OSU football had been a family tradition since 1981. My parents have retired and it ended a 20 year of never missing a home game.. Those memories I will never forget and hope to take my son (when I have one) to future games.
I wanted to document my favorite all-time OSU team. These are players I remember seeing. So.. They start in like 1982.
QB - Troy Smith.. Joe Germaine was a close second. Stan was good too.
HB - Eddie (easy)
FB - Matt Keller
WR - Terry Glenn
WR - David Boston or Joey Galloway
WR - Anthony Gonzales
T - Pace
G - Gholstein
C - Bentley
G - ?
T - Stringer
TE - Ricky Dudley ( Could be Stoneburner)
DE - Vrabel
DT - Wilkinson
DT - Haywood
DE - Will Smith?
OLB - Hawk
MLB - Spielman
WLB - Diggs
CB - Springs
CB - Gamble
SS - Doss
FS - Moore
This is my favorite all time team, thoughts?
I'm younger and my Buckeye my most memorable Buckeye memories started with the NC team.
QB: Troy Smith
WR: Gonzo, Michael Jenkins (He gets the nod for Holy Buckeye!), Ginn
Honorable Mention: Sanzenbacher
TE: Jake Ballard (I will NEVER forget that catch)
HB: Beanie (I love Eddie, but I wasn't old enough to truly enjoy it)
FB: Zach Boren
T: Pace, Stringer
G: Rob Sims, Justin Boren
C: Nick Mangold
DE: Will Smith, Vernon Gholston
DT: John Simon, Big Daddy Wilkinson
LBs: Hawk, Laurinaitis, Carpenter, Schlegel (This was the single best LB corps that I have ever had the pleasure of watching. This group was special. I respect the legendary LBs like Spielman, Big Kat, Cousineau, Grandishar, but this GROUP was special.)
CB: Malcolm Jenkins, Chris Gamble
SS: Mike Doss
FS: Kurt Coleman
HC: JAMES PATRICK TRESSEL
QB - Troy Smith
FB - Tyler Whaley
HB - Eddie George
T - Orlando Pace, Korey Stringer
G - Rob Sims, Doug Datish
C - Nick Mangold
WR - Santonio Holmes, Terry Glenn, Ted Ginn
TE - Ben Hartsock
DE - Vernon Gholston, Will Smith
DT - Kenny Peterson, Cameron Heyward
LB - A.J. Hawk, Brian Rolle, James Laurinaitis, Matt Wilhelm
CB - Shawn Springs, Malcolm Jenkins
FS - Will Allen
SS- Donte Whitner, Mike Doss
Head Coach - Jim Tressel
QB-Troy-Hard not to argue with a Heisman winner who played near perfect ball but for one game...
HB-Come on dudes, no Mo C? I'd argue that had his head been on straight his talent would have made this an argument too hard to make. Other than that, I'll go with Beanie.
WR-Gamble and Ginn. Not many guys made more big plays whilest at OSU
TE-I liked Hartsock because I knew is sister in college (Smoking btw) but its hard not to give the nod to Rickey Dudley
OT-Pace and Stringer.
C-Mangold or Bentley
DE-Darrion Scott was one of my all time favorite Buckeyes. I'll take Will and Vern if I'm taking a 'dream team'.
LB-Hawk, Katzenmoter, Laurinitis. Now I know two are MLBs but I'll take those three.
CB-Winfield and Malcom
FS-I thought Nate Salley was a good player but its hard to get away from Coleman.
SS-Doss-all other SS's are moot.
K-Nugent
PR\KR-Ginn makes my team twice.
4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off
QB - Troy Smith
FB - Matt Keller / Nicky Sualua
HB - Eddie George
T - Orlando Pace, Korey Stringer
G - Adrien Clarke, Rob Murphy
C - LeCharles Bentley
WR - Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn, David Boston
TE - Ben Hartsock
DE - Mike Vrabel, Will Smith
DT - Kenny Peterson, "Big Daddy" Dan Wilkinson
LB - Andy Katzenmoyer, A.J. Hawk, Steve Tovar
CB - Shawn Springs, Antoine Winfield
FS - Gary Berry
SS- Donte Whitner, Mike Doss
KR/PR - Ted Ginn Jr.
