Ohio State On This Date: The Buckeyes Dropped 128 on Oberlin and Won a Pair of Games Over Wisconsin 51 Years Apart on Oct. 14

The first game Ohio State played on Oct. 14 was in 1893. The Buckeyes hosted Wittenberg at Recreation Park and defeated the Tigers, 36-10. This was the first of 15 matchups between the two programs in a series that would end in 1929.

The last time Ohio State played on this date was in 2017 when the ninth-ranked Buckeyes beat up Nebraska by a score of 56-14 in Lincoln. 

On Oct. 14, 1916, Chic Harley helped Ohio State score the most points and win by the largest margin in program history as the Buckeyes defeated Oberlin, 128-0. At this point, Ohio State had prevented Oberlin from scoring in six out of the last seven games in the series and had outscored the Yeomen 215-17 in those contests. 

Heading into the 1995 game against Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium, Ohio State entered the unfriendly grounds with a tie and loss in the previous two battles in Madison. This game started off on a rocky start for Cooper's team as Rickey Dudley fumbled near midfield on the Buckeyes' second play from scrimmage. The Badgers turned the great field position into three points and led 9-7 at the half. 

Eddie George scored twice within two minutes during the fourth quarter – including a 51-yard romp – and Terry Glenn extended his scoring streak to four games as Ohio State dumped Wisconsin, 27-16.

J.T. Barrett threw for 325 yards and five touchdowns as Ohio State racked up 633 total yards of offense against Nebraska in 2017. Then ninth-ranked Buckeyes left Lincoln with a 56-14 victory and the program's fifth win over the Bugeaters. 

Games to remember

A strange ending vs. Indiana

34 years ago, Ohio State was in complete control of the Hoosiers as the Buckeyes took a 35-14 lead following Scottie Graham's 1-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. The 75-degree sunny afternoon then became a bit gloomy as Indiana's Anthony Thompson went off for 177 yards and scored three touchdowns. The Hoosiers converted a 2-point conversion and came within six points of tying the game. 

The Buckeyes faced a 4th-and-1 on their own 28 on the next drive. With his team up 35-29, John Cooper told Greg Frey to take the snap and run through the back of the end zone for a safety. Cooper made this decision to prevent a blocked punt.  

On the ensuing free kick, Jeff Bohman punted from Ohio State's 20-yard line and Indiana's return team did not catch the punt and let the ball bounce. Vinnie Clark realized it was live and recovered the ball on the Hoosiers' 16-yard line. 

With limited time on the clock, Cooper went ultra-conservative and called for three straight runs forcing Indiana's head coach, Bill Mallory, to use his three timeouts. With under a minute to play and facing a 4th-and-1 from the Hoosiers' 7-yard line, Cooper decided to go for the first down instead of increasing his lead to 38-31 with a made field goal.  

The potential game-winning play sent Jaymes Bryant wide right, but the Buckeyes’ running back was stopped short of the marker. To win, Indiana needed to go 92 yards in 30 seconds. The Hoosiers' new lease on life was taken away when Ohio State's Pat Thomas intercepted Dave Schnell to end the game. 

Les Horvath leads Ohio State past Wisconsin

Two years removed a shocking upset loss to Wisconsin in 1942 – a game in which many Buckeye players suffered from illness due to tainted train water – Ohio State played in Madison in 1944. This time around it wasn't the water that gave the team from Columbus trouble, it was do-everything quarterback Earl “Jug” Girard.

The Buckeyes received the opening kick and promptly marched down the field in 13 plays for a 75-yard drive ending with a Dick Flanagan touchdown run. With Ohio State fielding the bigger, faster and more talented team, it appeared the rout was on. However, the defenses of both teams tightened and the first half ended with the Buckeyes leading 7-0.

In the third quarter, Girard connected with Ed Bahlow for a 36-yard pass putting the Badgers in the red zone. Girard capped the drive with a one-yard plunge, tying the score at 7-7.

Early in the fourth quarter, it appeared Ohio State was going to take the lead, but Girard intercepted a pass at Wisconsin's 11-yard line ending a promising Buckeye drive. 

The ensuing Badger drive was a three-and-out and Girard was called upon to punt. Ohio State's Bill Hackett partially blocked the punt and the Buckeyes took over at the Badgers' 32. Les Horvath, who would go on to win the 1944 Heisman Trophy, guided his team with precision and Ollie Cline found the end zone putting Ohio State up 13-7.

Horvath put the game on ice after he intercepted a Girard pass, then scored the game's final touchdown on the drive following the vital turnover.

"Wisconsin is a football team we wouldn't want to play very many times during one season. That Girard is a good one. He's tough and he can throw on the run. He was everything they told us," Carroll Widdoes shared with reporters after the game.

Stat Superlatives

Five Fun Facts

1. John Wilce was Ohio State's coach on that record-setting day in 1916.
2. Ohio State's 1995 win over the Badgers in Madison was only the third victory for the Buckeyes in Camp Randall Stadium since 1981.
3. This is the third time the Buckeyes have played Purdue on this date and the program enters today 0-2 against the Boilermakers on Oct. 14.
4. Bob Ferguson had only 45 yards rushing when he rushed for four touchdowns against Illinois in 1961.
5. Ohio State's 44-0 shutout of Illinois was the largest margin of victory for the Buckeyes in the series until the Buckeyes defeated Illinois by a 48-0 score in 1996.