The 2014 national championship season began with a shaky start. However, scores by Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Thomas and Darron Lee's 61-yard fumble return for a touchdown helped Ohio State pull away from the Midshipmen.
Ohio State On This Date is a weekly in-depth look at Ohio State's record on the date of each game day. Today, we delve into the Buckeyes' performance in the month of August.
FIVE THINGS AUGUST
- This is the twelfth time (9–2) Ohio State has played in the month of August.
- The Buckeyes have never played as the "away" team on this date. However, the Bucks have played at a neutral site five times (3–2).
- Ohio State is 1–0 when ranked No. 5 and playing in August.
- This is the seventh time the program has played on a Saturday in August. The first? No. 9 Ohio State lost to No. 5 Alabama, 16-10, in Giants Stadium in 1986.
- 2017 was the last time the Buckeyes played in August. The team has won six straight in the eighth month on the Gregorian Calendar.
The only other times the program played on August 31st was 2013 and 2017. No. 2 Ohio State defeated Buffalo, 40-20, in Columbus on 2013. The Buckeyes finished first in the Big Ten Leaders and lost to No. 12 Clemson 35-40 in the Orange Bowl.
In 2017, Ohio State played its first road game and first conference game in the month of August. Urban Meyer's second ranked team traveled to Bloomington and beat Tom Allen's Hoosiers 49-21.
Ohio State's largest margin of victory in August was a 43-0 victory over Youngstown State in 2008.
| YEAR | OHIO STATE'S RANK | OPPONENT | LOCATION | SCORE | B1G FINISH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | No. 2 | INDIANA | A | 49–21 | 1st |
| 2014 | No. 5 | NAVY | N | 34–17 | 1st |
| 2013 | No. 2 | BUFFALO | H | 40–20 | 1st Leaders |
| 2008 | No. 2 | YOUNGSTOWN STATE | H | 43–0 | 1st |
| 2003 | No. 2 | No. 17 WASHINGTON | H | 28–9 | 2nd |
| 2002 | No. 13 | TEXAS TECH | H | 45–21 | 1st |
| 1999 | No. 9 | No. 12 MIAMI | N | 12–23 | 8th |
| 1997 | No. 9 | WYOMING | H | 24–10 | 2nd |
| 1995 | No. 12 | No. 22 BOSTON COLLEGE | N | 38–6 | 2nd |
| 1994 | No. 20 | FRESNO STATE | N | 34–10 | 2nd |
| 1986 | No. 9 | No. 5 ALABAMA | N | 10–16 | 1st |
| RECORD | WIN & | POINTS | AVG. SCORE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERALL | 9–2 | .818 | 308–132 | 30–13 |
| HOME | 5–0 | 1.000 | 180–60 | 36–12 |
| AWAY | 1–0 | 1.000 | 49–21 | 49–21 |
| NEUTRAL | 3–2 | .600 | 128–72 | 24–12 |
| RECORD | WIN & | POINTS | AVG. SCORE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERALL | 7–0 | 1.000 | 220–78 | 37–13 |
| HOME | 4–0 | 1.000 | 152–51 | 38–13 |
| AWAY | 1–0 | 1.000 | 49-21 | 49-21 |
| NEUTRAL | 2–0 | 1.000 | 68–27 | 34–14 |
In case you missed it:
Trivia Time
The Rundown
The Countdown Conclusion
