Ohio State Football: The 10 Most Important People in the Program

The Ohio State football program has been as successful as any in the country in the past dozen years.

Since hiring Jim Tressel in 2001, Ohio State has played in seven BCS bowls and won six Big Ten championships.

But the success of a program isn't just dependent on who the head coach is.

It takes a cast of characters to make Ohio State what it is.

Here is a look at the 10 most important people inside Ohio State football.

Les Wexner, Trustee

Money is definitely the biggest thing in college football no matter what opinions we have on it.

And the school that has the most resources with its money (rich alums help) can certainly give its program all the tools to win. Les Wexner is that type of person.

Wexner is an active philanthropist and a contributor to Ohio State University in so many ways, from donating money to the football program to helping build new buildings on the campus.

Wexner serves on the Board of Trustees and is among the biggest non-athletic contributors to Ohio State. 

Braxton Miller, Quarterback

To go from one of Forbes' magazine's 400 richest Americans to a freshman quarterback on this list is meant to be a divergence from the business side of things to the on-field game.

But Ohio State has a great weapon in their corner in Braxton Miller, the young freshman who has already shown the ability to burn good defenses with his running ability.

Miller grew up about an hour west of Columbus in Huber Heights, and has wanted to be a Buckeye for a long time.

He already has a signature moment under his belt with a 40-yard TD pass to Devin Smith to secure a 36-33 win over Wisconsin on Oct. 29.

Archie Griffin, Alum

Having one of the greatest players in college football history as a Buckeye is a pretty big deal.

Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, is still an active contributor to the football program.

Griffin is still a very influential person in the Buckeye program and one of the ambassadors of Ohio State throughout the world.

He is the president of the alumni association and plays an active role not only with the football program, but with the university as a whole.

Luke Fickell, Defensive Coordinator/(potential) Assistant Head Coach

Regardless of people's opinions of Luke Fickell as the head coach this past year at Ohio State, he definitely remains an important piece to the future of the team.

Fickell was demoted to co-defensive coordinator with the potential addition of being tapped as assistant head coach under Urban Meyer.

But he has been a fixture on the Buckeye coaching staff for several seasons, and his connections to Ohio high school coaches and players is invaluable to recruiting.

Fickell may be a head coach again somewhere down the road, but it's unlikely to happen for at least a year or two.

Gene Smith, Athletic Director

Gene Smith has been the biggest lightning rod for controversy and possibly ineptitude for the tattoo scandal that cost Ohio State its former coach, Jim Tressel.

Smith has worked with the NCAA and has an understanding of how the investigation process takes place.

But his statements and press conferences have seemed strangely inept like he had no idea what he was doing and that the program appeared to be more corrupt than it was.

He has made sure to work with the NCAA 100 percent with full cooperation, and in the end it could help the Buckeyes escape heavy sanctions.

But if they don't, expect Smith to be replaced.

E. Gordon Gee, University President

The president of Ohio State is more well-known for some controversial comments, including his "Little Sisters of the Poor" comment directed to TCU and his poorly-timed joke about how he hoped Jim Tressel wouldn't fire him back in February.

But Gee has been a very active person around the Ohio State campus since he became president a few years ago.

He has been seen at all sorts of athletic events and even at parties off campus.

Gee is a very active supporter of athletics, though his main successes have been to boost the academic standards at Ohio State, which have grown each year of his presidency.

OSU's president very much cares about the football program, but hopefully he will choose better words next time he talks.

John Simon, Defensive Lineman

John Simon is the only other current Buckeye player on this list besides Braxton Miller, but it's just as much for the player he is as what he represents.

Simon has been a dynamic playmaker for the Buckeyes in the past three seasons on the defensive line, causing all kinds of mayhem and disruption. 

But it's the way he plays that should be emulated by his teammates: relentless and fearless.

Simon never takes plays off and is an aggressive player.

He is likely to come back for his senior season as a captain of this team, and will try to have some of his toughness rub off on next year's crop of Buckeyes.

Earle Bruce, Former Head Coach

Not too many coaches have come back to the school that had fired them after several years of success.

Earle Bruce was a guy that has given back to Ohio State in several ways after his eight-year tenure as a head coach was over.

A former assistant, Bruce has come back to Ohio State a few times as a consultant and sometimes a teacher at former coach Jim Tressel's football class.

He has been around the program for years after his termination, giving back and being an unofficial advisor to the program.

Jon R. Woods, Retired Ohio State Marching Band Director

It's weird to imagine that a band director, let alone a retired band director, would be one of the most important people in Ohio State football.

What that's how much Dr. Jon Woods meant to Ohio State.

When you talk to Buckeye fans about football, one of the things they always come back to is the band, how the Horseshoe erupts when the band performs Script Ohio.

The band is an icon of the university, and in a sport steeped in tradition, the marching band is something that is overlooked.

But at Ohio State, the band is as big as everything except the football team. There's a reason they are nicknamed TBDIBTL—The Best Damn Band in the Land.

Urban Meyer, Head Coach

Urban Meyer certainly is among the most important people on this list, but it's worth saving him for last.

Meyer has only been the head coach at Ohio State for about three weeks. And in those three weeks, he has made more of an impact than most coaches make in three months.

Recruiting-wise, he already has commits from DLs Tommy Schutt, Se'Von Pittman and, on Sunday, 5-star Noah Spence.

He has started to bring his staff together by hiring Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Herman and, according to ESPN.com, North Carolina interim coach Everett Withers.

Ohio State will have to wait about nine months before they play its first game under Meyer. But his impact off the field is already seismic.

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