Explanation of the points system: two top ten lists were compiled, one for the community based upon comments and votes, the other based upon the resumes of the players mentioned on the thread. First on a list = ten points, second = nine, and so on.
10. September 24th, 1988 Ohio State vs. LSU - 3 points
The buckeyes were trailing 9th ranked LSU at home by a score of 33-20 with a few seconds over 2:00 remaining in the game. Running back Carlos Snow was given the ball at the five-yard line and plunged in to score making it 33-27 with only 1:56 left in the game.
Ohio State would use its second timeout during the ensuing three and out they forced, and LSU would take a safety rather than risk punting the football. The score stood 33-29 and the Tigers found that their endeavor to give up two for field position was pointless: Bobby Olive had a dandy of free kick return to set us up at the 38 with 1:24 remaining.
Greg Frey would then complete three incredibly poised passes in a row. The final of his completions was to Bobby Olive for a 20-yard eventual game winner with 38 seconds remaining.
16 points had been scored by the buckeyes in a span of 1:18 to knock off the Tigers.
9. October 29th, 2011 Ohio State vs. Wisconsin - 5 points
2011 would have likely been a forgotten year in buckeye football lore if not for this specific game. As a spectator I have never heard a louder crowd noise than when Braxton Miller completed just his seventh pass on the day (he only had 12 attempts) to Devin Smith for that game-winning score with 20 seconds remaining.
12th-ranked Wisconsin had rolled into to Columbus to face a buckeye team fresh off of tat gate and a coaching change coming off their first loss of the season against MSU ready for some action. Ohio State sat at just 3-3, with a freshman quarterback. All the odds were stacked against them. But somehow, they came out on top.
8. October 13th, 1984 Ohio State vs. Illinois - 6 points
An eighth-ranked team wearing scarlet and gray was looking like losing to a second-consecutive unranked squad was a high possibility when the Fighting Illini quarterback Jack Trudeau hit tight end Cap Boso for an eight-yard score to put Illinois up 24-0. But then Keith Byars put Ohio State on his very able shoulders in a performance that was one for the record books. Keith would go off for a then-record 274 yards in that game, and tied the single game touchdown record with five scores. Most famous was the touchdown that made the score 35-27, when Keith outran the Illinois secondary with only one shoe:
But often lost in that is some other great plays that made a great comeback happen. First was Keith starting the scoring off by hitting the B-button:
Then Cris Carter with a “how did he hold onto that” to make it 24-14:
Lastly was the final rushing touchdown of the day by Byars. Not exactly a dandy, but it capped a game-winning 80-yard touchdown drive with 36 seconds to go, in which the offensive line plowed the way for Byars to pick up 50 yards on seven carries and for backup John Wooldridge to gain 30 on his three attempts. On third and goal the buckeyes would pitch it right for the win.
7. November 9th, 2002 Ohio State vs. Purdue - 9 points
This game is on here because of one of the most memorable plays in buckeye history, and possibly the gutsiest call Jim Tressel ever made.
That played preserved an undefeated season and eventual national title for Ohio State, and solidified Craig Krenzel’s reputation as a legendary crunch-time quarterback.
5(t). November 24th, 2001 Ohio State vs. TTUN - 10 points
The great state of Ohio was desperate for a win against the wolverweenies in 2001. A savior in a red sweater vest came and told them, after all the heartbreak of the John Cooper years, they could count on his team to deliver the goods in Ann Arbor. And they never doubted themselves, even as they entered the big house unranked against the 11th ranked rival squad.
Jonathan Wells would go off for three touchdowns as the good guys brought back a 26-20 win. Not only did it secure a winning season in Tressel’s first year at the helm, it ushered in a new era of dominance over the team that shall not be named. Including that game, since 2001 we are 13-2 against the ultimate bad guys.
5(t). January 1st, 1997 Ohio State vs. Arizona State - 10 points
For all the crap he gets, John Cooper really was a good coach that just couldn’t succeed against one team for whatever reason. And he made the right decision with less than two minutes to go in the 1997 Rose Bowl against the Sun Devils, he made the right call to put in Joe Germaine at quarterback.
Arizona State had entered the game ranked 2nd in the nation, playing a buckeye team that would have been ranked number one had it not been for a loss to TTUN by four points in their previous game. As it was, Ohio State ranked 4th and was the underdog against a Sun Devil attack that featured Jake “the snake” Plummer under center. But Ohio State’s defense had something else in mind.
A very talented buckeye secondary would hold Plummer to only 201 yards through the air, allowing him to throw into the endzone just once and intercepting him one time to counter. Shawn Springs was a major reason for this, as in one of the most underrated individual performances ever he held star Sun Devil 2,500 career yard wideout Keith Poole to just one catch for ten yards. Still, the snake would run one in with less than 100 seconds left and put ASU up 17-14.
