The 2019 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 ...
during the
2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes played their home games at
Ohio Stadium 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 ...
. This was the Buckeyes' 130th overall season and 107th 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 ...
. They were led by
Ryan Day, in his first season as Ohio State's full-time head coach.
Ohio State began the year ranked fifth in the preseason
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 broad ...
. The Buckeyes climbed to number one in 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 ...
rankings by the end of the regular season, after dominating wins over
Conference USA champion
Florida Atlantic,
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) ...
runner-up
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 ...
, and
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...
champion
Miami (OH) in the non-conference schedule; and comfortable wins over ranked Big Ten teams
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 ...
,
Penn State, and
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 ...
in conference 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 ...
, Ohio State defeated Wisconsin a second time, by a score of 34–21 to win their third consecutive conference title. In the final CFP rankings of the season, Ohio State dropped from first to second, passed by SEC champion
LSU
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
, which placed Ohio State in the
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been pla ...
to play defending national champion and third-seeded
Clemson. Ohio State lost that game, 29–23, to end the year at 13–1.
The Buckeyes were led on offense by sophomore quarterback
Justin Fields
Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Georgia, he played college football at Ohio State, where he twice won Graham–G ...
, an incoming transfer from
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
that was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility by the NCAA. He led the Big Ten with 3,273 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns to go along with 10 rushing touchdowns, and finished third in voting for the
Heisman Trophy. Running back
J. K. Dobbins became the first Buckeye running back to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark, finishing tied atop the Big Ten with Wisconsin's
Jonathan Taylor at 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns. On defense, Ohio State was led by defensive end
Chase Young
Chase Young (born April 14, 1999) is an American football defensive end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Maryland, he played college football at Ohio State University for the Buckeyes. Dur ...
, who led the country with 16.5 sacks and won several defensive player of the year awards while also finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. He was also named a unanimous
All-American, along with cornerback
Jeff Okudah
Jeffrey Chidera Okudah (born February 2, 1999) is an American football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a unanimous All-American in 2019 before being s ...
. Head coach Ryan Day was named
Big Ten Coach of the Year
Coaches and media of the Big Ten Conference award the following individual honors at the end of each American football, football season. In addition, the ''Chicago Tribune'' awards the Chicago Tribune Silver Football to the most valuable football p ...
by the media, becoming the first Ohio State head coach to win it since
Earle Bruce
Earle Bruce (March 8, 1931 – April 20, 2018) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Tampa (1972), Iowa State University (1973–1978), Ohio State University (1979–1987), the University of N ...
in
1979.
Previous season
The
Buckeyes finished the
2018 season 13–1, 8–1 in
Big Ten play to win the
East division. They defeated
Northwestern in the
Big Ten Championship 45–24. However, despite a 12–1 record, they failed to receive an invitation to 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 ...
. Instead, they received a bid to the
Rose Bowl where they defeated
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
28–23. This was the final season for
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 ...
as the Buckeyes' head coach, who coached at Ohio State for seven seasons. In January 2019, it was announced
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
Quarterback
Justin Fields
Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Georgia, he played college football at Ohio State, where he twice won Graham–G ...
would be transferring to Ohio State.
Preseason
Spring Game
The 2019 Spring Game was held at Ohio Stadium on April 13, 2019, with the Gray team defeating the Scarlet team, 35–17.
Preseason Big Ten poll
Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010,
Cleveland.com
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday.
As of Ma ...
has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a ''de facto'' preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2019 poll, Ohio State was projected to finish in second in the East Division behind
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 ...
.
Schedule
Ohio State's 2019 schedule will begin with two non-conference home games, first against
Florida Atlantic of
Conference USA and then against
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's third non-conference game, a home game against
Miami (OH) of the
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...
, will be played after the Buckeyes' conference opener against
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 ...
.
In
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 ...
play, Ohio State will play all members of the East Division and draws
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
,
Northwestern, and
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 ...
from the West Division.
:Schedule Source:
Personnel
Roster
Coaching changes
*On December 4, 2018, 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 ...
announced his retirement from coaching effective after the
2019 Rose Bowl Game. Ryan Day was announced as his replacement.
*On December 8, 2018, Interim Wide Receivers Coach
Brian Hartline
Brian Jack Hartline (born November 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the four ...
was promoted to full-time Wide Receivers coach.
