The first football team representing the Ohio State University in 1890
The Buckeyes take to the field for a game during the 2006 season

The Ohio State Buckeyes college football team competes as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the Ohio State University in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State has played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio since 1922.[1]

The Buckeyes claim eight national championships[2] along with 38 conference championships and ten undefeated seasons (six perfect seasons). Ohio State is second among all Big Ten programs in terms of conference championships (38) and has an overall record of 468-171-24 in conference play.[3] With 924 wins in over 130 seasons of football, Ohio State ranks Second among all programs in terms of total wins and is First all-time in Winning percentage in the NCAA.[4]

Football was introduced to the university by George Cole and Alexander S. Lilley in 1890. Lilley led the Buckeyes to a record of three wins and five losses over his two seasons as head coach. Ohio State was a football independent from 1890 to 1901 before joining the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) as a charter member in 1902.[2] The Buckeyes won two conference championships while members of the OAC and in 1913 became members of the Big Ten Conference.[5] The school saw its first real success in football and in the Big Ten under head coach John Wilce, who spent sixteen years at the university and won three conference championships, with a Rose Bowl appearance in 1921. Ohio State won two more Big Ten titles under head coach Francis Schmidt and won their first national championship in 1942 under head coach Paul Brown.[2]

Following World War II, Ohio State saw sparse success on the football field with three separate coaches and in 1951 hired Woody Hayes to coach the team. Under his guidance Ohio State won thirteen Big Ten championships and national championships in 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968 and 1970. During his tenure Ohio State appeared in the Rose Bowl eight times, with the Buckeyes winning four of them.[2] Following Hayes' dismissal in 1978, Earle Bruce became the head coach, leading the Buckeyes to a conference championship and a Rose Bowl appearance in his first season. Bruce coached for the Buckeyes from 1979 to 1987 and was replaced in 1988 by John Cooper.[2] Under Cooper and Bruce the Buckeyes won seven conference championships. Jim Tressel was hired as head coach in 2001 and quickly gave Ohio State its seventh national championship in 2002 with a win in the Fiesta Bowl.[6] Ohio State won seven Big Ten championships under Tressel and appeared in eight Bowl Championship Series games, winning five of them.

In his debut as head coach, Urban Meyer led the program to an undefeated 2012 season, and two years later to their eighth national championship in the 2014 season. Through the 2019 season, Ohio State has compiled an official overall record of 924 wins, 326 losses and 53 ties, and has appeared in 50 bowl games, with the most recent coming in 2019 Fiesta Bowl.

Ohio State is the only program in college football history to have never lost more than seven games in a single season.[7]

