The last time Ohio State lost to an in-state opponent, Ohio Stadium wasn't even built yet.
Ohio State doesn't play an in-state foe every season, but when it does, things usually go well for the Buckeyes, at least in terms of the final score.
With Ohio State set to host Toledo Saturday night, we took a look back at the Buckeyes' storied history, one that includes plenty of wins (and absolute domination) against other teams that call the state of Ohio home.
Just how much has Ohio State dominated its in-state opposition, you ask? Well, if you are 100 years old, you've never seen an in-state foe beat the scarlet and gray. And no matter how old you are, you've never seen a MAC opponent beat the Buckeyes.
The last time the Bucks lost to an in-state opponent was in 1921 when Oberlin took down Ohio State, 7-6, in front of 10,000 fans at Ohio Field. The Buckeyes had previously outscored Oberlin, 211-0, in the previous three matchups prior to the upset. With Ohio Stadium under construction beginning that August, it was the last season in Ohio Field.
Ohio State currently has a 50-game unbeaten streak against in-state opponents, a streak in which they have outscored their in-state foes, 1,855-329 (37-7 average) and includes three wins over Toledo. The Buckeyes didn’t schedule any games against in-state foes from 1933 to 1991, but have played at least one school from Ohio in 23 of the last 31 years ahead of Saturday's matchup against the Rockets.
| Date of Game | Opponent | Final score |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 7, 1922 | Ohio Wesleyan | 5-0 |
| Oct. 14, 1992 | Oberlin | 14-0 |
| Oct. 6, 1923 | Ohio Wesleyan | 24-7 |
| Nov. 3, 1923 | Denison | 42-0 |
| Oct. 18, 1924 | Ohio Wesleyan | 10-0 |
| Nov. 1, 1924 | Wooster | 7-7 (tie) |
| Oct. 3, 1925 | Ohio Wesleyan | 10-3 |
| Oct. 31, 1925 | Wooster | 17-0 |
| Oct. 2, 1926 | Wittenberg | 40-0 |
| Oct. 9, 1926 | Ohio Wesleyan | 47-0 |
| Nov. 6, 1926 | Wilmington | 13-7 |
| Oct. 1, 1927 | Wittenberg | 31-0 |
| Nov. 12, 1927 | Denison | 61-6 |
| Oct. 6, 1928 | Wittenberg | 41-0 |
| Nov. 17, 1928 | Muskingum | 39-0 |
| Oct. 5, 1929 | Wittenberg | 19-0 |
| Nov. 16, 1929 | Kenyon | 54-0 |
| Sept. 27, 1930 | Mount Union | 59-0 |
| Oct. 3, 1931 | Cincinnati | 67-6 |
| Oct. 1, 1932 | Ohio Wesleyan | 34-7 |
| Sept. 12, 1992 | Bowling Green | 17-6 |
| Sept. 13, 1997 | Bowling Green | 44-13 |
| Sept. 12, 1998 | Toledo | 49-0 |
| Sept. 18, 1999 | Ohio | 40-16 |
| Sept. 25, 1999 | Cincinnati | 34-20 |
| Sept. 16, 2000 | Miami (OH) | 27-16 |
| Sept. 8, 2001 | Akron | 28-14 |
| Sept. 7, 2002 | Kent State | 51-17 |
| Sept. 21, 2002 | Cincinnati | 23-19 |
| Sept. 20, 2003 | Bowling Green | 24-17 |
| Sept. 4, 2004 | Cincinnati | 27-6 |
| Sept. 3, 2005 | Miami (OH) | 34-14 |
| Sept. 16, 2006 | Cincinnati | 37-7 |
| Oct. 7, 2006 | Bowling Green | 35-7 |
| Sept. 1, 2007 | Youngstown State | 38-6 |
| Sept. 8, 2007 | Akron | 20-2 |
| Oct. 13, 2007 | Kent State | 48-3 |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | Youngstown State | 43-0 |
| Sep. 6, 2008 | Ohio | 26-14 |
| Sep. 19, 2009 | Toledo | 38-0 |
| Sept. 18, 2010 | Ohio | 43-7 |
| Sept. 3, 2011 | Akron | 42-0 |
| Sept. 10, 2011 | Toledo | 27-22 |
| Sept. 1, 2012 | Miami (OH) | 56-10 |
| Sept. 13, 2014 | Kent State | 66-0 |
| Sept. 27, 2014 | Cincinnati | 50-28 |
| Sept. 3, 2016 | Bowling Green | 77-10 |
| Sept. 7, 2019 | Cincinnati | 42-0 |
| Sept. 21, 2019 | Miami (OH) | 76-5 |
| Sept. 25, 2021 | Akron | 59-7 |
For the last 101 years, in-state opponents have played Ohio State simply for the money it brings to its respective athletic program. That's how the non-Power 5 schools get by, for the most part. For the Buckeyes, it ends in a win; for their in-state foe, it ends with a paycheck.
That certainly doesn't mean Ohio State should take Toledo lightly this weekend. It's possible that the smaller school can walk away with an upset win *and* a paycheck. Just ask Michigan and Appalachian State in 2007 or, much more recently, Appalachian State and Texas A&M or Marshall and Notre Dame this past weekend.
The last time the Rockets visited Ohio Stadium, they put up quite a good fight and gave Ohio State a huge scare, as the Buckeyes barely beat Toledo, 27-22, in 2011, a season that was a down year in Columbus. That five-point win seemed to be a wake-up call as far as in-state opponents go, as the Buckeyes have outscored their in-state foes, 426-60, in seven games since their last matchup against Toledo.
Although Ohio State has dominated its in-state opponents for the last 101 years, Ryan Day knows that his team must be prepared and cannot take Toledo lightly Saturday night.
“One of the things that we've talked about is it really doesn't have anything to do with the team we're playing,” Day said on Tuesday. “It doesn't. It has everything to do with Ohio State. We're Ohio State. It doesn't matter who we're playing, so it's about the process. It's about the way that we play.
“I tried to explain the other day that if you listen to the best pianist in America, you wouldn't go to a bar and expect them to be terrible or take the night off. Or if they're playing at Madison Square Garden, it all of a sudden changes. It's the same way with us. It doesn't matter what the stage is. It doesn't matter what's going on. We only have 12 regular-season games.”
In case the Buckeyes need any more reason to not take any opponent lightly, no matter the game spread or how big of favorites they might be, just look at the number of upsets there have been throughout the first two weeks of college football season already. Day knows that – especially when it comes to a team like Toledo, who has been one of the best teams in the MAC for much of the last few years.
“Whether it's this year or any year, anybody can beat anybody,” Day said. “And you have to have that approach. There are some really good teams out there. We're going to play one this week.”
Toledo might just be another in-state opponent for Ohio State, a group that they have dominated for the last 101 years, but Saturday night's game will give the Buckeyes another opportunity to improve, develop, and prove how good they are this season on both sides of the ball.
"It's good to be 2-0, but we got to keep growing and keeping that edge to us that we have to prove ourselves every week," Day said.
Ohio State will look to continue its dominance against in-state opponents Saturday night, with kickoff against Toledo set for 7 p.m. at the Shoe.
