Ohio State's National Championships
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Ohio State scored the Big Ten’s first undisputed national championship since 1968 with a 31-21 double-overtime win over top-ranked and heavily favored Miami in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, that year’s BCS title game. … Freshman TB Maurice Clarett, later noted for his off-the-field troubles, starred, along with DE Will Smith, CB/FL Chris Gamble, WR Michael Jenkins, SS Mike Doss and K Mike Nugent. … Ohio State became the first Division I-A school to post a 14-0 record. … The Buckeyes stopped Miami’s 34-game winning streak.
Ohio State, averaging 32 points and 440 yards per game, was the consensus national champion after finishing the season with a 27-16 victory over second-ranked Southern California in the Rose Bowl. … Eleven players earned All-America honors and six were drafted in the first round of the NFL draft in either 1969 or 1971. … RB Jim Otis ran for 985 yards and 17 TDs. … The Buckeyes beat then-No. 1 Purdue 13-0 in the third game of the season. The defense held Purdue to 186 yards, with Ted Provost scoring on a 35-yard interception return.
Texas Christian beat Ohio State 18-14 in the opener, but the Buckeyes went on to be named national champions by both the UPI and the Football Writers’ Association. … The defense allowed just 9.2 points per game — and only six fourth-quarter points all season. … Bob White’s 5-yard TD run in the fourth quarter gave Ohio State a 17-13 victory over Iowa. … Don Sutherlin, who kicked a third-quarter field goal for a 16-13 win at Wisconsin, made a 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter as Ohio State edged Oregon 10-7 in the Rose Bowl.
Woody Hayes, in his fourth season at Ohio State, led the Buckeyes to The Associated Press national championship. … HB Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1955 and was an All-America selection in both ’54 and ’55, had 849 total yards, including 609 rushing. … Ohio State outscored the opposition 249-75. … G Jim Parker led a defense that allowed just 7.5 points per game and came up with 18 interceptions and 17 fumbles. … Two fourth-quarter TDs, including a 1-yard run by Cassady, lifted the Buckeyes to a 21-7 win over Michigan. … Ohio State beat Southern California 20-7 in the Rose Bowl, recovering seven fumbles and holding the Trojans to six first downs.
Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown led Ohio State to The Associated Press national championship. … The offense averaged 33.7 points and 281.2 rushing yards per game, while the defense allowed just 114 points. … The only loss was 17-7 to Wisconsin. … End Robert Shaw, tackle Chuck Csuri and guard Lindell Houston were named All-America. … Les Horvath, the 1944 Heisman Trophy winner, was on the team, but FBs Gene Fekete and Paul Sarringhaus led the rushing attack.
Editor’s note: Ohio State was also recognized as national champions by the National Football Foundation in 1970 and the Football Writers’ Association in 1961.
