(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
4. Jan. 3, 2003, at Tempe’s Sun Devil Stadium – #2 Ohio State 31 #1 Miami 24
This double overtime victory for the 2002 BCS title had everything a good Buckeye fan craves: a) beating a heavy 11-1/2 point favorite, b) knocking the Saul in the person of annoying Miami off its horse, and c) winning a big albeit still mythical (in my opinion) national championship game.
The victory also had one thing no fan likes: the drama of a crucial questionable call. The controversy lives on as several of sportswriters will anytime they should deem The Call a good one while the occasional pundit on ESPN Classic resurrects the bad in The Call.
3. Jan. 1, 1969, in Pasadena’s Rose Bowl – #1 Ohio State 27 #2 Southern Cal 16
The Buckeye Super Sophomores were perhaps one of the greatest teams to play any kind of college ball in any sport, winning convincingly after falling behind early by a 10-0 score.
In addition to Ohio State’s dominance of an always-tough Southern California squad, the game had celebrity status as entertainer Bob Hope and Oklahoma coaching icon Bud Wilkinson were on the sidelines.
Also joining Ohio State as they won hands-down the national championship were two names that would live in infamy: Richard Nixon and OJ Simpson.
2. Dec. 29, 1978, in Jacksonville’s Gator Bowl - #7 Clemson 17 #20 Ohio State 15
QB Art Schlichter was brilliant in the Florida climate, both by land and by air, essentially playing mistake-free football…except for one that would ring with cacophony through Buckeyes football for years to come.
An errant last second pass wound up in the hands of Tiger reserve nose guard Charlie Bauman, oddly back in pass coverage much less on the field. As fate would have it, he ran in the direction of the Ohio State bench. Upon arriving, Woody Hayes punched Charlie Bauman in the throat. That was Woody's final game as the Buckeyes' head coach.
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