Head Coach - Jim Tressel
Keep Calm and Ignore the Trolls.
Pretty much everyone has listed my favorites. I would like to, however, add one..
Kicker: Nugent
“The teams that don’t respect their coaches and don’t trust their coaches are the teams that go .500"
~Zach Boren
This is dating me...lol
Jan White (TE)
Brian Baschnagel (WR)
Bruce Jankowski (WR)
Brian Donovan (OG)
Ted Smith (OG)
John Hicks (OT),
Rufus Mayes (OT)
Jim Otis (FB)
John Brockington (RB)
Archie Griffin (RB)
Rex Kern – QB
Ray Griffin (S)
Mike Sensibaugh (S)
Tim Anderson (CB)
Jack Tatum (CB)
Randy Gradishar (LB)
Tom Cousineau (LB),
Stan White (LB)
Bob Brudzinski (DE),
Van DeCree (DE),
Pete Cusick (DT)
Jim Stillwagon (MG)
Tom Skladany (P)
Woody Hayes - Coach
I loved Rex Kern, Archie Griffin, Jack Tatum & Jim Stillwagon...especially!
Anybody who leaves Spielman off their LB list must not have seen him play.
C- Mangold, Bentley
T- Stringer and Pace
TE- Dudley, Hartsock
RB- George, Wells, Byers
FB- Nicky Sualua
WR- Ginn, Galloway, Glenn, Boston, Holmes
QB- Smith, Pryor
K- Nuge
DE- Will Smith, Vrabel
DT- Wilkinson, Heyward
LB- Spielman, Pepper Johnson, Tovar, Hawk, Kat, Lauranitus
DB- Springs, Winfield, Jenkins, Gamble
S- Doss, Kelly
Head Coach- Tressel
Best Recruiting Head coach- Cooper (looks like it may change)
D-Coordinator- Pugac, Dantonio
O- Coordinator- Never been happy with one!
"Boobie twistin Moochicken fans since 1976"
I'm not going to make a full team but Orlando Pace was the most dominant and physically imposing player I have ever seen. I wasn't old enough to watch Jim Parker and John Hicks play but I truly believe that Pace was the greastest OT to ever play college football with a close second being Jonathan Ogden from UCLA.
These are all good lists. My only strong disagreement with the JohnnySocko list (and my time frame is about the same as his) is that Antoine Winfield absolutely has to be the tops at cornerback.
Looking back to the '80s, it's amazing how few defensive players stand out, Spielman being the clear exception. When Earle recruited "athletes," you could be pretty certain they were winding up on offense.
The most "loud mouth, disrespect" poster on 11W.
Hey Fansince1968, did you watch the Wisconsin game in '74? I have to agree with you on the RB of Archie Griffin. Him and his running back mate Pete Johnson in the backfield were some memorable times.
QB - Troy Smith
FB - Matt Keller
HB - Eddie George
T - Orlando Pace, Korey Stringer
G - Adrien Clarke, Rob Murphy
C - LeCharles Bentley/Nick Mangold
WR - Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn (Nobody went all out for a ball more than this guy), David Boston
TE - Ricky Dudley
DE - Mike Vrabel, Will Smith/or Vernon Gholston (He was a beast in college)
DT - Cameron Heyward, "Big Daddy" Dan Wilkinson
LB - Andy Katzenmoyer, A.J. Hawk, Little Animal
CB - Shawn Springs, Antoine Winfield, Chris Gamble
FS - Gary Berry
SS- Mike Doss
KR/PR - Ted Ginn Jr.
Head Coach - Jim Tressel
Tengauge:
I've lived in Northern California all of my life. Rarely could we get tOSU games on tv here...they always broadcasted the Pacific 8 and the Western Athletic Conference...we did get to watch tOSU v tsun every year...tOSU v Wisconsin 52-7 in '74 was impressive. I think Cornelius Green rushed for over 180 yds in that game - and scored 2 tds.
