Ohio State's Five Coaches With The Best Winning Percentages Against That Team
Ohio State's all-time record against that team does not meet the excellence that Buckeye football has attained since 1950. Today we will take a look at the five coaches who have a winning record against Our Rivals.
| Record | 5-4 |
| Longest Winning Streak | 2 |
| Longest Losing Streak | 2 |
| Points For | 165 |
| Points Against | 150 |
| Average Score | 18-17 |
No. 5 EARLE BRUCE 1979-1987 (.556)
Bruce went 5-4 against That Team. Bruce's signature win in the series was his 1987 send-off victory in Ann Arbor.
Bruce leaving as a hero.
| YEAR | LOCATION | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | A | 18-15 |
| 1980 | H | 3-9 |
| 1981 | A | 14-9 |
| 1982 | H | 24-14 |
| 1983 | A | 21-24 |
| 1984 | H | 21-6 |
| 1985 | A | 17-27 |
| 1986 | H | 24-26 |
| 1987 | A | 23-20 |
| Record | 4-3 |
| Longest Winning Streak | 4 |
| Longest Losing Streak | 3 |
| Points For | 128 |
| Points Against | 79 |
| Average Score | 18-11 |
No. 4 FRANCIS A. SCHMIDT 1934-1940 (.571)
Schmidt is the only Ohio State coach before 1950 with a winning record against That Team. Schmidt's claim to fame in the series was starting 4-0 against Our Rival. Not only did he start undefeated, but his teams did not allow a point in the four victories. Ohio State outscored That Team 114-0.
Schmidt had the best 4 game stretch against That Team.
| YEAR | LOCATION | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | H | 34-0 |
| 1935 | A | 38-0 |
| 1936 | H | 21-0 |
| 1937 | A | 21-0 |
| 1938 | H | 0-18 |
| 1939 | A | 14-21 |
| 1940 | H | 0-40 |
| Record | 16-11-1 |
| Longest Winning Streak | 4 |
| Longest Losing Streak | 3 |
| Points For | 410 |
| Points Against | 341 |
| Average Score | 15-12 |
No. 3 WOODY HAYES 1951-1978 (.589)
Woody Hayes has the most victories over That Team than any other coach in Ohio State's history. I have not verified this, but I would guess Woody Hayes has the most victories over That Team in history. Woody also had the most opportunities to beat Our Rival.
Woody made the game The Game.
| YEAR | LOCATION | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | A | 0-7 |
| 1952 | H | 27-7 |
| 1953 | A | 0-20 |
| 1954 | H | 21-7 |
| 1955 | A | 17-0 |
| 1956 | H | 0-19 |
| 1957 | A | 31-14 |
| 1958 | H | 20-14 |
| 1959 | A | 14-23 |
| 1960 | H | 7-0 |
| 1961 | A | 50-20 |
| 1962 | H | 28-0 |
| 1963 | A | 14-10 |
| 1964 | H | 0-10 |
| 1965 | A | 9-7 |
| 1966 | H | 3-17 |
| 1967 | A | 24-14 |
| 1968 | H | 50-14 |
| 1969 | A | 12-24 |
| 1970 | H | 20-9 |
| 1971 | A | 7-10 |
| 1972 | H | 14-11 |
| 1973 | A | 10-10 |
| 1974 | H | 12-10 |
| 1975 | A | 0-22 |
| 1976 | H | 6-14 |
| 1977 | A | 3-14 |
Hayes respected The Game.
| Record | 9-1 |
| Longest Winning Streak | 7 |
| Longest Losing Streak | 1 |
| Points For | 279 |
| Points Against | 172 |
| Average Score | 28-17 |
No. 2 JIM TRESSEL 2001-2010 (.900)
Jim Tressel made an immediate impact on the Game before he stepped foot on the sidelines of Ohio Stadium. Tressel fired his first shot at Our Rival on the hardwood court of Value City Arena when he made his famous speech in January/February 2001. Tressel backed up his words and finished with a most impressive 9-1 record in The Game.
Jim Tressel led a decade of dominance.
| YEAR | LOCATION | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | A | 26-20 |
| 2002 | H | 14-9 |
| 2003 | A | 21-35 |
| 2004 | H | 37-21 |
| 2005 | A | 25-21 |
| 2006 | H | 42-39 |
| 2007 | A | 14-3 |
| 2008 | H | 42-7 |
| 2009 | A | 21-10 |
| 2010 | H | 37-7 |
| Record | 3-0 |
| Longest Winning Streak | 3 |
| Longest Losing Streak | --- |
| Points For | 110 |
| Points Against | 90 |
| Average Score | 34-31 |
No. 1 URBAN MEYER 2012-PRESENT (1.00)
Urban Meyer is only the second coach in Ohio State's history to start his career 3-0 against That Team. With a win on Saturday he will become the second coach to begin 4-0 (Schmidt). Meyer must prepare his team for Our Rivals to come out with a confidence they have not had in years. I would expect nothing else.
With a win on Saturday Urban Meyer will be the second Ohio State coach to start 4-0 in The Game.
| YEAR | LOCATION | SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | H | 26-21 |
| 2013 | A | 42-41 |
| 2014 | H | 42-28 |
| RANK | COACH | THE GAME | WINNING % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Meyer | 3-0 | 1.000 |
| 2 | Jim Tressel | 9-1 | .900 |
| 3 | Woody Hayes | 16-11-1 | .589 |
| 4 | Francis A. Schmidt | 4-3 | .571 |
| 5 | Earle Bruce | 5-4 | .556 |
| 6 | Paul Brown | 1-1-1 | .500 |
| 7 | Carroll Widdoes | 1-1 | .500 |
| 8 | Sam Willaman | 2-3 | .400 |
| 9 | John Wilce | 4-7 | .363 |
| 10 | John Eckstrom | 0-1-1 | .250 |
| 11 | Howard Jones | 0-1-1 | .250 |
| 12 | John Cooper | 2-10-1 | .192 |
| 13 | Wes Fesler | 0-3-1 | .125 |
8 coaches never defeated That Team and 3 coaches never player played That Team.
That Team wants this. Ohio State better be ready to fight.