Enter Joe Germaine from the bench. After a shaky 1-5 start, Germaine would complete 3 of his next 5 passes and draw two additional pass interference calls, all capped by a five yard dart to David Boston with 19 seconds left.
Ohio State would finish ranked second in the country.
4. October 20th, 2012 Ohio State vs. Purdue - 11 points
Braxton Miller was down. Ohio State was out. Purdue had the ball off an interception with 2:40 left, already up eight. I jammed my fourteen-year-old finger into the power button and trudged upstairs to watch Family Guy. I couldn’t believe we were going to lose to Purdue, I just wanted to get the grieving process started early.
A few minutes later I threw up a bosa shrug before I even knew what it was and opened my laptop to ESPN. The ball icon was on Ohio State. 28 seconds left. 2nd and 2 at the Purdue 14.
HOLY CRAP!!!
I ran downstairs just in time to see Carlos Hyde move the chains on 3rd and 2 and then the spike right after by Kenny Guiton. 3rd and 10 ensued and we were the benefactor of a pass interference call. Then Kenny G delivered a touchdown pass to a diving Chris Fields with 3 seconds left. I went insane.
Heuerman got wide open on the two-point try and we went to overtime. Purdue didn’t stand a chance after that. We won 29-22 in OT on our way to an undefeated regular season in Urban Meyer’s first year.
3. November 18th, 2006 Ohio State vs. TTUN - 14 points
The greatest rivalry game of them all. #1 vs. #2. Winner to the BCS title game. What more hype can you ask for? And the game lived up to it.
Troy Smith would throw for 316 yards and 4 TDs to solidify a heisman trophy, as Brian Robiske and Ted Ginn combined for 193 of those yards and 2 of the scores.
After the bad guys drew first blood and the good ones responded, the buckeyes broke off the first of three big touchdown plays when Beanie Wells took one to the house from 52 yards out.
Ted Ginn had the second on a play action that fooled even the commentator.
And Antonio Pittman put Ohio State up 35-24 with this 56-yard run.
Finally Troy Smith would put most of the Wolverines’ hopes away on a 13-yard pass to Robiske to make it 42-31.
1(t). January 1st, 2015 Ohio State vs. Alabama - 19 points
These last two were almost impossible to decide between, so thank goodness they ended up in a tie atop the article. And in both instances Ohio State was a large underdog.
The heavily favored Crimson Tide entered as the gold standard of college football, and a large part of the country thought Ohio State could not compete with the SEC speed and incredible defensive line. But Zeke took that defensive line and told them to stick where the sun don’t shine by picking up 11.5 yards a carry on his way to 230 yards and a pair of scores.
This game was chocked full of memorable plays, including but not limited to:
But when it all came down to it, time to put the game away, Zeke Elliott dashed the hopes of Alabama and the SEC with the aide of his trusted friend Evan Spencer. He took it 85 yards right through the heart of the south.
1(t). January 3rd, 2003 Ohio State vs. Miami - 19 points
Forget the biggest upset in national championship history, Ohio State was the biggest underdog in national championship game history. Period. No one outside Columbus expected the team who had squeaked by opponents like Cincinnati, Illinois, and Purdue to hang with the defending national champions on a 34-game winning streak. But the buckeyes pulled it off.
The cool thing is that no individual really shined, especially on the offensive end, in this game for Ohio State. But a number of big plays were needed.
The buckeyes began down 7-0 in the late second quarter when Mike Doss put them right into the thick of things.
A pair of Ohio State rushing scores later and the defending champs looked to actually be in some difficulty, down 14-7 at the half.
The buckeyes were driving again in the third quarter when Krenzel threw an interception into the endzone. Things looked like they might go downhill, but then Maurice Clarett made the most intelligent football play that I have ever heard of.
A field goal made it 17-7, but the Hurricanes would come back and tie on a forty-yard field goal despite Jim Tressel’s numerous attempts to ice the kicker. The game went to overtime.
Miami would storm into the endzone their first time with the ball, and set-up the buckeyes for a do-or-die touchdown drive. It was fourth and fourteen when Miami let Michael Jenkins slip through their fingers.
We all know of the controversial call later, Ohio State would score to send it to a second overtime period, where they scored first and it was Miami’s turn to respond.
They would get to first and goal on the two, where Ohio State would make their championship stand finished by Cie Grant’s blitz on fourth and goal.
Honorable Mentions - November 2nd, 1985 Ohio State vs. Iowa (2 points), January 4th, 2011 Ohio State vs. Arkansas (2 points), January 1st, 1969 Ohio State vs. USC (1 point)
Sources include sports-reference.com, elevenwarriors.com, buckeye50.com, and wikipedia.
