With a tradition as rich as Ohio State's, it's no surprise that five former Buckeyes were named to the Football Writers Association of America's 75th Anniversary All-American Team.
Running back Archie Griffin, lineman Orlando Pace, defensive back Jack Tatum, lineman John Hicks and linebacker Chris Spielman were honored by the team, with Griffin, Pace and Tatum making the first team, Hicks making the second team and Spielman making the third team.
| SCHOOL | SELECTIONS |
|---|---|
| NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS | 6 |
| OHIO STATE BUCKEYES | 5 |
| PITTSBURGH PANTHERS | 5 |
| ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE | 4 |
| OKLAHOMA SOONERS | 4 |
| TEXAS LONGHORNS | 4 |
Griffin is joined in the first team's backfield with Georgia's Herschel Walker. Pace is joined on the first team's line with Alabama's John Hannah, USC's Ron Yary, and Will Shields and Dave Rimington of Nebraska. Tatum, meanwhile, is joined in the first team defensive backfield by Ronnie Lott of USC, Deion Sanders of Florida State and Michigan's Charles Woodson.
The five Buckeyes selected were the second-most of any school, trailing Nebraska's six picks for the teams.
The Big Ten as a whole led all conferences with 19 selections – thanks Nebraska! – followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference with 15, the Southeastern Conference with 13, the Big 12 Conference with 10 and the Pac-12 Conference with 7.
The full slate of selections:
| OFFENSE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| POS | FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM | THIRD TEAM |
| QB | Roger Staubach, Navy | Tim Tebow, Florida | Tommie Frazier, Nebraska |
| RB | Archie Griffin, Ohio State | Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh | Bo Jackson, Auburn |
| RB | Herschel Walker, Georgia | Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State | Doak Walker, SMU |
| WR | Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh | Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State | Anthony Carter, Michigan |
| WR | Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State | Randy Moss, Marshall | Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech |
| TE | Keith Jackson, Oklahoma | Mike Ditka, Pittsburgh | Gordon Hudson, BYU |
| OL | John Hannah, Alabama | Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh | Barrett Jones, Alabama |
| OL | Orlando Pace, Ohio State | John Hicks, Ohio State | Willie Roaf, Louisiana Tech |
| OL | Will Shields, Nebraska | Calvin Jones, Iowa | Jerry Sisemore, Texas |
| OL | Ron Yary, USC | Jonathan Ogden, UCLA | Dean Steinkuhler, Nebraska |
| C | Dave Rimington, Nebraska | Chuck Bednarik, Penn | Jim Ritcher, N.C. State |
| DEFENSE | |||
| POS | FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM | THIRD TEAM |
| DT | Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma | Merlin Olsen, Utah State | Steve Emtman, Washington |
| DT | Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska | Randy White, Maryland | Reggie White, Tennessee |
| DE | Leon Hart, Notre Dame | Hugh Green, Pittsburgh | Bubba Smith, Michigan State |
| DE | Ted Hendricks, Miami (Fla.) | Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech | Jack Youngblood, Florida |
| LB | Tommy Nobis, Texas | Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma | Jack Ham, Penn State |
| LB | Mike Singletary, Baylor | Dick Butkus, Illinois | Lee Roy Jordan, Alabama |
| LB | Derrick Thomas, Alabama | Luke Kuechly, Boston College | Chris Spielman, Ohio State |
| DB | Ronnie Lott, USC | Champ Bailey, Georgia | Dré Bly, North Carolina |
| DB | Deion Sanders, Florida State | Kenny Easley, UCLA | Dave Brown, Michigan |
| DB | Jack Tatum, Ohio State | Jerry Gray, Texas | Troy Polamalu, USC |
| DB | Charles Woodson, Michigan | Ed Reed, Miami (Fla.) | Roy Williams, Oklahoma |
| SPECIALISTS | |||
| POS | FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM | THIRD TEAM |
| P | Ray Guy, Southern Miss | Russell Erxleben, Texas | Rohn Stark, Florida State |
| K | Kevin Butler, Georgia | Mason Crosby, Colorado | Tony Franklin, Texas A&M |
| RS | johnny Rodgers, Nebraska | Raghib Ismail, Notre Dame | Derek Abney, Kentucky |
