Tressels, Fickells, Urbans, Days, Johnsons and Days,

It's still the same game 23 years later.

I've always liked sports with a deep history, where teams and players can be compared across generations.  Baseball is that way for me.  I loved the baseball documentary, "Fastball."  The film compares pitchers from every era of baseball to uncover the fastest pitch ever thrown.  After analyzing pitchers spanning the 1900s and early 2000s, they concluded the winner's initials were NR.  

Ohio State football is the same for me.  In 2002, I remember some die hard Buckeye football fans saying that the 2002 defense was as stout and hit as hard as the 1968 defense.  I was T-minus five years until birth in 1968, so I had to take their word for it.  

As we head into the final chapters of the 2025 season, this Ohio State football team is passing the eye test compared to other Buckeye teams that I know well.  

Here are my other recent Buckeye football teams that passed the eye test:

1998: I was sitting in section 2C when one of the most-talented OSU teams in the last 40 years inexplicably lost to an inferior Michigan State opponent, coached by Darth Saban at that time.  I would have liked to have seen the '98 Buckeyes get a second chance in today's CFP format.

2002: first ever 14-0 team in College Football history (and if replay existed back then, OSU would have won the championship game in regulation...see: Chris Gamble's sideline catch on 3rd down that was called out of bounds)

2006: In-N-Out Burger'ed by Florida in a game where Urban had his Gators ready to knock off OSU in the BCS championship game

2014: first ever CFP series champion

2015 after the MSU loss: they finally woke up after that game and were the best team in the country at the end of the year, but didn't get a chance to play in the CFP. 

2019: OSU deserved to advance to play LSU in the championship game, the 2019 Buckeye defense was the only group capable of competing with the law firm of Burrow, Chase and Jefferson

2024: magical Buckeye run as the first 12-team playoff champion, laying waste to anyone in their path

The 2025 Ohio State Buckeyes start their playoff march against their 2002 national championship opponent on New Year's Eve.  I hope the Buckeyes come out swinging and I can add them to the list as the first OSU back-to-back champions.
 

Touchdowns:  Jeremiah Smith, Bo Jackson 

OSU 17 Miami 7

Go Bucks!  Beat Miami!  Harry Miller and Eddrick Houston for Heisman!

Large Father