| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 21 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 49 |
John Cooper leading the Buckeyes onto the field on September 12, 1998.
BACKGROUND
The Buckeyes entered this game with a 1-0 record and ranked No. 1 in the country. Ohio State was coming off of an impressive 34-17 victory over West Virginia in Morgantown. Toledo entered their first ever game against Ohio State as the defending MAC West champions.
Wiley had a game-high 151 yards in the win. The next week he would gain a career-high 209 yards against Missouri
OHIO STATE'S PLAYERS
- Michael Wiley ran for a game and (to that point) career-high 151 yards (11.6 ypc) and two touchdowns. Wiley's touchdowns were runs of 76 yards and four yards.
- Joe Germaine completed 13/21 passes for 150 yards and 3 touchdowns.
- David Boston led the Buckeyes with 5 receptions and a game-high 55 yards. He also caught a touchdown.
- Reggie Germany had three receptions and two touchdowns.
TOLEDO'S PLAYERS
- Chris Wallace completed 13/34 passes for 73 yards and five interceptoins. Wallace was sacked once in the game.
- Wasean Tait rushed for 59 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry.
- Brock Kreitzburg led the Rockets with four receptions for 34 yards.
KEY STAT
Ohio State's defense grabbed five interceptions to ensure a shutout.
QUOTABLE
John Cooper said this after the game per ohiostatebuckeyes.com:
"We think we have a good quick defensive team. We know how good Antoine Winfield is. I don't think there's a better defensive back in college football. Anytime your corners can take their wide receivers out of the ballgame, the other nine guys can go out and play football."
Toledo's head coach Gary Pinkel:
"We are not just talking about playing just another Big Ten team. We are talking about playing the best team in the country."
"Defensively, they just have a lot of great players, and they're very well coached."
THE REST OF THE STORY
The win over Toledo was the first in the series. The Buckeyes and Rockets would play again in 2009 and 2011. Ohio State won the second game 38-0 in 2009. That game was played in Cleveland. The last game the schools played was in Columbus and the Buckeyes won 27-22.
Ohio State finished the 1998 season as Big Ten co-champions and defeated Texas A&M in the 1999 Sugar Bowl.
The Sugar Bowl win was nice, but not the ending I expected for the 1998 team.
MY THOUGHTS OF THE 1998 TOLEDO GAME
Expectations for the 1998 season were national championship or bust at that point. Ohio State was coming off of the West Virginia victory and I was concerned of a letdown against Toledo. The Buckeyes put the letdown fears to rest early as they scored 21 points in the first quarter. The 49-0 beat down solidified my thoughts of Ohio State winning the national title in 1998.
I considered the '98 team as the best Ohio State team I had watched to that point in my life. When that season finished without a national championship I resigned myself to the assumption that Ohio State would not win a title in my lifetime. I'm glad I was wrong.
| Oppontent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| at West Virginia | W | 34-17 |
| Toledo | W | 49-0 |
| Missouri | W | 35-14 |
| Penn State | W | 28-9 |
| at Illinois | W | 41-0 |
| Minnesota | W | 45-15 |
| at Northwestern | W | 36-10 |
| at Indiana | W | 38-7 |
| Michigan State | L | 24-28 |
| at Iowa | W | 45-14 |
| That Team | W | 31-16 |
| Texas A&M* | W | 24-14 |
| Total | 11-1 | 430-144 |
| 1998 Big Ten Co-Champs | 36-12 |
*1999 Sugar Bowl
Sources
ohiostatebuckeyes.com
usatoday.com
Ohio State Team Guide
THIS WEEK'S ARTICLES
The Rundown: Hawai'i at No. 1 Ohio State
Recruiting Recon: Hawai'i's Offense
Recruiting Recon: Hawai'i's Defense
Ohio State On This Date: September 12
NEXT ARTICLES
Prep Tracker: Week 4
The Ohio State Effect (Sun)
The Rundown (Tuesday night or Wednesday)
