There's no denying quarterback Art Schlichter is a tragic figure in Ohio State football history and it's not hard to understand how many have a lack of empathy for how his life has unfolded due to a crippling gambling addiction that cost him way more than money. It cost him his reputation, a huge number of family and friends, his standing in Buckeye lore and ultimately his freedom as he's spent well over a decade in jails for a laundry list of crimes.
On the field at Ohio State, Schlichter's arm talent helped usher in a more modern offense with the passing game as a growing focal point (although it should be noted Schlichter was a legit dual-threat guy) especially after his freshman season culminated in Woody Hayes no longer leading the program after the infamous 1978 Gator Bowl saw a late-game Schlichter interception precede Hayes slugging Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman on the OSU sideline.
Earle Bruce took over as head coach ahead of Schlichter's sophomore season and the quarterback promptly threw for what was then the most completions (200) and yards (1,816) in school history. He also added 430 rushing yards and tallied 23 total touchdowns (14 passing, 9 rushing) in guiding the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season which included his first win over Michigan, an 18-15 victory in Ann Arbor, and ended with a one-point loss to USC in the Rose Bowl costing Ohio State at least a share of the national title. His exploits were good for fourth-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting.
Schlichter's 1980 season, which OSU entered ranked No.1 in the l and, featured 2,255 yards of offense with 22 touchdowns but nine interceptions were a problem as Ohio State finished 9-3 with losses coming in the form of a 17-0 stinker to UCLA at home, a 9-3 offensive dud at home against Michigan, and a 31-19 defeat at the hands of Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl.
With the disappointment of the '80 campaign serving as fuel, Schlichter turned in his most prolific passing season as a senior in 1981, recording 2,551 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 picks even as Ohio State began the season a highly disappointing 3-2 with losses to Florida State (even as Schlichter threw for a then school record 458 yards with two touchdowns) and Wisconsin.
To their credit, the Buckeyes would win four of the next five to set up a date in Ann Arbor against No. 7 Michigan with a chance to capture a share of the Big Ten title and keep the Wolverines from earning a Big Ten crown and a Rose Bowl berth. It was also a chance for Schlichter to even his record to 2-2 versus the maize and blue before heading off to the NFL, and for the OSU defense to redeem itself after struggling for large chunks of the season.
Schlichter wouldn't be able to guide OSU to the winner's circle without the help of a maligned Ohio State defense that had surrendered an average of 31.7 points in its three losses but in front of the second-largest Michigan Stadium crowd at the time, the defense, combined with Schlichter's clutch plays led Ohio State to victory.
Ohio State's Doug Hill intercepted a Steve Smith pass at the OSU 5 to thwart Michigan's opening drive but on UM's next possession, Michigan's Ali Haji-Sheikh gave the Wolverines a 3-0 lead via a chip shot field goal. The Wolverines would again drive deep into OSU territory on their next possession but OSU linebacker Marcus Marek intercepted another Smith pass giving the Buckeyes offense possession at its own 18 yard line with 1:05 left in the opening quarter.
Schlichter then led the Buckeyes on a 13-play, 82-yard scoring march highlighted by a 17-yard completion to Cedric Anderson on the second play of the drive before hitting tight end John Frank twice for 6 and 8 yards. Finally, on 2nd-and-Goal from the 1, Schlichter punched it in giving Ohio State it's first lead at 7-3 with 9:57 left in the second quarter.
Neither offense would get much going the rest of the half as Ohio State posted two 3-and-outs while Michigan's offense recorded a 3-and-out of its own before the OSU defense posted back-to-back turnovers on downs, the latter coming with just a few ticks left in the quarter allowing the Buckeyes to take the 7-3 lead into intermission.
The third quarter saw Ohio State punt on its opening possession and while Michigan eventually drove to 1st-and-10 at the OSU 13, the defense again tightened in the red zone to force a 26-yard field goal from Haji-Sheikh, trimming OSU's lead to 7-6 with 5.38 left in the quarter.
A Schlichter interception on the ensuing possession gave Michigan the ball at the OSU 48 and the Wolverines would drive to 1st-and-10 from the 14 yard line but once more, the Buckeyes stood tall, forcing a 23-yard field goal by Haji-Sheikh, giving the maize and blue a 9-7 lead with 2:26 to go in the third.
The teams then traded turnovers via another Schlichter pick and a fumble by Michigan tailback Butch Woolfolk. Ohio State placekicker Bob Atha missed a 40-yard field goal to bail out Woolfolk and on Michigan's ensuring drive, it would reach the OSU 8 yard line before Kelvin Bell intercepted a 3rd-and-8 throw into the end zone giving Schlichter one more chance to make something happen with 8:32 left in regulation.
Despite some shaky throws leading up to this drive, Schlichter completed 4-of-5 tosses including a huge 17-yard strike to Gary Williams on 4th-and-10 from the OSU 44 to help the Buckeyes eventually advance to the UM 6-yard line. Now facing 3rd-and-Goal, still trailing by five points, Schlichter dropped back and rolled right with his tight end Frank as his primary target. With Frank covered up, Schlichter make a couple shakes before turning up field where he received a legendary block from fullback Vaughan Broadnax. As Schlichter reached the end zone he was met by two Michigan defenders who blasted him into a snowbank near the first row of seats in the stadium.
The clutch 14-play, 80-yard drive capped by Schlichter's gallop gave the Buckeyes a 14-9 lead with 2:50 left in regulation. Ohio State's defense did the rest, allowing a 6-yard run between three incompletions on the ensuing Wolverines possession to turn Michigan over on downs and secure victory.
The game was undeniably Schlichter's finest moment at Ohio State as he offered postgame, "this probably is the greatest thrill I’ve ever had. It’s the greatest feeling I’ve ever had, not only for me, but for the team.”
The defense's strong effort, keeping Michigan out of the end zone for the entire game, marked the first time since 1967 the Wolverines went without a touchdown in a contest hosted at Michigan Stadium.
The win denied Michigan of a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl bid while enabling the Buckeyes to share the Big Ten crown with Iowa. The Hawkeyes went to the Rose Bowl by virtue of Iowa and Ohio State not playing each other that season and the fact the Buckeyes had been to Pasadena more recently.
As such, Ohio State went to Liberty Bowl and beat Navy, 31-28, to cap a 9-3 season.
Note: I picked this game for today's Remember When because it's Father's Day weekend and Schlichter's touchdown run is my very first memory of watching games with my dad. Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!
