23 Ohio State Football Facts: A Must Read Blog For Fans!

You can take an Ohioan away from Ohio State University football, but you can’t take football away from a true Ohio State fan.

Despite the fact that it is college football, the Ohio State football program is unquestionably one of the most celebrated and respected events in college athletics history. Since its inception in 1890, it has won many national titles, including eight national championships.

However, it’s not just football that Ohio is famous for. The state has derived its name from the Ohio River, which means 'the great river', and is often referred to as the 'Buckeye State' because of the excessive presence of Buckeye trees across the Ohio River Valley.

Producing small nuts resembling the color and shape of a deer’s eye, it is believed that carrying these nuts brings good luck. The Buckeye leaves have also made their way into OSU football.

In changing the look of the OSU uniform in 1968, the then head coach started the tradition of placing a buckeye leaf on the players’ helmets. This aside, you can find a wide buckeye stripe on the jersey sleeves.

Not just the uniform, but the name of a popular symbol of Ohio football, which is also its school mascot, has the word 'buckeye' in it too. Famously called the 'Brutus Buckeye', it was first designed and introduced by an art student in 1965.

The first Brutus, however, has undergone several transformations to become the variation that people adore now.

Ohio State has also been following another tradition since 1934: planting a Buckeye tree honoring every Ohio State All-American at the spring game. After Ohio Stadium was renovated in 2001, the Buckeye Grove was shifted to the stadium's southwest corner.

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History Of Ohio State Football

Football was introduced to the university in 1890, with the first game taking place on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus. The Buckeyes played their first home game on November 1, 1890, against the University of Wooster at what was then Recreation Park. In the first eight years, the team recorded 31 wins, two ties, and 39 losses.

Ohio State lost to the University of Michigan for the first time in 1897 by 34-0. That year witnessed a low point in the history of Buckeye football with a record of 1-7-1.

Following this, in 1899, John Eckstorm was hired by the university as the head coach. Though the team performed well under his leadership, an accident in 1901 made Eckstorm put down his papers.

Since then, several developments have taken place, one of the most noteworthy being Chic Harley's attending Ohio High School. With him playing defense, the Buckeyes won the first Big Ten title in 1916 by finishing 7-0.

History was repeated in 1917, with the Buckeyes winning the second outright title. In order to accommodate such massive crowds, Columbus' Ohio Stadium opened in 1922. Apart from Harley, several other players like Howard Cassady, Jack Tatum, Eddie George, Archie Griffin, and Les Horvath immensely contributed to the game.

With time, Ohio State improved its level of competition and played many big games under several coaches like Francis Schmidt, Paul Brown, Carroll Widdoes, Paul Bixler, Wes Fesler, Wayne Woodrow 'Woody' Hayes, Earle Bruce, John Cooper, Jim Tressel, Luke Fickell, Urban Meyer, and Ryan Day. Each one of them played a major role in rewriting Ohio football history.

Some of the teams OSU played against include Michigan, Notre Dame, Kent State, Illinois, and Penn State.

Championships: Ohio State Football

The Ohio State University has so far won the national title eight times: in 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, and 2014. This aside, it has won five division championships in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 and 39 conference championships.

The team also boasts of having 10 undefeated sessions (1899, 1916, 1917, 1944, 1954, 1961, 1968, 1973, 2002, 2012) and six sessions without a tie or loss. Though the team saw some tough times during World War Two, after many veteran players joined military service, it recovered under coach Woody Hayes.

Under Hayes, the team has won more than 200 matches, eight Rose Bowl appearances, and 13 Big Ten conference titles.

Since the inception of the football program in 1890, Ohio State's football team has played in 51 bowl games. Ohio State is all set to play against Utah in the 108th Rose Bowl Game in early 2022.

Every time Ohio State’s football team wins a game, the Victory Bell is rung. The bell was a gift from the classes of 1943-1945.

The Buckeyes also follow another tradition dating back to 1913: the seniors hitting the blocking sled for the final time.

For years, this was followed by the last practice prior to playing the Michigan game in the season finale. However, now, depending upon the team’s bowl game line-up, the senior tackle sometimes takes place at the last home practice before the Buckeyes depart for the bowl game.

Football Clubs: Ohio State Football

2009 was the foundation year of the Ohio State club football team. After three years, in 2012, the team joined the National Club Football Association (NCFA). The program was launched to offer students the opportunity to play a full-contact football game while following a Big Ten education.

Before 2012, the club football team played independently. In 2011, it finished third and joined the Intercollegiate Club Football Federation. In the recently held NCFA National Championship Game in 2021, Ohio State won against George Mason (42-27) and became the second NCFA team to hold the title more than once. 

Achievements: Ohio State Football

Over the years, the Ohio State football team has tasted success multiple times. However, the most celebrated moment remains its victory over Michigan.

The Ohio State-Michigan football rivalry is very famous among the fans, who often call it ‘The Game’. The University of Michigan Wolverines first met the Ohio State University Buckeyes in 1897.

Many believed the memories of the Toledo War, fought between the two states in 1835, were fresh in people’s minds and that they fueled the rivalry between the teams. From 1918, these two teams faced each other till 2020, when the pandemic brought the world to a standstill.

In 2010, both teams, OSU and Michigan, played crucial roles in deciding the Big Ten Conference championship on 22 occasions. This aside, these rivals have impacted the establishment of the conference title an extra 27 times.

The teams have been playing in Ohio Stadium and Michigan Stadium since their inaugurations in 1922 and 1927, respectively. Ohio Stadium was built at a cost of around $ 1.3 million. It was made of concrete in the shape of a horseshoe.

The 'shoe' or 'horseshoe' became another nickname for Ohio State as a result of this. Michigan Stadium is considered the largest stadium for college football in the US.

For several years, the games were aired at 12 p.m. Eastern time on ABC. Since the beginning of the 2017 season, the game has been aired on Fox after that network acquired the Big Ten's tier-one rights.

While earlier, it was ESPN College Gameday that originated from the game site, after the change in hand, Big Noon Kickoff started originating from the game site.

However, in 2021, both Fox and ESPN’s pre-game shows originated from Ann Arbor at the same time. This apart, you can hear all the Ohio State football games on WBNS Radio. It is broadcast by Ohio State IMG Sports Network. WBNS Radio serves as the network’s flagship station.

After the first time in 1897, when Michigan won, it took Ohio State 22 years, 13 losses, and two ties to beat Michigan. In 1919, the Buckeyes finished 13-3, beating Michigan for the first time.

However, the most cherished victory remains the 2006 game when the number one state, Ohio, beat number two Michigan, 42-39. It seldom happens that the number one and two teams in college football play against each other in the regular season.

But when it took place in 2006, that one game earned the title of ‘Game of the Century'.

The official record of Ohio State through the 2019 season remains at 924 wins, 53 ties, and 326 losses. OSU's rivalries with Illinois and Penn State are also famous.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Ohio State football facts, then why not take a look at facts about Brazil World Cup, or World Cup facts.