Pete Johnson did a great job...he followed Harold "Champ" Henson and Bruce Elia @ fullback.
I'm young so I'm sure a lot will be more recent
QB - Smith/ Prior
FB - don't have a favorite
HB - George, Wells
T - Pace, Adams
G - Sims, Boran
C - Mangold/ Bently
WR - Holmes, Ginn, Sanzenbacher, Robeske
TE - Ballard
DE - Gholston , Vrabel
DT - Worthington, Heyward, Simon
LB - Hawk, Rolle, Laurinaitis, Spielman
CB - Gamble, Jenkins
FS - Coleman
SS- Doss
K- Nugent
PR/KR- Ginn
Head Coach - Jim Tressel
QB - Troy Smith
RBs - Eddie George, Archie Griffin, Hopalong Cassidy
FB - Jim Otis
WRs - Cris Carter, Terry Glenn, Santonio Holmes, David Boston
TE - John Frank
OL - Jim Parker, Orlando Pace, Nick Mangold, Gomer Jones, John Hicks
K - Mike Nugent
DL - Will Smith, Mike Vrabel, Vernon Gholston, Dan Wilkinson (Jim Stillwagon)
LBs - AJ Hawk, Andy Katzenmoyer, Chris Spielman (Tom Cousineau)
DBs - Chris Gamble, Malcolm Jenkins, Antoine Winfield, Jack Tatum
P - Tom Skladany
Fansince1968 yes he did. He also scored 58 TDs and held the school scoring record of 348 points until Nugent broke it in 2004 with 356 points scored.
QB: Troy Smith
RB: Keith Byars, Eddie George, Archie
FB: Pete Johnson
OL: Orlando Pace, Jim Lachey, John Hicks, Nick Mangold, Chris Ward
WR: Cris Carter, Terry Glenn, David Boston (this is hard -- Galloway, Ginn, Holmes)
TE: John Frank
DL: Vrabel, Bob Brudzinski, Dan Wilkinson, Cam Heyward/Will Smith
LB: Spielman, Randy Gradishar, Laurenitaus, Katzenmoyer (Cousineau, AJ Hawk, Laurenitus, Pepper Johnson, Marcus Marek - you sure we aren't Linebacker U?!)
DB: Shawn Springs, Winfield, Todd Bell, Malcolm Jenkins (Neal Colzie, Gamble, Doss, Tim Fox)
PR: Ginn or Neal Colzie
KR: Ginn and Byars!
K: Nugent
P: Tom Skladany
I was an Ohio State fan all my life but when I started college a decade ago, it went to a new level. Not an exact best of best.
Qb: Troy Smith
RB: Beanie
WR: Jenkins, Sanzenbacher, Holmes
TE: Hartsock
T: Pace, Barton
G: Clarke, Cordle
C: Mangold
FB: Boren
DE: Will Smith, Cam Heyward
DT: Tim Anderson, John Simon
LB: Hawk, Rolle, Laurinitis (you'd think I would remember how to spell his name)
S: Coleman, Whitner, Doss
CB: Jenkins, Gamble, Dustin Fox
K: Nugent
P: Trapasso
Ok, Heres my first post, been following 11w for a while decided it was time to add input...Heres my team
QB; Troy Smith
RB Eddie George - Archie Griffin
FB; Pete Johnson
WR Chris Carter, David Boston, Terry Glenn
TE Jake Stoneburner
T Orlando Pace, Stringer
G Rob Sims, Shane Olivea (I know he played a lot at center but was a better guard IMO)
C Mangold
DE Vrabel, Gholston
DT Wilkinson, Cam Heyward
LB Hawk, Laurinitis, Big Kat, Spielman, (just in case we run a little 4-4)
CB Clements, Tatum, Winfield, Jenkins
S Doss, Whitner
K Nugent
P Trapasso
KR Ginn Jr.
Coach Tressel