*On January 2, 2019,
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
Offensive Coordinator
Mike Yurcich
Mike Yurcich (born November 5, 1975) is an American football coach who currently serves as offensive coordinator at Penn State. He was the offensive coordinator at University of Texas Austin in 2020 prior to Penn State. He was the passing game co ...
was hired by Ohio State as the new Passing Game Coordinator and
Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
s coach.
*On January 4, 2019, Ohio State Co-Defensive Coordinator and Safeties coach
Alex Grinch was hired by
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
as Defensive Coordinator.
*On January 7, 2019, Defensive Coordinator
Greg Schiano
Gregory Edward Schiano (born June 1, 1966) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Rutgers University, a position he held from 2001 to 2011 and resumed before the 2020 season. Schiano served as the head coach for the Tampa ...
and
Linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
s Coach
Billy Davis were fired by Ohio State, and replaced with
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 ...
Defensive line coach
Greg Mattison
Greg Mattison (born November 15, 1949) is a former American football coach, and former player. He spent most of his career in college football as a defensive coach. Mattison coached at Michigan for eleven years, at Notre Dame for seven years, ...
and former
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
Defensive backs coach
Jeff Hafley
Jeff Hafley (born April 4, 1979) is an American football coach who is the head coach of Boston College.
Raised in Montvale, New Jersey, Hafley played prep football at Pascack Hills High School.
Hafley was a four-year letterman (1997–2000) as ...
. Mattison and Hafley will serve as Co-Defensive Coordinators.
*Also On January 7, 2019, Defensive Line Coach
Larry Johnson was promoted to Associate Head Coach, while continuing his duties as defensive line coach, he takes over for former Associate Head Coach
Greg Schiano
Gregory Edward Schiano (born June 1, 1966) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Rutgers University, a position he held from 2001 to 2011 and resumed before the 2020 season. Schiano served as the head coach for the Tampa ...
who was fired earlier that day.
*On January 8, 2019, Ohio State hired Michigan Linebackers Coach
Al Washington as the new Linebackers coach.
Depth chart
Starters and backups.
Rankings
Game summaries
Florida Atlantic
Summary
The No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (0-0, 0-0) faced the
Florida Atlantic Owls
The Florida Atlantic Owls are the athletics teams of Florida Atlantic University. The Owls participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I as members of Conference USA. On October 21, 2021, Florida Atlantic accep ...
(0-0, 0-0) in a home match up, and the first game under new head coach
Ryan Day. The Buckeyes came in as heavy favorites over
Lane Kiffin
Lane Monte Kiffin (born May 9, 1975) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Kiffin formerly was the offensive coordinator for the USC Trojans football team from 2005 to 2006, head coach of the Nati ...
's Owls.
The Buckeyes found quick success on their opening possession on a 51-yard touchdown run from
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
transfer
Justin Fields
Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Georgia, he played college football at Ohio State, where he twice won Graham–G ...
. The offense went on to score three more touchdowns in the first quarter to take a 28–0 lead. The remainder of the half resulted only in a 28-yard FAU field goal to give the Buckeyes a 28-3 halftime lead.
The FAU offense would score a field goal on their opening possession to make it a three-possession game. The Buckeyes continued their woes until 2:37 left in the third quarter when Fields threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Jeremy Ruckert
Jeremy Ruckert (born August 11, 2000) is an American football tight end for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted 101st overall in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. ...
. The third quarter ended with the Buckeyes up 35–6. The fourth quarter had two drives that resulted in 14-points for the Owls and 10 for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State allowed 22 rushing yards behind
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
Chase Young
Chase Young (born April 14, 1999) is an American football defensive end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Maryland, he played college football at Ohio State University for the Buckeyes. Dur ...
, who had a total of five tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pass deflection.
Statistics
Cincinnati
Summary
The
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Cincinnati Bearcats are the athletic teams that represent the University of Cincinnati. Though they will move to the Big 12 Conference (XII) the teams are currently a part of the American Athletic Conference (The American), which from 1979 ...
(1-0, 0-0) had high hopes in defeating the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0, 0-0) after beating
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
the previous week. The last win the Bearcats had over the Buckeyes was in 1897.
The Buckeyes took an early lead when the offense scored on their second possession, halfway through the first quarter. The Buckeye offense held the Bearcats to only two first downs in the opening quarter. The first scoring opportunity for Cincinnati came at the 11:29 mark with a 32-yard field goal that was blocked by
Chase Young
Chase Young (born April 14, 1999) is an American football defensive end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Maryland, he played college football at Ohio State University for the Buckeyes. Dur ...
