Golden Age of Ohio State Football?
December 09 2007 06:24 PM -- Filed in: Massey
Ohio State has a very storied college
football history. We all know it:
seven Heisman Trophy
winners, fourth highest winning
percentage, 786 victories, 32 Big Ten
Championships, and 7 National Championships.
Not to mention the 52 former players in the NFL,
including 66 first-round draft picks. So,
saying that this could be the best current era
for the Buckeyes would be saying a lot. But the
numbers might support it.
From 2002 through this season, Ohio State is
66-10 (.868), with one National Title (possibly two),
three championship game appearances, 4 Big Ten Championships.
Has there ever been such a prolonged run
of success in Ohio State' great history?There
are a few candidates that immediately jump out.
In the recent past, from 1993-1998, the Buckeyes put together a nice run: a record of 62-12-1, three 11-win seasons, 3 Big Ten Championships, and two #2 final AP rankings. Not bad, but still not on the level of the current streak. Next, if you look back to the Woody Hayes and Earle Bruce years, you will notice a great 10 year stretch from 1968-1977. For starters, there is the 91-16-2 (.844) record and two National Championships (1968, 1970). Perhaps the Buckeyes' most amazing accomplishment was winning 9 of 10 Big Ten Championships during that time. Think about that for a second. How would you feel if OSU won 7 of the next 8 Big Ten titles? I am guessing you would thump your chest at opposing opponents every you chance you got. Or, maybe you would simply get tired (and sore) from celebrating. Finally, there was 1954-1961. Ohio State had a record of 56-14-4 (.783) and that includes a 3-5-1 clunker in 1959. The Buckeyes won three National Championships and 4 Big Ten Championships. Very impressive, indeed.
I am sure we cannot all agree on which of these epochs is the greatest, but I am sure we can all agree that we are very fortunate to be watching one of the best eras in Ohio State history.
Season For Giving: Tis the season for giving, and it is times like these that I think we all owe Andy Geiger a hearty thanks. Mr. Geiger was a lot of things, but he certainly did much for the football program. First, he presided over the renovation of Ohio Stadium making it the finest college football facility in the country. Anyone who says otherwise is just being contrarian. If that was not enough, he then hired a little-known D-II coach named Tressel, instead of the crown favorite, Glen Mason. So, next time you watch the Buckeyes, especially at home, think of Andy Geiger and of his many contributions to the current success of the Buckeyes.
In the recent past, from 1993-1998, the Buckeyes put together a nice run: a record of 62-12-1, three 11-win seasons, 3 Big Ten Championships, and two #2 final AP rankings. Not bad, but still not on the level of the current streak. Next, if you look back to the Woody Hayes and Earle Bruce years, you will notice a great 10 year stretch from 1968-1977. For starters, there is the 91-16-2 (.844) record and two National Championships (1968, 1970). Perhaps the Buckeyes' most amazing accomplishment was winning 9 of 10 Big Ten Championships during that time. Think about that for a second. How would you feel if OSU won 7 of the next 8 Big Ten titles? I am guessing you would thump your chest at opposing opponents every you chance you got. Or, maybe you would simply get tired (and sore) from celebrating. Finally, there was 1954-1961. Ohio State had a record of 56-14-4 (.783) and that includes a 3-5-1 clunker in 1959. The Buckeyes won three National Championships and 4 Big Ten Championships. Very impressive, indeed.
I am sure we cannot all agree on which of these epochs is the greatest, but I am sure we can all agree that we are very fortunate to be watching one of the best eras in Ohio State history.
Season For Giving: Tis the season for giving, and it is times like these that I think we all owe Andy Geiger a hearty thanks. Mr. Geiger was a lot of things, but he certainly did much for the football program. First, he presided over the renovation of Ohio Stadium making it the finest college football facility in the country. Anyone who says otherwise is just being contrarian. If that was not enough, he then hired a little-known D-II coach named Tressel, instead of the crown favorite, Glen Mason. So, next time you watch the Buckeyes, especially at home, think of Andy Geiger and of his many contributions to the current success of the Buckeyes.
