State lead to 28–24.
The Buckeyes responded on their first possession of the half, scoring on an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run and expanding their lead to two possessions.
Ohio State began to pull away early in the fourth quarter, with a touchdown pass from Barrett to Wilson, giving the Buckeyes a 42–24 lead.
A touchdown pass from Cook to Josiah Price on the Spartans' next possession cut the lead again down to eleven points, 42–31.
Elliott again scored a rushing touchdown for the Buckeyes on their ensuing possession.
A touchdown run from Langford on the next Spartan drive was the last scoring play of the game, giving the Buckeyes the 49–37 victory.
Quarterback J. T. Barrett was recognized as the Big Ten Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week for his achievements. With the win, Ohio State continued their streak of 21 consecutive Big Ten regular season wins, and improved their all-time record against the Spartans to 29–13.
Minnesota
*Sources:
In their final road conference game of the 2014 season, Ohio State defeated the
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college athletics, college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and com ...
31–24 in Minneapolis.
Both teams failed to convert first downs on their opening drives, with both defenses forcing three and outs.
Ohio State scored their first points of the day on their second offensive drive, with an 86-yard run from quarterback
J. T. Barrett, giving Ohio State a 7–0 lead.
The Buckeyes scored again on their ensuing possession, with a 57-yard pass from Barrett to Jalin Marshall. Holding a 14–0 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Buckeye defense did not allow a first down conversion by the Golden Gophers during the quarter.
Minnesota opened the second quarter with a David Cobb touchdown run, off of a J. T. Barrett interception, which closed the score to a one-possession game.
A fumble by Jalin Marshall deep in Minnesota territory, gave the ball again to the Golden Gophers' off of a turnover.
Minnesota took advantage of the turnover, putting together an 11 play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard touchdown run by Cobb, tying the game a 14.
On the Buckeyes' ensuing possession, they drove 57 yards and ended the first half with a 22-yard field goal by Sean Nuernberger, giving Ohio State a 17–14 lead at halftime.
Minnesota opened the second half with a missed field goal on their first drive. Ohio State drove 65 yards on their first possession of the third quarter and scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from J. T. Barrett to Michael Thomas, extending the Buckeyes' lead to 24–14.
The Buckeye defense forced an interception on the ensuing Golden Gopher drive, which was returned for 28 yards by Doran Grant, though the Ohio State offense failed to take advantage and score.
Ohio State scored on a touchdown pass to Evan Spencer on their first drive of the fourth quarter.
Minnesota scored their first points of the half on their next offensive drive, with David Cobb scoring his third touchdown of the game, making the score 31–21 Ohio State.
A 34-yard field goal by Ryan Santoso late in the game closed the score to a one-possession game, though the Golden Gophers were unable to stop the clock, which gave the Buckeyes the 31–24 victory.
Quarterback J. T. Barrett was recognized after the game as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for his achievements. With the win, Ohio State improved their overall record against Minnesota to 44–7.
Indiana
*Sources:
In a conference divisional matchup, Ohio State defeated the
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
Hoosiers in Columbus 42–27.
Ohio State received the opening kickoff and drove 76 yards in three plays, scoring on a 65-yard touchdown run from
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. Ell ...
.
Ohio State scored again on their ensuing offensive drive, on a four-yard touchdown pass from
J. T. Barrett to Jeff Heuerman, giving the Buckeyes a 14–0 lead.
The Hoosiers responded on their next drive by scoring on a two-yard touchdown run by
Tevin Coleman
Tevin Ford Coleman (born April 16, 1993) is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college fo ...
, cutting the lead to one possession.
A fumble on Ohio State's next drive, allowed the Hoosiers to cut the Buckeye lead to 14–10 after a 30-yard field goal from Griffin Oakes.
After forcing a second interception from J. T. Barrett, the Hoosiers took advantage, scoring on another Oakes field goal early in the second quarter, making the score 14–13 Ohio State at halftime.
After both teams failed to score on their respective opening possessions, the Hoosiers scored on their next drive on a 90-yard touchdown run from Coleman, giving Indiana their first lead at 20–14.
The Buckeyes retook the lead on a 54-yard punt return by Jalin Marshall, making the score 21–20 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes' first drive of the fourth quarter ended with a touchdown pass from Barrett to Marshall and gave the Buckeyes a 28–20 advantage.
Following a Tyvis Powell interception, the Buckeyes took a two-possession lead late in the fourth quarter on another touchdown pass from Barrett to Marshall.
Another touchdown on a connection between Barrett and Marshall sealed the game for the Buckeyes, who took a 42–20 lead.
