The Greatest Moments in Ohio State Football History
The five greatest moments in OSU's storied history.
By: Athlon Sports | 5/29/12, 3:14 AM EDT
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#5. The Minnesota Comeback
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The Buckeyes fell into a 31-0 hole to Minnesota beforeawakening and staging a revival that tied the NCAA record for largest comeback. Greg Frey’s 15-yard TD pass to Jeff Graham with 0:51 left gave Ohio State an improbable 41-37 victory.
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#4. OSU Destroys Purdue in 1968
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Number one Purdue was a 14-point favorite when it came to Columbus in mid-October, but the upstart Buckeyes stifled the high-powered Boilermakers in a 13-0 win. OSU intercepted heralded Purdue QB Mike Phipps twice, sacked him four times and limited him to just 106 yards passing. Ohio State did a number on highly regarded Purdue tailback Leroy Keyes, limiting him to 18 yards on the ground, while Buckeye fullback Jim Otis slammed his way for 144. It was the first signature win of a championship season.
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#3. 1970's Win Over Michigan
3 of 6One year after being knocked from its perch atop the national rankings in a stunning upset by Michigan, the Buckeyes earned an emotional win in Columbus over their bitter rivals, 20-9.
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#2. The USC Title Win
4 of 6The Buckeyes forced five USC turnovers and rode an efficient offense to a 27-16 victory over the Trojans and the national championship. Before a crowd littered with celebrities, including President Richard Nixon, OSU’s “Super Sophs” corralled ‘SC star O.J. Simpson and capped one of the greatest seasons in school history.
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#1. The 2002 National Championship
5 of 6After Ohio State survived in the first overtime on a latepass interference call, Buckeye running back Maurice Clarett scored on a five-yard run in the second OT period to give the Buckeyes a 31-24 lead, and OSU stuffed high-powered Miami four times inside the two to clinch the Fiesta Bowl title and its first national championship since 1968. Miami entered the game having won 34 straight and averaging 42 ppg, but the Buckeye defense controlled the ‘Canes and secured the victory.
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The five greatest moments in OSU's storied history.
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