Holy Buckeye, The Game & More: Ranking the Top 10 Best Moments For Ohio State Football Since 2000
Ohio State Buckeyes football has been a source of great joy and at times great agony.
The Buckeyes are in contention for a national championship every year and in the era of high-powered offense in college football, there have been some thrilling games and moments for Ohio State since 2000.
Now before I get into the list, some moments that just missed the cut were the Buckeyes 2014 national championship victory against Oregon, their 42-41 victory against Michigan in 2013 in which they needed a failed two-point conversion attempt to win and former wide receiver Kamryn Babb's "Rudy" moment where he caught a touchdown after overcoming four torn ACLs in 2022.
1.) 'J.T. Was Short': Ohio State Beats Michigan in Double Overtime
Ohio State's first goal every season is to beat "That Team Up North," and it's even better for fans when "The Game" is for all the marbles.
In 2016, a top-five matchup between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan was for a spot in the College Football Playoff with a Wolverines victory sending them to what would have been their first Big Ten Championship appearance.
Ohio State trailed 17-7 with its lone touchdown coming on a 16-yard pick six from former safety Malik Hooker, but the Buckeyes reeled their rival back in with a Mike Weber touchdown run late in the third quarter.
Trailing 17-14, former kicker Tyler Durbin — who had already missed 21- and 37-yard attempts — knocked through a 23-yarder to send the game to overtime.
After both teams each scored a touchdown in the first overtime and Michigan kicked a field goal to begin the second, Ohio State faced a fourth-and-1 on the Wolverines' 16-yard line. Former quarterback J.T. Barrett ran a quarterback keeper and picked up the first down.
On the next play, former running back Curtis Samuel carried a sweep 15 yards and leapt into the end zone, as Ohio State walked it off in overtime, 30-27, defeating Michigan for the fifth time in a row to begin the Urban Meyer tenure.
2.) 85 Yards Through the Heart of the South
It's been a highly debated topic whether anyone outside the Southeastern Conference can hold a candle to teams like Alabama and Georgia, for example.
Ohio State made a statement in the 2014 Sugar Bowl that said it can hang with the perennial SEC powerhouses, defeating the Crimson Tide 42-35.
The Buckeyes utilized some trickery with time winding down in the first half when Jalin Marshall took a handoff from Cardale Jones, flipping the ball to Evan Spencer who threw a strike to a leaping, toe-tapping Michael Thomas along the boundary in the end zone.
However, with a six-point lead with 3:37 to go in the fourth quarter, former running back Ezekiel Elliott burst through a hole on the left side of the offensive line, racing 85 yards to the end zone to help cap off his 230-yard, two-touchdown Sugar Bowl performance.
3.) When Ohio State Broke 'The U'
Ohio State's players knew the task they were up against. Former safety Mike Doss told The Lantern that the Buckeyes had heard about the fliers the Miami Hurricanes made for their post-victory celebration.
The Hurricanes entered the national championship winners of 34 games in a row, while Ohio State was on a collision course season, avoiding bumps in the road at every turn as six of its 13 wins to that point where by less than 10 points.
The Buckeyes squandered a 17-7 lead they held in regulation as a 40-yard field goal from Miami kicker Todd Sievers as time expired in the fourth quarter sent the title game into overtime.
Miami scored a touchdown on the first possession of the opening overtime period, and on the Buckeyes' fourth-down attempt on their's, a controversial pass interference penalty flew, giving them a fresh set of downs at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, former quarterback Craig Krenzel took a 1-yard quarterback sneak into the end zone to tie it 24-24.
Former running back Maurice Clarett's 5-yard plunge gave the Buckeyes a 31-24 lead in the second overtime period, as its defense made three-consecutive stops from the 1-yard line to preserve the victory and deliver the first national championship to Columbus since 1970.
Since that game, Miami is 152-99 with 12 seasons of at least five losses.
4.) 'The Game of the Century'
In a rare under-the-lights rendition of "The Game," this No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup was a can't-miss event.
There was a Big Ten title on the line, a national championship berth on the line and Michigan playing with its heart on its sleeve for former coach Bo Schembechler who had tragically passed away the night before what was dubbed "The Game of the Century."
The 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith, held a fist in the air and scraped his feet back behind him during the pregame Senior Day festivities to symbolize a matador and a bull.
Smith embraced the bull fight that ensued, putting a bow on his Ohio State legacy with 316 yards and four touchdowns.
His final one to Brian Robiskie came with 5:38 to go, but Michigan drove down and scored another touchdown — a 16-yard pitch-and-catch from Chad Henne to Tyler Ecker — to trim its deficit to three.
On the ensuing onside kick, former wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. corralled it to preserve Ohio State's 42-39 victory.
5.) 'Holy Buckeye!'
Ohio State clung to life all throughout the back half of the 2002 season, and Nov. 9, 2002, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, IN. was no different.
Trailing 6-3 in the fourth quarter, Krenzel completed a 13-yard pass to tight end Ben Hartsock to set up a fourth-and-1 play call.
Krenzel launched a bomb down the left sideline to a leaping Michael Jenkins for the only touchdown of the game, as Ohio State went on to win 10-6 and preserve its season.
Touchdown, touchdown! Michael Jenkins on fourth and 1. Would you believe it?" Brent Musberger said on the ABC broadcast. "Craig Krenzel strikes with a minute and a half left. Holy Buckeye!"
Head coach Jim Tressel said 10 years after the play that when he called the play he intended for it to go to Hartsock across the middle or to a running back for a checkdown.
It's safe to say Krenzel made the right decision.