Indiana scored late on a 52-yard touchdown run by Coleman, making the final score 42–27.
Following the game, Jalin Marshall was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week with his four touchdown receptions. With the victory, Ohio State clinched their third straight division championship, securing a place in the
Big Ten Championship Game
The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The game, held after the regular season has been completed, matches the division champions f ...
and improved their overall record again Indiana to 71–9–4.
Michigan
*Sources:
In the 2014 edition of
The Game, Ohio State defeated the
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
Wolverines
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscu ...
by a score of 42–28 in Columbus.
Michigan received the opening kickoff, though the Buckeyes forced a turnover on the third play of the game, on a
Devin Gardner
Devin Jaymes Gardner (born December 14, 1991) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots. He played professionally in Japan for two seasons.
Gardner was the starting quarterba ...
pass intercepted by Vonn Bell.
The Buckeyes took advantage of the turnover, scoring on a 6-yard touchdown pass from
J. T. Barrett to Nick Vannett, to give Ohio State a 7–0 lead.
Michigan tied the game up midway through the first quarter after a 7 play, 80-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass from Gardner to Jake Butt.
The Wolverines' drove 95 yards on their first possession of the second quarter, scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run from Drake Johnson, giving Michigan their first lead at 14–7.
Late in the second quarter, the Buckeyes scored their second touchdown of the game on a 25-yard run from Barrett, tying the game at 14 going into halftime.
Ohio State received the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 72 yards in 5 plays, capping the drive with another touchdown run from Barrett, giving the Buckeyes a 21–14 lead.
Michigan responded on their ensuing possession, scoring on a second Drake Johnson touchdown run and tying the game at 21.
The Buckeyes again responded, driving 81 yards, and taking the 28–21 lead on an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run.
The Buckeyes began to take control of the game early in the fourth quarter, on another Elliott touchdown run making the score 35–21 Ohio State.
During the drive, quarterback J. T. Barrett sustained an injury to his leg and was carted off of the field, not returning for the remainder of the game.
On Michigan's ensuing possession, the Buckeye defense sacked Gardner, with Joey Bosa forcing a fumble, which was returned 33 yards by Darron Lee for a touchdown, which gave Ohio State a 42–21 lead.
Michigan scored on their next offensive possession, on a touchdown pass from Gardner to Freddy Canteen making the score 42–28.
Ohio State was able to run out the clock on their next possession, securing their third straight victory over the Wolverines' and a third consecutive undefeated Big Ten regular season. Following the game, J. T. Barrett was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for his accomplishments. With the victory, Ohio State improved their record over Michigan since 2001 to 12–2.
Big Ten Championship vs. Wisconsin
In the program's second consecutive appearance in the
Big Ten Championship Game
The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The game, held after the regular season has been completed, matches the division champions f ...
, Ohio State defeated the
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin). They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivisi ...
59–0.
Ohio State received the opening kickoff and scored on their opening drive on a 39-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith from quarterback
Cardale Jones, who was making his first career start at Ohio State.
Midway through the first quarter, the Buckeyes scored on a 2-play drive, which ended in an 81-yard touchdown run by
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. Ell ...
, giving Ohio State the 14–0 advantage.
The Buckeye defense forced their first turnover of the game on the Badgers' ensuing possession, with Joel Stave having a pass intercepted by Vonn Bell.
The Buckeyes took advantage of the turnover, scoring on a 7-play, 53-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard field goal from Sean Nuernberger.
The next Buckeye possession also resulted in scores, with a 44-yard touchdown reception by Devin Smith from Cardale Jones and a 14-yard run from Elliott, extending the Ohio State lead to 31–0.
The Buckeye defense forced the Wisconsin offense in the three and outs three times during the second quarter, and got a score on a fumble recovery, returned by Joey Bosa, which gave Ohio State a 38–0 lead going into halftime.
The Buckeye defense again stopped the Badgers' on their first possession of the second half. Ohio State drove 77 yards in 5 plays on their first possession of the half, scoring on another touchdown pass from Jones to Smith, making the score 45–0 Ohio State.
The Buckeye defense forced another Badger turnover late in the third quarter, on a Stave pass that was intercepted by Doran Grant, though they were unable to score off of it, with the Badgers blocking a field goal attempt.
A 12-yard run by Curtis Samuel midway through the fourth quarter gave Ohio State a 52–0 lead.
Ohio State's ensuing possession also ended with points off of a Samuel touchdown run.