. The following three drives would result in three touchdowns by the Buckeyes and three punts by the Bearcats to make the halftime score 28-0 Ohio State.
Ohio State would score 14 more points in the second half and hold the Bearcats scoreless. The Bearcats had and opportunity to score when they got down to the OSU 4 but linebacker
Tuf Borland
Tuf Jarred Borland (born March 23, 1998) is an American football linebacker. He played college football at the Ohio State University. After going undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings. He appeared in two games with ...
intercepted a pass, thwarting the redzone attempt.
The shutout was the first for Ohio State since 2017 against
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 w ...
. Ohio State punter
Drue Chrisman
Drue Chrisman (born 1997) is an American football punter for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals after the 2021 ...
was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.
Statistics
at Indiana
Summary
The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0, 0-0) faced
Big Ten East Division
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 ...
foe
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 Division I of the National Collegiate Ath ...
(2-0, 0-0) in
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to the Mo ...
. Indiana hoped to snap a 23-game Ohio State win streak that began in 1989.
Ohio State and Indiana traded scores in the first quarter to give the Buckeyes a 7–3 lead. The second quarter heavily favored Ohio State scoring three touchdowns and a safety on a blocked
punt by
Chris Olave
Christian Josiah Olave ( ; born June 27, 2000) is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he holds the school record of most career to ...
. The Hoosiers scored their only touchdown of the game with 1:07 left in the second quarter, making the halftime score 30–10, Ohio State.
OSU went on to score touchdowns on their two opening possessions and intercepting an Indiana pass for a 96-yard return by
Damon Arnette
Damon Arnette (born September 2, 1996) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent, and an American rapper. He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
E ...
. Neither team would score again, making the final 51–10. Ohio State held the Hoosiers to just 42 yards rushing, making it the second time in three games that they held their opponent to under 100 yards.
J. K. Dobbins was named Big Ten co-Offensive Player of the Week for his 193-yard rushing and two total touchdown performance.
Statistics
Miami (OH)
Summary
The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0, 1-0) faced the
Miami RedHawks
The Miami RedHawks are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Miami is a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Divis ...
(1-2, 0-0) from the
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...
at
Ohio Stadium. Ohio State came in as heavy favorites, having never lost to the RedHawks.
The Buckeyes found themselves quickly in a hole, trailing Miami 5-0 following a safety and a field goal halfway through the first quarter. Ohio State was able to finally score and take the lead on a 7-play, 75-yard drive that was topped off by a
J. K. Dobbins 26-yard run at the 5:16 mark of the first quarter. The Buckeyes would go on to score touchdowns on all six of their possessions of the second quarter, and the defense would force three Miami turnovers. The Buckeyes lead at halftime 49–5.
Ohio State went to tack on two more touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters and allowing the Miami offense to only gain 29 net yards. Ohio State scored their largest win since
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
.
Statistics
at Nebraska
Summary
The No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0) faced the
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...
(3-1, 1-0) in a cross-divisional match up. The game would be featured on
College GameDay. The previous match up ended with a narrow five-point Ohio State victory. The one and only Nebraska victory came in
2011 when the Cornhuskers defeated the Buckeyes 34–27 in
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
.
Nebraska began the game on a 31-yard drive that ended in an
Adrian Martinez interception. The Buckeyes were able to take advantage of the turnover and drive 50 yards to score a
Justin Fields
Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Georgia, he played college football at Ohio State, where he twice won Graham–G ...
touchdown run. The Buckeyes forced a three-and-out and scored another touchdown following a 60-yard drive. For the remainder of the half, Ohio State would score three more touchdowns and a field goal while intercepting two more Martinez passes and forcing three Cornhuskers' punts. Ohio State lead 38–0 at the half.
The Buckeyes were able to score 10 more points in the second half and the Cornhuskers were able to get on the board late in the third quarter, ending Ohio State's streak of eight quarters without allowing a touchdown. The final score ended in favor of Ohio State 48–7.
Statistics
Michigan State
Summary
The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0) faced the No. 25
T Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...
(4-1, 2-0) in an East Division contest. Ohio State wore all-black uniforms for the third time in the program's history. Ohio State came in to the game as 16-point favorites over the Spartans.
