American college football season
The 2018 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. This was the Buckeyes' 129th overall season and 106th as a member of the Big Ten Conference. They were led by head coach Urban Meyer in his seventh and final season at Ohio State.
Shortly before the season, head coach Urban Meyer was placed on administrative leave due to allegations that he was aware of domestic violence incidents involving former wide receivers coach Zach Smith.[1] Ryan Day was named acting head coach.[2] After a lengthy investigation, Meyer was suspended for three games for poor handling of the situation. Day acted as the head coach during Meyer's suspension.
The Buckeyes won each of their three games under Ryan Day to open the season, including a victory over then-No. 15 TCU in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. After Urban Meyer's return, Ohio State won their following four games, including a close win on the road over then-No. 9 Penn State. Ohio State rose to second in the AP Poll, but suffered a devastating loss on the road to Purdue, 49–20. The Buckeyes won their remaining regular season games, however, and secured a spot in the 2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game after defeating rival No. 4 Michigan 62–39. Ohio State defeated West Division champion Northwestern in that game convincingly, 45–24, but in the final College Football Playoff rankings of the year, the Buckeyes were ranked sixth, leaving them just outside the playoff for the second consecutive year. The team was invited to the Rose Bowl to play Pac-12 Conference champion Washington. In the weeks before the game, Urban Meyer announced that he would retire at the end of the season, and the Rose Bowl would be his final game as head coach. The Buckeyes won the game to finish the year at 13–1, and were ranked third in the final polls.
The team was led offensively by quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who led FBS with 4,831 passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns, both of which set school records by wide margins. Haskins was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, finishing in third. On the ground, running backs J. K. Dobbins and Mike Weber combined for over 2,000 yards rushing. Wide receiver Parris Campbell led the team with 1,063 receiving yards and a Big Ten-leading 12 receiving touchdowns. Defensive star and pre-season All-American lineman Nick Bosa suffered a groin injury during the game against TCU. He underwent surgery and elected not to return to the team, instead focusing on recovering for the 2019 NFL Draft.
Previous season
The Buckeyes finished the 2017 season 12–2, 8–1 in Big Ten play to win the East division. They defeated Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship 27–21. However, despite an 11–2 record, they failed to receive an invitation to the College Football Playoff. Instead, they received a bid to the Cotton Bowl Classic where they defeated USC 24–7.
Recruiting
Recruiting class
The Buckeyes signed a total of 26 recruits. The class was rated as the second best in the country behind Georgia by the 247Sports Composite, and the best class in the Big Ten Conference.[3] Headlining the class were consensus five star recruits Nicholas Petit-Frere (offensive tackle), Taron Vincent (defensive tackle), and Tyreke Johnson (safety).
US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits
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Name
|
Hometown
|
High school / college
|
Height
|
Weight
|
Commit date
|
Brian Snead RB
|
Seffner, Florida
|
Armwood High School
|
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
|
200 lb (91 kg)
|
Jul 22, 2016
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Jaelen Gill RB
|
Westerville, Ohio
|
Westerville South High School
|
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
|
182 lb (83 kg)
|
Mar 1, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Taron Vincent DT
|
Baltimore, Maryland
|
IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
|
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
|
285 lb (129 kg)
|
Apr 2, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Josh Proctor S
|
Owasso, Oklahoma
|
Owasso High School
|
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
|
190 lb (86 kg)
|
Apr 15, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Max Wray OT
|
Franklin, Tennessee
|
Franklin High School
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
282 lb (128 kg)
|
Apr 15, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Sevyn Banks CB
|
Orlando, Florida
|
Jones High School
|
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
|
180 lb (82 kg)
|
Apr 26, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Dallas Gant LB
|
Toledo, Ohio
|
St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
225 lb (102 kg)
|
May 16, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Teradja Mitchell LB
|
Virginia Beach, Virginia
|
Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School
|
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
|
232 lb (105 kg)
|
Jun 2, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Master Teague RB
|
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
|
Blackman High School
|
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
|
210 lb (95 kg)
|
Jun 11, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Matthew Jones C
|
Brooklyn, New York
|
Erasmus Hall High School
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
300 lb (140 kg)
|
Jun 17, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Jeremy Ruckert TE
|
Lindenhurst, New York
|
Lindenhurst High School
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
230 lb (100 kg)
|