The Buckeye defense continued to stop the Badgers and finished the game with their second shutout of the season, with the Buckeyes winning 59–0.
The victory gave Ohio State their first outright conference championship since the
2009 season. Quarterback Cardale Jones was named the MVP of the game after completing 12 of 17 pass attempts for 257 yards, and throwing three touchdown passes.
With the victory, Ohio State improved their all-time record against Wisconsin to 57–18–5.
CFP Semifinal at Sugar Bowl vs. Alabama
*Sources:
On December 7, 2014, the final
College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level ...
standings were released with Ohio State ranked No. 4, selected to face the No. 1
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Sugar Bowl.
In the game, the Buckeyes defeated the Crimson Tide 42–35 to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Alabama started the game on offense, with the Buckeye defense forcing a three and out.
The Buckeyes' first drive of the game went 80 yards and ended with a 22-yard field goal from Sean Nuernberger, giving Ohio State a 3–0 lead.
Ohio State's next possession ended with a fumble by
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. Ell ...
, recovered by the Crimson Tide in Ohio State territory. Alabama took advantage of the turnover, scoring on a
Derrick Henry
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994) is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). His imposing rushing game and larger stature than the average running back earned him the nickna ...
25-yard touchdown run, giving them a 7–3 lead.
The Buckeyes settled for another field goal on their next possession, cutting the score to a one-point game.
A 15-yard touchdown pass from
Blake Sims
Blake Sims (born January 3, 1992) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Alabama and was the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback in 2014.
Early years
Sims attended Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Georg ...
to
Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiv ...
gave the Crimson Tide a 14–6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Quarterback
Cardale Jones, starting his second career game, threw an interception to Cyrus Jones early in the second quarter, setting up an Alabama drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run from
T. J. Yeldon
Timothy Antonio "T. J." Yeldon Jr. (born October 2, 1993) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama.
Ear ...
, extending the Crimson Tide lead to 21–6.
Ohio State responded on their next possession, going 71 yards in 12 plays, and scoring on an Elliott touchdown run, cutting the score to 21–13 Alabama.
The Buckeyes closed out the first half by scoring on a trick play, a 13-yard pass from Evan Spencer to Michael Thomas, cutting the Crimson Tide lead to 21–20 going into halftime.
Ohio State received the opening kickoff of the second half, drove 75 yards, and scored on a 47-yard pass from Cardale Jones to Devin Smith, giving them the lead with a score of 27–21.
Midway through the third quarter, Blake Sims threw an interception to Steve Miller that was returned 41 yards, and increased the Buckeye lead to two possessions at 34–21.
Alabama responded on their ensuing possession, scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run from Sims, making the score 34–28 Ohio State at the end of the third quarter.
Blake Sims threw his second interception of the game early in the fourth quarter, though the Buckeyes were unable to capitalize off of the turnover.
An 85-yard touchdown run from Ezekiel Elliott with less than four minutes in the game, gave the Buckeyes 42–28, after the successful two-point conversion.
Alabama went 65 yards in a minute and a half on their next possession, scoring on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Sims to Amari Cooper, to cut the game again to one possession.
The game ended on a
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with an exceptionally small chance of achieving a completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes reference to the Catho ...
from Sims that was intercepted by Tyvis Powell, giving Ohio State the 42–35 victory.
For their achievements, running back Ezekiel Elliott was named the offensive MVP of the game, and Darron Lee was named the defensive MVP.
The loss was the Southeastern Conference's second straight major bowl loss to Ohio State.
CFP Championship vs. Oregon
*Sources:
Following victories in their respective bowl games on January 1, the No. 4 Buckeyes and the No. 2
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
Ducks
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
advanced to face each other in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship at
AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable roof, retractable-roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. I ...
. Coming into the game, Ohio State had never lost to Oregon, holding an 8–0 all-time record against the Ducks.
Oregon won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball the start the game.
The Ducks' first drive featured running back
Thomas Tyner
Thomas Tyner (born September 14, 1994) is a former running back in American football. He played college football with the Oregon Ducks for the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and with the Oregon State Beavers in 2017. He did not play during the 2015 and ...
and quarterback
Marcus Mariota
Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota play ...
driving Oregon 75 yards and scoring on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Mariota to
Keanon Lowe to give Oregon an early 7–0 lead.
The Buckeye offense struggled on their first drive, going only 17 yards, and was forced to punt.
The Buckeye defense stopped Oregon at midfield on their next possession and forced them to punt, setting up Ohio State inside their own 3-yard line.
During the drive, Ohio State went 97-yard and scored their first points of the game on a 33-yard touchdown run from
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. Ell ...