Seasons

Year Coach Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Alexander S. Lilley (Independent) (1890–1891)
1890 Alexander S. Lilley 1–3
1891 Alexander S. Lilley 2–2
Jack Ryder (Independent) (1892–1895)
1892 Jack Ryder 5–3
1893 Jack Ryder 4–5
1894 Jack Ryder 6–5
1895 Jack Ryder 4–4–2
Charles A. Hickey (Independent) (1896)
1896 Charles A. Hickey 5–5–1
David F. Edwards (Independent) (1897)
1897 David F. Edwards 1–7–1
Jack Ryder (Independent) (1898)
1898 Jack Ryder 3–5
John B. Eckstorm (Independent) (1899–1901)
1899 John B. Eckstorm 9–0–1
1900 John B. Eckstorm 8–1–1
1901 John B. Eckstorm 5–3–1
Perry Hale (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1902–1903)
1902 Perry Hale 6–2–2 2–1 2nd
1903 Perry Hale 8–3 3–1 2nd
Edwin Sweetland (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1904–1905)
1904 Edwin Sweetland 6–5 2–1 2nd
1905 Edwin Sweetland 8–2–2 2–0–1 2nd
Albert E. Herrnstein (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1906–1909)
1906 Albert E. Herrnstein 8–1 3–0 1st
1907 Albert E. Herrnstein 7–2–1 5–1–1 2nd
1908 Albert E. Herrnstein 6–4 4–3 3rd
1909 Albert E. Herrnstein 7–3 5–2 3rd
Howard Jones (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1910)
1910 Howard Jones 6–1–3 5–1–2 T–3rd
Harry Vaughan (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1911)
1911 Harry Vaughan 5–3–2 4–1–2 4th
John R. Richards (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1912)
1912 John R. Richards 6–3 5–0 1st
John Wilce (Western Conference) (1913–1928)
1913 John Wilce 4–2–1 1–2 T–7th
1914 John Wilce 5–2 2–2 T–4th
1915 John Wilce 5–1–1 2–1–1 4th
1916 John Wilce 7–0 4–0 1st
1917 John Wilce 8–0–1 4–0 1st
1918 John Wilce 3–3 0–3 9th
1919 John Wilce 6–1 3–1 2nd
1920 John Wilce 7–1 5–0 1st L Rose
1921 John Wilce 5–2 4–1 T–2nd
1922 John Wilce 3–4 1–4 8th
1923 John Wilce 3–4–1 1–4 T–8th
1924 John Wilce 2–3–3 1–3–2 7th
1925 John Wilce 4–3–1 1–3–1 8th
1926 John Wilce 7–1 3–1 3rd
1927 John Wilce 4–4 2–3 T–6th
1928 John Wilce 5–2–1 3–2 T–4th
Sam Willaman (Big Ten Conference) (1929–1933)
1929 Sam Willaman 4–3–1 2–2–1 T–5th
1930 Sam Willaman 5–2–1 2–2–1 T–4th
1931 Sam Willaman 6–3 4–2 4th
1932 Sam Willaman 4–1–3 2–1–2 4th
1933 Sam Willaman 7–1 4–1 2nd
Francis Schmidt (Big Ten Conference) (1934–1940)
1934 Francis Schmidt 7–1 5–1 2nd
1935 Francis Schmidt 7–1 5–0 T–1st
1936 Francis Schmidt 5–3 4–1 T–2nd
1937 Francis Schmidt 6–2 5–1 2nd 13
1938 Francis Schmidt 4–3–1 2–3–1 6th
1939 Francis Schmidt 6–2 5–1 1st 15
1940 Francis Schmidt 4–4 3–3 T–4th
Paul Brown (Big Ten Conference) (1941–1943)
1941 Paul Brown 6–1–1 3–1–1 T–2nd 13
1942 Paul Brown 9–1 5–1 1st 1
1943 Paul Brown 3–6 1–4 7th
Carroll Widdoes (Big Ten Conference) (1944–1945)
1944 Carroll Widdoes 9–0 6–0 1st 2
1945 Carroll Widdoes 7–2 5–2 3rd 12
Paul Bixler (Big Ten Conference) (1946)
1946 Paul Bixler 4–3–2 2–3–1 T–6th
Wes Fesler (Big Ten Conference) (1947–1950)
1947 Wes Fesler 2–6–1 1–4–1 9th
1948 Wes Fesler 6–3 3–3 4th
1949 Wes Fesler 7–1–2 4–1–1 T–1st W Rose 6
1950 Wes Fesler 6–3 5–2 T–2nd 10 14
Woody Hayes (Big Ten Conference) (1951–1978)
1951 Woody Hayes 4–3–2 2–3–2 5th
1952 Woody Hayes 6–3 5–2 3rd 15 17
1953 Woody Hayes 6–3 4–3 4th 20
1954 Woody Hayes 10–0 7–0 1st W Rose 2 1
1955 Woody Hayes 7–2 6–0 1st 5 5
1956 Woody Hayes 6–3 4–2 T–4th 15