After the Buckeyes were forced to punt the ball on their initial possession, the Spartans fumbled the ball twice in four plays giving the Buckeyes two recoveries deep in their own territory. The turnovers resulted in three points from two field goal attempts. The Buckeyes would take a ten-point lead early in the second quarter, which was matched by the Spartans on the following drive, making the score 10–7, Ohio State. Michigan State was able to get another field goal before the end of the half, while Ohio State scored 17 additional points, making the halftime score 27–10, Ohio State.
Michigan State would not score any more during the game though they did attempt a 27-yard field goal in their opening possession of the second half. Ohio State would score again in the fourth quarter making the final 34–10. Notably,
Justin Fields
Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Georgia, he played college football at Ohio State, where he twice won Graham–G ...
would throw his first interception of the season and fumble the ball away in the second half.
This game was the fourth time during the season that the defense allowed under 100 rushing yards.
Statistics
at Northwestern
Summary
The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0), faced Big Ten West Divisional opponent
Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern ...
(1-4, 0-3) in a Friday night game at
Ryan Field in
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, ...
. Ohio State came in to the game as 27-point favorites over the Wildcats.
The game was originally set to air on
FS1
Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is an American pay television channel owned by the Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 replaced the motorsports network Speed on August 17, 2013, at the same time that its companion channel Fox Sports 2 ...
, but two days before the game, Fox decided to move the game to the
Big Ten Network in order to air Game 5 of the
2019 American League Championship Series on FS1 instead.
Ohio State opened the game with a 10-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Justin Fields to Chris Olave. Northwestern followed with a quick first down run by Kyric McGowan on their first offensive play but after a
Chase Young
Chase Young (born April 14, 1999) is an American football defensive end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Maryland, he played college football at Ohio State University for the Buckeyes. Dur ...
sack that put them well behind the chains, they were forced to punt. The Wildcats were able to force a three-and-out from the Buckeyes and muster together a nine-play, 44-yard drive that resulted in a 33-yard Charlie Kuhbander field goal to make the score 7–3.
Ohio State would go on to score touchdowns on their next two possessions, increasing their lead to 21–3. Northwestern attempted to punt on 4-and-7 at their own 24 with 4:10 left in the second half, but a bad snap gave the Buckeyes a first down at the 15, which resulted in a touchdown two plays later, increasing the lead to 28–3. Two drives later, Ohio State trapped Northwestern at their own 1 which resulted in a punt that only made it to the 36. With 0:04 left in the half, Ohio State's
Blake Haubeil
Blake Haubeil is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He played college football at Ohio State and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Titans after the 2021 NFL Draft.
College career
Haubeil was ranked as a threestar r ...
kicked a career-long 55-yard field goal with time expiring to give Ohio State a 31-3 halftime lead. Ohio State allowed only 85-yards in the first half.
Ohio State would go on to score three more touchdowns in the second half including a 73-yard run from
Master Teague. Ohio State ended allowing only 199 total yards, 42 of which were passing. They won by a final score 52–3.
J. K. Dobbins finished the game with 121 yards rushing which put him into the top five in total rushing yards in Ohio State's history. Statistics
Wisconsin
Summary
The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0) defeated their Big Ten West Divisional opponent the No. 13
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 Subdivis ...
(6-1, 3-1) by a score of 38–7 in a cross-divisional matchup. While the game received national attention for both teams' top defenses, Ohio State was favored by 14.5 points.
Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world.
The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the F ...
chose this game to be the host of
Big Noon Kickoff
''Big Noon Kickoff'' is a college football studio show broadcast by Fox, and simulcast on sister network Fox Sports 1 (FS1). Premiering on August 31, 2019, it serves as the pre-game show for ''Fox College Football'', and in particular, ''Big Noon ...
.
As the game began, rain fell at
Ohio Stadium making the conditions very wet. Defense reigned supreme in the first quarter, as was expected. The Buckeyes were only able to gain 44 yards of total offense while Wisconsin put together 59. Passing appeared to be tough for both teams, forcing them to trade punts. The game was tied at 0–0 at the end of the first.
It wasn't until the 6:56 mark of the second quarter, when Ohio State's
Blake Haubeil
Blake Haubeil is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He played college football at Ohio State and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Titans after the 2021 NFL Draft.