, tying the game at 7–7.
The Buckeye defense forced the Ducks to punt on their next two possessions.
The Ohio State offense took advantage by scoring on a touchdown pass from
Cardale Jones to Nick Vannett, making the score 14–7 Ohio State at the end of the first quarter.
On the fourth play of the second quarter, Ohio State turned the ball over on a fumble by Cardale Jones, giving the Ducks' possession of the ball at own 41-yard line.
The Ducks' drove down to the Ohio State 3-yard line, but were unable to take advantage of the turnover after failing to convert on fourth down.
The Buckeye offense took over at their own 1-yard line and quickly drove to midfield.
The drive ended, however, on another Ohio State turnover, this time on a pass from Jones to Corey Smith that was fumbled by Smith, which allowed Oregon to take over at their own 9-yard line.
Oregon, again, was unable to capitalize off of the turnover, with the Buckeye defense forcing a three and out.
The ensuing Ohio State possession took only 6 plays and ended with a touchdown run from Jones, giving Ohio State a 21–7 lead.
The next Ducks' possession went 66 yards in 12 plays and ended with a 26-yard field goal from Aidan Schneider.
After the Oregon defense forced a three and out on the Buckeyes' next possession, Oregon went into halftime, trailing Ohio State 21–10.
Ohio State received the opening kickoff of the second half.
Ohio State turned the ball over on their first possession of the half on a
Cardale Jones pass intercepted by Danny Mattingly returned to the Oregon 30-yard line.
The Ducks took advantage of the turnover in one play on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to
Byron Marshall
Byron Marshall (born February 13, 1994) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was most recently a member of the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Oregon, and w ...
, making the score 21–17 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes turned the ball over for a fourth time on their next possession, with Jones fumbling the ball inside Ohio State territory.
Aidan Schneider made a 23-yard field goal off of the turnover, with the score 21–20 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes' ensuing possession went 75 yards in 12 plays, ending on a 9-yard touchdown run from Ezekiel Elliott to make the score 28–20 Ohio State at the end of the third quarter.
After a Buckeye defensive stop, the Ohio State offense and Ezekiel Elliott again scored a touchdown, making the score 35–20 Ohio State early in the fourth quarter.
Both teams exchanged punts on their drives.
With less than three minutes remaining in the game, the Oregon offense attempt to convert a fourth down, though the pass from Marcus Mariota was incomplete.
Ohio State regained possession and scored on a fourth touchdown from Elliott.
The last play of the game was a Mariota pass that was intercepted by Eli Apple and made the final score 42–20.
For their performances, Ezekiel Elliott was named the game's offensive MVP, and Tyvis Powell was named the game's defensive MVP.
Ohio State improved their all-time record against Oregon to 9–0, won the first ever College Football Playoff national championship, and the program's first national championship since
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
.
It was Ohio State's eighth claimed national championship, and sixth national championship by vote of the AP and Coaches' polls.
The fourteen season victories tied the 2002 season for the most in program history.
Rankings
Entering the 2014 season, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 5 in the AP and No. 6 in the Coaches' Preseason Polls. After a 35–21 loss to
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
on September 6, Ohio State dropped to No. 22 in the AP and No. 18 in the Coaches' Polls. When the first College Football Playoff rankings came out on October 28, the Buckeyes were No. 16. After Ohio State defeated No. 7
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
49–37 on November 8, they moved up to No. 8 in the AP and No. 7 in the Coaches' Poll, as well as moving up to No. 8 in the CFP rankings. Entering the Big Ten Championship Game, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 6 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls, and No. 5 in the CFP rankings. Following the 59–0 win over
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
in the Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State moved up to No. 5 in the AP Poll and No. 4 in the Coaches' Poll. On December 7, it was announced that Ohio State had passed
TCU in the CFP rankings into the No. 4 ranking, which qualified them to participate in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
After the victory over
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in the College Football Playoff National Championship, Ohio State finished in the No. 1 position unanimously in both the AP and Coaches' polls as consensus national champions.
*
Sources:
After the season
Following their victory over Oregon for the national championship, the team returned to Columbus on January 13, where they were greeted by fans upon their arrival at
Port Columbus International Airport
John Glenn Columbus International Airport is an international airport located east of downtown Columbus, Ohio. Formerly known as Port Columbus International Airport, it is managed by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which also ove ...
, as well as when they returned to the campus. On January 18, the official championship celebration was held at Ohio Stadium, which was attended by an estimated 45,000 fans.