Jul 17, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Marcus Hooker CB
|
New Castle, Pennsylvania
|
New Castle High School
|
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
|
185 lb (84 kg)
|
Jul 27, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
K'Vaughan Pope LB
|
Dinwiddie, Virginia
|
Dinwiddie County High School
|
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
|
210 lb (95 kg)
|
Aug 4, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
L'Christian Smith WR
|
Huber Heights, Ohio
|
Wayne High School
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
205 lb (93 kg)
|
Aug 27, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Antwuan Jackson Jr. DT
|
Ellenwood, Georgia
|
Blinn College
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
305 lb (138 kg)
|
Sep 12, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Tyreke Johnson S
|
Jacksonville, Florida
|
Trinity Christian Academy
|
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
|
191 lb (87 kg)
|
Dec 5, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Matthew Baldwin QB
|
Austin, Texas
|
Lake Travis High School
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
195 lb (88 kg)
|
Dec 7, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Tommy Togiai DT
|
Pocatello, Idaho
|
Highland High School
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
290 lb (130 kg)
|
Dec 12, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Kamryn Babb WR
|
St. Louis, Missouri
|
Christian Brothers College High School
|
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
|
189 lb (86 kg)
|
Dec 12, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Alex Williams DE
|
Pickerington, Ohio
|
Pickerington High School North
|
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
|
250 lb (110 kg)
|
Dec 19, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Cameron Brown WR
|
St. Louis, Missouri
|
Christian Brothers College High School
|
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
|
175 lb (79 kg)
|
Dec 20, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Tyreke Smith DE
|
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
|
Cleveland Heights High School
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
260 lb (120 kg)
|
Jan 4, 2018
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Tyler Friday DT
|
Ramsey, New Jersey
|
Don Bosco Preparatory High School
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
263 lb (119 kg)
|
Jan 19, 2018
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Chris Olave WR
|
San Marcos, California
|
Mission Hills High School
|
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
|
170 lb (77 kg)
|
Jan 28, 2018
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Nicholas Petit-Frere OT
|
Tampa, Florida
|
Berkeley Preparatory School
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
272 lb (123 kg)
|
Feb 7, 2018
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Javontae Jean-Baptiste LB
|
Oradell, New Jersey
|
Bergen Catholic High School
|
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
|
215 lb (98 kg)
|
Feb 7, 2018
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
|
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 2 247Sports: 2 ESPN: 2
|
- Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
- In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.
Sources:
|
Position key
Depth chart
Starters and backups.[18]
Defense
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Offense
|
|
|
LT
|
LG
|
C
|
RG
|
RT
|
75 Thayer Munford
|
66 Malcolm Pridgeon
|
73 Michael Jordan
|
78 Demetris Knox
|
59 Isaiah Prince
|
58 Joshua Albai
|
79 Brady Taylor
|
71 Josh Myers
|
52 Wyatt Davis
|
77 Nicholas Petit-Frere
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
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|
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Coaching changes
- Wide receiver coach Zach Smith was fired in July 2018 after domestic violence allegations came to light.[19] Brian Hartline was named interim WR coach.[20]
- Head coach Urban Meyer was placed on administrative leave after reports surfaced claiming he knew about Smith's incidents of domestic violence.[1] Ryan Day was named acting head coach.[2][21]
Awards and honors
Weekly Awards
Player
|
Award
|
Date Awarded
|
Ref.
|
Dwayne Haskins
|
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
|
September 3, 2018
|
[24]
|
Nick Bosa
|
Bednarik Award Player of the Week
|
September 5, 2018
|
[25]
|
Tate Martell
|
Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week
|
September 10, 2018
|
[26]
|
Dre'Mont Jones
|
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week
|
September 17, 2018
|
[27]
|
Dwayne Haskins
|
Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week
|
September 24, 2018
|
[28]
|
Drue Chrisman
|
Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week
|
September 30, 2018
|
[29]
|
Dwayne Haskins
|
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
|
October 1, 2018
|
[30]
|
Chase Young
|
Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week
|
October 1, 2018
|
[30]
|
Chase Young
|
Bednarik Award Player of the Week
|
October 2, 2018
|
[31]
|
Dwayne Haskins
|
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
|
October 8, 2018
|
[32]
|
Dwayne Haskins
|
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
|
November 19, 2018
|
[33]
|
Dwayne Haskins
|
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
|
November 26, 2018
|
[34]
|
Chris Olave
|
247Sports True Freshman of the Week
|
November 26, 2018
|
[35]
|
NCAA Recognized All-American Honors
Player
|
Position
|
AFCA
|
AP
|
FWAA
|
Sporting News
|
WCFF
|
Designation
|
Dwayne Haskins
|
QB
|
|
3rd Team
|
|
|
|
|
Michael Jordan
|
C
|
|
3rd Team
|
|
|
2nd Team
|
|
*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.