College career
Haubeil was ranked as a threestar r ...
made a 49-yard field goal, that the stalemate was broken. Ohio State was able to halt Wisconsin's ensuing drive and get the ball back with 2:37 remaining. The Buckeyes found success on the drive and were able to drive 85 yards and score on a 27-yard pass from
Justin Fields
Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Georgia, he played college football at Ohio State, where he twice won Graham–G ...
to
Chris Olave
Christian Josiah Olave ( ; born June 27, 2000) is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he holds the school record of most career to ...
. This score gave the Buckeyes a 10–0 lead at halftime.
Ohio State received the second-half kick which ended after failing to convert a first down. The Badgers were able to partially block their punt and it only went 13 yards, giving Wisconsin prime field position. In three plays, Wisconsin scored on a 26-yard touchdown pass from
Jack Coan
Jack Coan (born December 8, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL. He played college football for Wisconsin and Notre Dame.
High school and college career
Born in Sayville, New York, Coan went to ...
to AJ Taylor, making the score 10–7. Following the Wisconsin score, Ohio State would go on to score touchdowns on their next four drives, while Wisconsin would punt twice and fumble twice. The game would end with the Buckeyes winning 38–7.
J. K. Dobbins would be awarded
Big Ten
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 ...
Offensive Player of the Week honors for his 221-yard, two-touchdown performance.
Chase Young
Chase Young (born April 14, 1999) is an American football defensive end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Maryland, he played college football at Ohio State University for the Buckeyes. Dur ...
would be named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...
National Player of the Week after recording four sacks and two forced fumbles.
Statistics
Maryland
Summary
The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0, 5-0) defeated the
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...
(2-6, 1-5) 73–14, in an East Division match up at
Ohio Stadium 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 ...
.
On Friday, November 8, the day before the game, it was announced that
Chase Young
Chase Young (born April 14, 1999) is an American football defensive end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Maryland, he played college football at Ohio State University for the Buckeyes. Dur ...
was being withheld from the game and is suspended indefinitely (later reduced to two games) due to a potential violation of NCAA rules. Shortly after the announcement, Young acknowledged that he had accepted a loan from a family friend the year before, which he has since repaid.
Ohio State began the game by forcing the Terrapins to a three-and-out. On the Buckeyes' ensuing possession, Ohio State drove 47 yards in six plays to score a touchdown on a 12-yard pass from
Justin Fields
Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Georgia, he played college football at Ohio State, where he twice won Graham–G ...
to Binjimen Victor. Ohio State would force another three-and-out on Maryland's next possession and would score again on an 11-play, 71-yard drive, giving the Buckeyes a 14–0 lead. Following the second scoring drive, the Buckeyes would conduct a successful onside kick and score again, giving OSU a 21–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Ohio State would score three more touchdowns on their next three drives giving Ohio State a 42-0 halftime lead.
Ohio State began the second half with most of their second string in the game. Ohio State quarterback
Chris Chugunov
Chris Chugunov is a former American football quarterback for Ohio State. He played high school football at Montgomery High School in Skillman, New Jersey.
High school career
Playing at Montgomery High School, Chugunov committed to West Virgin ...
lead the offense into the red zone on the first drive of the second half, but fumbled the ball when he was sacked. On the next play, Maryland threw an interception which lead to a Buckeye touchdown two plays later. Ohio State would kick a field goal a drive later to give them a 52–0 lead. Maryland would be able to find the end zone twice, and Ohio State would find it three more times, to end the game 73–14.
Statistics
at Rutgers
The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0, 6-0) defeated the
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers University's New Brunswick campus. In sports, Rutgers is famously known for being the "Birthplace of College Football", hosting the first ever intercollegiate football ...
(2-7, 0-6) by a score of 56–21 in a Big Ten East matchup at
SHI Stadium
SHI Stadium is the football stadium at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers Scarlet Knights football, Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse use the venue for home games. It is located on the Busch Campus ...
in
Piscataway, New Jersey. Ohio State was heavily favored in the game, with the line being 52 points. It also was the largest spread in
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 ...
history and the largest for both teams. This was also the largest spread in the NCAA since the
1989 NCAA Division I-A football season.
Turnovers on its first two possessions ruined any hopes for Rutgers as
Justin Fields
Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Georgia, he played college football at Ohio State, where he twice won Graham–G ...
threw four touchdown passes. An interception and a fumble led to a 14–0 lead for Ohio State in the opening 3:36 on an 18-yard run by
J. K. Dobbins and an 11-yard catch by
Binjimen Victor for the first of his two TDs. Fields threw for a career best 305 yards on 15 of 19 completions. He has 31 TDs and one interception this season. Sophomore receiver
Chris Olave
Christian Josiah Olave ( ; born June 27, 2000) is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he holds the school record of most career to ...
set a career high with 139 yards on four catches.