The event included a performance by the
Ohio State University Marching Band
The Ohio State University Marching Band (OSUMB) is a university marching band named for and a part of the Ohio State University. The band, popularly nicknamed The Best Damn Band in the Land (TBDBITL), performs at football games and other events d ...
, as well as speeches from athletic director
Gene Smith, head coach
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fro ...
,
Braxton Miller
Braxton Marcellus Miller (born November 30, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was their starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013, before moving to the wide receiver posit ...
, and
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. Ell ...
.
Final statistics
Following their win over Oregon in the College Football Playoff National Championship, Ohio State's final team statistics were released. On the offensive side of the ball, Ohio State ranked ninth in total offense (511.6 yards per game), eighth in rushing offense (264.5 yards per game), 51st in passing offense (247.1 yards per game), and fifth in scoring offense (44.8 points per game).
In conference, Ohio State ranked first in total offense, second in rushing offense, and third in passing offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, Ohio State ranked 19th in total defense (342.4 yards per game), 34th in rushing defense (141.3 yards per game), 28th in passing defense (201.1 yards per game), and 26th in scoring defense (22.0 points per game).
In conference, Ohio State ranked fifth in total defense, fifth in rushing defense, and sixth in passing defense.
Individually,
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. Ell ...
led the team in rushing with 1,878 total yards (125.2 yards per game), scoring 18 touchdowns, and ranking 12th nationally in rushing yards per game.
J. T. Barrett finished the season completing 203 of 314 pass attempts, with 2,834 passing yards, 34 touchdown passes, and 10 interceptions.
Cardale Jones finished the season completing 56 of 92 pass attempts, with 860 passing yards, 7 touchdown passes, and 2 interceptions.
Joshua Perry led the team 124 total tackles and 73 solo tackles.
Vonn Bell
Vonn Christian Bell (born December 12, 1994) is an American football safety for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round ...
led the team with 6 interceptions, and
Joey Bosa
Joseph Anthony Bosa (born July 11, 1995) is an American football outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was selected third overall by the (then San Dieg ...
led the team with 13.5 sacks.
Awards and honors
Individual
*QB
J. T. Barrett
**Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year
**Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year
**All Big Ten First Team (Media and Coaches)
**AP All-American Third Team.
*DE
Joey Bosa
Joseph Anthony Bosa (born July 11, 1995) is an American football outside linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was selected third overall by the (then San Dieg ...
**Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year
**Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year
**All Big Ten First Team (Media and Coaches)
**unanimous All-Big Ten First Team,
**unanimous All-American.
*OL Pat Elfein, and LB Doran Grant – All-Big Ten First Team (Coaches).
*OL Taylor Decker, TE Jeff Heuerman – All-Big Ten Second Team (Coaches)
*Elflein, Decker, Heuerman, Grant, and LB Joshua Perry – All-Big Ten Second Team (Media).
*DL Michael Bennett
**All Big Ten Second Team (Coaches)
**AP All-American Third Team
**CBS All-American Team,
**CFPA National Freshman Performer of the Year
**Freshman All-American,
*LB Darron Lee, LB Raekwon McMillan, and CB Eli Apple – Freshman All American.
*Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Tom Herman
Thomas Herman III (born June 2, 1975) is an American football coach and head coach of the Florida Atlantic Owls. He was the head football coach for the Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas at Austin from 2017 to 2020. Prior to that, he se ...
–
Broyles Award
The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles. The award is presented in Little R ...
(best assistant coach of the year).
*Head coach
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fro ...
– West Bridge Street in
Dublin, Ohio
Dublin is a city in Franklin, Delaware and Union counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 49,328 in the 2020 census with a census estimate of 49,037 in 2019. Dublin is a suburb of Columbus. The city of Dublin hosts the yearly Mem ...
renamed Urban Meyer Way
Team
*Intersection of Lane Avenue and High Street in Columbus renamed Undisputed Way
*North High Street in
Dublin, Ohio
Dublin is a city in Franklin, Delaware and Union counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 49,328 in the 2020 census with a census estimate of 49,037 in 2019. Dublin is a suburb of Columbus. The city of Dublin hosts the yearly Mem ...
renamed Champions Drive
*Inaugural
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
Reds Country Athletic Achievement Award
NFL Draft selections
Thirty-one former players have been selected in the
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
so far:
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:2014 Ohio State Buckeyes Football Team
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
Ohio State Buckeyes football seasons
College Football Playoff National Champions
Big Ten Conference football champion seasons
Sugar Bowl champion seasons
Ohio State Football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing Ohio State University in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the ...