1957 Woody Hayes 9–1 7–0 1st W Rose 1 2
1958 Woody Hayes 6–1–2 4–1–2 3rd 7 8
1959 Woody Hayes 3–5–1 2–4–1 T–8th
1960 Woody Hayes 7–2 5–2 3rd 8 8
1961 Woody Hayes 8–0–1 6–0 1st 2 2
1962 Woody Hayes 6–3 4–3 T–3rd 13
1963 Woody Hayes 5–3–1 4–1–1 T–2nd
1964 Woody Hayes 7–2 5–1 2nd 9 9
1965 Woody Hayes 7–2 6–1 2nd 11
1966 Woody Hayes 4–5 3–4 6th
1967 Woody Hayes 6–3 5–2 4th
1968 Woody Hayes 10–0 7–0 1st W Rose 1 1
1969 Woody Hayes 8–1 6–1 T–1st 5 4
1970 Woody Hayes 9–1 7–0 1st L Rose 2 5
1971 Woody Hayes 6–4 5–3 T–3rd
1972 Woody Hayes 9–2 7–1 T–1st L Rose 3 9
1973 Woody Hayes 10–0–1 7–0–1 T–1st W Rose 3 2
1974 Woody Hayes 10–2 7–1 T–1st L Rose 3 4
1975 Woody Hayes 11–1 8–0 1st L Rose 4 4
1976 Woody Hayes 9–2–1 7–1 T–1st W Orange 5 6
1977 Woody Hayes 9–3 7–1 T–1st L Sugar 12 11
1978 Woody Hayes 7–4–1 6–2 4th L Gator
Earle Bruce (Big Ten Conference) (1979–1987)
1979 Earle Bruce 11–1 8–0 1st L Rose 4 4
1980 Earle Bruce 9–3 7–1 T–2nd L Fiesta 15 15
1981 Earle Bruce 9–3 6–2 T–1st W Liberty 12 15
1982 Earle Bruce 9–3 7–1 2nd W Holiday 12 12
1983 Earle Bruce 9–3 6–3 4th W Fiesta 8 9
1984 Earle Bruce 9–3 7–2 1st L Rose 12 13
1985 Earle Bruce 9–3 5–3 T–4th W Florida Citrus 11 14
1986 Earle Bruce 10–3 7–1 T–1st W Cotton 6 7
1987 Earle Bruce 6–4–1 4–4 5th
John Cooper (Big Ten Conference) (1988–2000)
1988 John Cooper 4–6–1 2–5–1 T–7th
1989 John Cooper 8–4 6–2 T–3rd L Hall of Fame 21
1990 John Cooper 7–4–1 5–2–1 5th L Liberty
1991 John Cooper 8–4 5–3 T–3rd L Hall of Fame
1992 John Cooper 8–3–1 5–2–1 2nd L Florida Citrus 19 18
1993 John Cooper 10–1–1 6–1–1 T–1st W Holiday 10 11
1994 John Cooper 9–4 6–2 2nd L Florida Citrus 9 14
1995 John Cooper 11–2 7–1 2nd L Florida Citrus 8 6
1996 John Cooper 11–1 7–1 T–1st W Rose 2 2
1997 John Cooper 10–3 6–2 T–2nd L Sugar† 12 12
1998 John Cooper 11–1 7–1 T–1st W Sugar† 2 2
1999 John Cooper 6–6 3–5 T–8th
2000 John Cooper 8–4 5–3 4th L Outback
Jim Tressel (Big Ten Conference) (2001–2010)
2001 Jim Tressel 7–5 5–3 3rd L Outback
2002 Jim Tressel 14–0 8–0 T–1st W Fiesta† 1 1
2003 Jim Tressel 11–2 6–2 T–2nd W Fiesta† 4 4
2004 Jim Tressel 8–4 4–4 T–5th W Alamo 19 20
2005 Jim Tressel 10–2 7–1 T–1st W Fiesta† 4 4
2006 Jim Tressel 12–1 8–0 1st L BCS NCG† 2 2
2007 Jim Tressel 11–2 7–1 1st L BCS NCG† 5 5
2008 Jim Tressel 10–3 7–1 T–1st L Fiesta† 9 9
2009 Jim Tressel 11–2 7-1 1st W Rose† 5 5
2010 Jim Tressel 12–1[n 1] 7–1[n 1] T–1st[n 1] W Sugar† 5 5
Luke Fickell (Big Ten Conference) (2011)
2011 Luke Fickell[n 2] 6–7 3–5 4th (Leaders) L Gator
Urban Meyer (Big Ten Conference) (2012–2018)
2012 Urban Meyer 12–0 8–0 1st (Leaders) Ineligible[n 3] [n 3] 3
2013 Urban Meyer 12–2 8–0 1st (Leaders) L Orange† 10 12
2014 Urban Meyer 14–1 8–0 1st (East) W Sugar†, W CFP NCG† 1 1
2015 Urban Meyer 12–1 7–1 T–1st (East) W Fiesta† 4 4
2016 Urban Meyer 11–2 8–1 T–1st (East) L Fiesta† 6 6
2017 Urban Meyer 12–2 8–1 1st (East) W Cotton† 5 5
2018 Urban Meyer[n 4] 13–1[n 4] 8–1[n 4] T–1st (East) W Rose† 3 3
Ryan Day (Big Ten Conference) (2019–present)
2019 Ryan Day 13–1 9–0 1st (East) L Fiesta† 3 3
2020 Ryan Day 7–1 5–0 1st (East) W Sugar†, L CFP NCG† 2 2
2021 Ryan Day 11–2 8–1 T–1st (East) W Rose† 5 6
2022 Ryan Day 11–2 8–1 2nd (East) L Peach† 4 4
2023 Ryan Day 11–2 8–1 2nd (East) L Cotton† 10 10
Total: 981–333–53
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