Rutgers had two shining moments in the first half. After Dobbins' 8-yard run made it 21–0, the Scarlet Knights took advantage of a muffed punt return by
Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson (born July 22, 2000) is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted 10th overall by the Jets in the 2022 NFL Draft. W ...
and made it 21-7 late in the first quarter on a 26-yard TD run from Isiah Pacheco.
In the second quarter, Ohio State had third-and-goal from the 1 but Dobbins was stuffed for no gain, then dropped for a 1-yard loss. Ohio State had a 35-7 halftime lead and Fields quickly extended it to 42–7 with a 14-yard strike to
Luke Farrell at 13:33 of the third on the QB's last snap of the game. Rutgers' Johnny Langan was 12 for 26 for 121 yards, an interception and a 45-yard TD pass to Bo Melton late in the third quarter against the backup secondary to make it 49–14. New Jersey resident
Chris Chungunov replaced him and added two more TD tosses, a 4-yarder to
Jake Hausmann
Jacob Hausmann (born August 12, 1997) is an American football tight end. He played college football at Ohio State and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Detroit Lions in 2021.
College career
Hausmann was ranked as a fourstar recruit ...
and a 32-yarder to Jaelen Gill.
Langan had a 1-yard run left with 1:09 in the game making the final score 56–21.
Statistics
Penn State
The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0) defeated their
rivals
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 ...
, the No. 8
Penn State 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 ...
(9-1, 6-1) 28–17 in a Big Ten East matchup in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State's campus hosted several television networks before the game. Most notably,
ESPN College Gameday,
FOX Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world.
The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the F ...
'
Big Noon Kickoff
''Big Noon Kickoff'' is a college football studio show broadcast by Fox, and simulcast on sister network Fox Sports 1 (FS1). Premiering on August 31, 2019, it serves as the pre-game show for ''Fox College Football'', and in particular, ''Big Noon ...
and
Big Ten Network's BTN Tailgate.
This was Ryan Day's first contest against Penn State, while it was
James Franklin's sixth. Franklin is 1–5 against the Buckeyes with three of the last four games being decided by a total of five points. Ohio State entered the game as 20 point favorites over Penn State.
Chase Young
Chase Young (born April 14, 1999) is an American football defensive end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Maryland, he played college football at Ohio State University for the Buckeyes. Dur ...
was reinstated to the lineup starting with this game after serving a two-game suspension for violation of NCAA rules due to Young accepting a loan from a family friend the year before, which he has since repaid.
Statistics
at Michigan (The Game)
The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0) defeated their archrival, the No. 13
Michigan Wolverines (9-2, 6-2) by a score of 56–27, in a Big Ten East matchup known as "The Game" at
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
in
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...
. Ohio State entered into the game as 9 point favorites.
Statistics
Big Ten Championship Game
vs Wisconsin
The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0, 9-0) out of the Big Ten East defeated the No. 8
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 Subdivis ...
(10-2, 7-2) out of the Big Ten West by a score of 34–21 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 ...
at
Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the National Football League (NFL)'s Indianapolis Colts and opened on August 16, 2008. The stadium was ...
in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
,
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 ...
. Ohio State entered into the game as 15½-16½ point favorites.
Statistics
Fiesta Bowl – CFP Semifinal Game
vs. Clemson
The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0) took on the No. 3
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) s ...
(13-0) in the
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been pla ...
at
State Farm Stadium
State Farm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Glendale, Arizona, United States, west of Phoenix. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) and the annual Fiesta Bowl. State Farm Stadium replaced Sun Devil ...
in
Glendale, Arizona. Ohio State entered the game as 2 point underdogs.
Statistics
Awards and honors
(*) denotes unanimous selection
*
All-American Players
*The NCAA and Ohio State only recognize the AP, AFCA, FWAA, Sporting News and WCFF All-American teams to determine if a player is a Consensus or Unanimous All-American. To be named a Consensus All-American, a player must be named first team in three polls and to be Unanimous, they must be named first team in all five.
''See
2019 College Football All-America Team''
Players drafted into the NFL
References
{{Big Ten Conference football champions
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
Big Ten Conference football champion seasons
Ohio State Buckeyes 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. Ohio State has played their home games at Ohio Stadium i ...