Ohio State Football: 5 Key Moments That Turned the Buckeyes' 2015 Season

Ohio State entered the season as the odds-on favorite to repeat as national champions, but it fell short of that goal despite boasting one of the most loaded rosters in the country.

The seventh-ranked Buckeyes dropped their Week 12 matchup with Michigan State, knocking them out of the coveted four-team semifinal. They rebounded in a big way against Michigan a week later to set up a huge showdown with Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

What were the biggest moments from Ohio State's up-and-down 2015 campaign? 

When Cardale Jones Got the Nod

The position battle we spent the offseason talking about between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett was supposed to reach its conclusion when Ohio State faced Virginia Tech in the season opener. 

It was Jones who got the nod when the offense took the field in Blacksburg, and on that night, it looked like the Buckeyes coaching staff has made the right decision. Jones helped Ohio State put up the second-highest point total against the Hokies stout defense, piling up 286 total yards and three touchdowns in the 42-24 victory. 

It was the fourth start of Jones' career, all of which came against upper-tier defenses, and he produced at least 42 points in each game. 

With four starting offensive linemen back, Braxton Miller joining the receivers corps and Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield, everything was set up for Jones to have a huge season.

When Ezekiel Elliott Broke out vs. Indiana

Despite Cardale Jones' solid showing against Virginia Tech, Ohio State's offense struggled when he was behind center. The Buckeyes averaged just 32 points against a trio of incredibly overmatched opponents—Hawaii, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan—following the big win in Blacksburg. 

Ezekiel Elliott was the engine in Ohio State's offense, averaging 113.8 yards per game during the nonconference slate, but he didn't have a breakout game until the Week 5 matchup with Indiana.

The Buckeyes were trailing 10-6 in the third quarter when Elliott ripped off the first of three huge touchdowns in the second half. The star running back ran for 244 of his season-high 274 rushing yards in the second half, fueling the come-from-behind 34-27 win. 

When J.T. Barrett Won the Starting Job, Then Temporarily Lost It

In an effort to boost Ohio State's inefficiency in the red zone, Ohio State implemented a two-quarterback system against Maryland that inserted J.T. Barrett into the game in scoring situations.

That led to a season-high 49 points against the Terrapins, and a week later, Meyer used the same system in a 38-10 rout of Penn State. But by the time the second half rolled around, Barrett wasn't just running the red-zone offense—he had taken over as the clear leader at the quarterback spot.

Ohio State continued to roll with Barrett behind center, following up the big win against Penn State with a 49-7 blowout of Rutgers. But the momentum halted dramatically when Barrett was arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired and suspended for the Minnesota game.

When he returned a week later, Ohio State's offense looked out of sync against Illinois in a 28-3 win. And that slide led to the worst and most disappointing output of the season. 

When Michael Geiger Drilled the Go-Ahead Kick

The defining moment of Ohio State's 2015 season came in the final seconds of the matchup against Michigan State.

The Buckeyes had struggled offensively all night, managing just 132 total yards and 14 points off a pair of turnovers that set the offense up in plus territory. The Spartans were missing their senior leader and the engine of their offense in quarterback Connor Cook, who had injured his shoulder the previous week.

Despite rotating between backups, Michigan State used a stifling defense and field position to set up a chance to stun Ohio State on its own field. After punting from their own end zone, Ohio State set Michigan State up in great position. The Spartans drove 25 yards and drained the clock, setting up a 41-yard opportunity for Michael Geiger.

The junior from Toledo, Ohio, drilled the kick and windmilled his way across the Ohio Stadium turf, sending a dagger through the heart of Buckeye nation. 

When Ohio State Bounced Back vs. Michigan

It would have been easy for Ohio State to come out flat against Michigan after the deflating and playoff-bursting loss to Michigan State, but that wasn't the case.

In the first meeting between Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh, Ezekiel Elliott dominated, running for 214 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. He spearheaded a rushing attack that piled up an incredible 369 yards against Michigan's elite run defense that entered the game ranked fourth nationally.

But after Ohio State ran all over the Wolverines, accounting for 25 percent of the rushing yards they allowed all year, Michigan's run defense slipped 14 spots to No. 18 in the national rankings.

J.T. Barrett added 252 total yards and four touchdowns (one passing, three rushing) in the 42-13 shellacking.