All-time records

Records current through 11/20/2023.

Statistic Wins Losses Ties Winning Percentage
Regular season record (1890–2022) 936 300 53 .747
Bowl game record (1890–2023) 27 29 — .482
CFP game record (2014–2022) 3 4 — .429
All-time regular and bowl game record (1890–2022) 981 333 53 .737


Notes

  1. ^ a b c Ohio State vacated all 12 of its victories and its Big Ten Conference championship from the 2010 season.[8][9][10]
  2. ^ Luke Fickell was named as the interim head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2011, following Jim Tressel's dismissal on May 30, 2011.[11]
  3. ^ a b In 2012, Ohio State was ineligible for the Big Ten Conference title, postseason play, and the Coaches Poll.
  4. ^ a b c Meyer was placed on administrative leave for the first three games of the 2018 season. Offensive coordinator Ryan Day served as acting head coach in his absence, and Ohio State credits the first three games to Day and the final 11 games to Meyer. Under Day, the Buckeyes won all three contests, one of which was a conference game. Ohio State finished with a record of 13–1 and conference mark of 8–1.

References

  1. ^ "Ohio Stadium". Ohio State Buckeyes. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Ohio State Buckeyes Football Results by Year" (PDF). Ohio State Buckeyes.com. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  3. ^ "Ohio State Opponents". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  4. ^ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  5. ^ "Big Ten History". Big Ten Conference. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  6. ^ "2003 Fiesta Bowl". FiestaBowl.org. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  7. ^ "Vandy 42, Tennessee 24: Vols lose eight games for first time in program history". knoxnews.com. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  8. ^ Ludlow, Randy (July 8, 2011). "Ohio State vacates wins from 2010 football season, places program on probation". The Columbus Dispatch. Dispatch Printing Co. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  9. ^ Ohio State vacates all 2010 victories, ESPN, July 22, 2011
  10. ^ NCAA record book, Ohio State, 2010-11 season
  11. ^ "Luke Fickell Named Interim Ohio State Football Coach". 10TV.com. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
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