6.) Ohio State Cancels Michigan's 'Revenge Tour'
In 2018, Ohio State's playoff hopes were squashed when it lost to Purdue 49-20 and won close contests against Nebraska and Maryland in two of the three weeks that followed.
However, the Buckeyes certainly still had something to play for: beating Michigan.
The Wolverines' only loss entering the rivalry week was a 24-17 loss to then-No. 12 Notre Dame on the road in the season opener. They ran the table in the Big Ten on their self-proclaimed "revenge tour," beating opponents they had lost to the season prior in Wisconsin, Michigan State and Penn State.
With Ohio State the last box to be checked on the revenge tour, Michigan was in the driver's seat to go to the championship game in Indianapolis with a win and a likely College Football Playoff team ranked No. 4 entering the final regular season game.
However, the Buckeyes had different plans, thrashing the Wolverines 62-39 behind former quarterback Dwayne Haskins' 396 yards and six touchdowns.
Haskins' favorite target that day was former wide receiver Parris Campbell who had six catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
The Buckeyes outscored Michigan 17-0 in the third quarter which proved to be the crushing blow, as they only outscored the Wolverines by six points in the other three quarters.
Ohio State's 62 points are the most scored by the Buckeyes and the second-most scored in a single rivalry game.
7.) J.T. Barrett Leads Miraculous Comeback Against Penn State in 2017
With 5:05 remaining in the fourth quarter against Penn State in 2017, the Nittany Lions had a 97.1 percent to win, according to ESPN analytics.
Penn State had just kicked a field goal to go up 38-27, and the Buckeyes had to go to work down two scores.
Ohio State picked up chunk yards on each of its first four plays including an 18-yard completion to former wide receiver Austin Mack. After back-to-back Nittany Lions penalties set up Ohio State at their 10, Barrett found Johnnie Dixon to trim the deficit to 38-33.
Penn State's next drive consisted of three Saquon Barkley runs: a loss of seven, a loss of two and a gain of five. The Nittany Lions punted it back to Ohio State with just over three minutes to go needing to drive 58 yards.
Barrett connected on the first play for 20 yards to Terry McLaurin, picking up 20 more yards on the next two plays on back-to-back completions to K.J. Hill. A strike on a seam route to Marcus Baugh with 1:48 to go gave Ohio State the 39-38 victory.
Barrett completed each of his last nine passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns across the last two offensive possessions, as the only run play in the time was a 2-yard run from the Buckeyes' quarterback.
The Wichita Falls, TX. native completed 33 of 39 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns.
8.) Ohio State Pummels Wisconsin in 2014 Big Ten Championship
The Buckeyes entered the 2014 season without their starting quarterback in Braxton Miller. Barrett steps in and gets hurt against Michigan.
Jones was the third-string quarterback and his first opponent was Wisconsin in the 2014 Big Ten Championship game.
Jones quickly revealed he was no ordinary third-stringer, throwing frozen ropes to receivers off the bat and connecting on a 39-yard pitch-and-catch to Devin Smith less than two minutes into the game.
The Buckeyes were off to the races from there.
Elliott — who finished with 220 yards and two touchdowns — took it 81 yards to the house late in the first quarter, as a 24-0 Ohio State second quarter put the Buckeyes up 38 at halftime.
Smith's third touchdown catch of the game — all of which went for at least 39 yards — was the lone score in the third quarter, as Samuel's two fourth-quarter touchdown runs helped seal one of the most dominant Ohio State victories in program history.
The Buckeyes outgained Wisconsin by 300 yards, forced four turnovers and allowed 16 of 80 Badger offensive plays in opponent's territory.
The win helped eliminate any doubt about Ohio State as it punched its ticket to the inaugural College Football Playoff where it would become national champions.
9.) Braxton Miller Hail Mary Downs Wisconsin
Under the lights at Ohio Stadium, the Buckeyes welcomed then-No. 15 Wisconsin, which had a star-powered offense led by Russell Wilson and Montee Ball and its typical stout defense.
Despite being 4-3 in a down year for Ohio State's standards in 2011, the Buckeyes hung with the Badgers for the majority of the game, outscoring them 14-7 in the third quarter.
Ohio State beat Wisconsin at its own game, as former running back Dan "Boom" Herron grinded out 160 yards on 33 carries, as an electric Miller added 99 yards on 19 carries.
Miller threw for just 89 yards on 12 attempts, but his last completion was the most important.
On first and 10 at Wisconsin's 40-yard line with 30 seconds to go, Miller rolled out to his right and fired a sky-high lofted pass across his body to a back-pedaling Devin Smith as the Buckeyes upset the Badgers 33-29.
10.) The Spin Heard 'Round The World
To open the 2015 season, Ohio State traveled to Blacksburg, VA. to take on Virginia Tech — the team which stunned the Buckeyes in their second game of the season.
Revenge was on the minds of a team loaded with talent, as they also got the valued return of the electrifying Miller who missed all of 2014 with a torn labrum.
In his absence, the Buckeyes found two stars in Barrett and Jones, so Miller's return would be as a hybrid H-back instead of as a quarterback and he made his presence felt.
After catching a 54-yard touchdown pass from Jones to give Ohio State the lead back in the third quarter, Miller's second touchdown of the game would be one that will live on in Buckeyes lore.
He took the snap out of the shotgun, bounced an off-tackle run out to the boundary, cut up down the sideline, put his foot in the ground at the Hokies 42-yard line and put Virginia Tech defensive tackle Corey Marshall in the spin cycle.
After his spin move, all the was left between him and the end zone was green grass, as Miller coasted for his second touchdown of the game on the 53-yard run.
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