The Ohio State Buckeyes "99 Club" Since 2014

BuckeyesNow considers which players would receive the EA Sports NCAA Football video game series highest player ratings if the game hadn't been disallowed after the 2013 installment.

Since its most recent installment in fall of 2013, the EA Sports NCAA Football series has perhaps increased in popularity as demand for a new college football video game has grown with each passing year. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen the price of NCAA Football 14 skyrocket, selling for over $200.00 regularly across the United States. 

And while ratings back in 2014 left more to be desired from the “99 Club” we’ve enjoyed from Electronic Arts’ Madden franchise, higher ratings have been easier to come by in the past seven years in the NFL game. Five players received the nod this year as "99 overall" players in Madden (including OSU’s own Michael Thomas). It can be assumed that with a vastly higher number of players and teams included in an NCAA Football release, coupled with Ohio State’s almost unparalleled success during that stretch of time, it is almost certain that a player or two would have received the honor in each year’s game.

With that in mind, BuckeyesNow on SI presents the “Ohio State 99 Overall Club” since 2014. The artwork of our mock game covers are designed to resemble the EA Madden NFL video games in those corresponding seasons.

NCAA Football 15 (would have been released in the fall of 2014)

Braxton Miller (QB #5)

Entering the 2014 season, the Buckeyes were coming off of a 12-2 campaign during which they finished No. 12 in the final AP poll. The 2013 season ended on a sour note thanks to a 40-35 loss at the hands of the Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl. Braxton Miller had his best statistical season as a Buckeye quarterback in 2013, throwing for 2,094 yards with 24 touchdown passes, just seven interceptions and a QB rating of 158.1. 

With a jump in QBR of nearly 18 points from the prior season and an overall rating of 96 in the previous year’s game, we think Miller would have gotten the nod as a 99 overall in NCAA 15.

Of course, Miller’s 2014 season was unfortunately cut short due to injury, but this would not have affected his rating entering that year’s game.

NCAA Football 16 (would have been released in the fall of 2015)

Ohio State had an historic, star-studded roster coming off a National Championship season in 2014, which saw the rise of players like Ezekiel Elliott and Joey Bosa. Returning for their final seasons in Columbus in 2015, the now-NFL stars are our two 99 overall players entering NCAA16.

Ezekiel Elliott (RB #15)

Elliott sat behind Carlos Hyde for most of his freshman season in 2013. In fact, he only carried the ball 30 times the entire year, racking up 262 yards on an extremely promising 8.7 yards per carry. With Hyde gone onto the NFL, Elliott's sophomore year delivered on the promise he showed with his limited 2013 snaps. 

He racked up 2,068 scrimmage yards and scored 18 touchdowns en route to a national title. Elliott was a major problem rushing and receiving out of the backfield, and would have brought those same issues to defenses in the NCAA Football 16 video game.

Joey Bosa (DE #97)

Bosa recorded 13.5 sacks during the 2014 season, which landed him inside the top-five in the nation for sacks - and he did it while going up against some of the best offensive lines college football. Even while facing two and three offensive linemen at a time, Bosa still found a way to get to the opposing team’s quarterback (and was an X-Factor before EA gave him that official tag in Madden NFL 20). 

His production dropped with just five sacks in 2015, but he was already a bonafide top 10 NFL draft pick after his outstanding 2014 campaign. Bosa would have wrecked any Offensive Tackle in NCAA 16 and his rating would have been a clear indication of the trouble your offense was facing when taking this premier pass-rusher head-on.

NCAA Football 17 (would have been released in the fall of 2016)

None.

The 2015 Buckeyes went 12-1 and, if not for a 17-14 loss against Michigan State, would likely have had a shot to repeat as National Champions with a star-studded roster. With so much turnover on both sides of the ball following their 44-28 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team. On offense, J.T. Barrett was to return as the starter, but hadn’t played a full season as such after splitting reps with Cardale Jones in 2015. For these reasons, I don't think a Buckeye player would have earned a 99 overall in the NCAA 17 game.

Honorable mention

Malik Hooker (FS #24)

With weekly ratings adjustments and an outstanding 2016 campaign (74 tackles, seven interceptions and three touchdowns) that landed him on the Big Ten Network’s All-Decade First Team, Malik Hooker would have gotten to 99 at some point during NCAA 17’s run.

NCAA Football 18 (would have been released in the fall of 2017)

None.

Much like the 2015 season, the 2016 Ohio State Buckeyes suffered heartache after a stunning 31-0 loss to Clemson to end their season. With their second loss on the season and a young roster, there were rising stars in Nick Bosa, Denzel Ward and an improving receiving corps, but none of these players would have been able to crack a 99 overall list entering the year.

Honorable mentions

J.T. Barrett (QB #16)

J.T. Barrett had the best season of his illustrious career as a senior in 2017, racking up 3,053 passing yards, 35 touchdowns and only nine interceptions with a QB rating of 160.1 through the air. He added 798 rushing yards and 12 more scores on the ground. We think J.T. would have finally been awarded a 99 overall sometime during the 2017 season.

Denzel Ward (CB #12)

Denzel Ward solidified himself as a true lock-down corner and a sure-fire top five pick in the NFL draft with his performance in 2017. With 15 passes defensed, teams learned very quickly to avoid throwing to his side of the field altogether. A mid-season update would have put that same fear into users trying to throw Ward’s direction.

NCAA Football 19 (would have been released in the fall of 2018)

Nick Bosa (DE #97)

Learning from their mistakes with his older brother Joey, Nick came into Ohio State repping the same jersey number and an intensity that warranted immediate attention from opposing offensive lines. Bosa still managed to rack up 16 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in 2017. With another year to cause havoc in the Big Ten in 2018, all of the hype was there for the younger of the Bosa pass rushers.

Honorable mention

Dwayne Haskins (QB #7)

Dwayne Haskins recorded arguably the greatest season ever for an Ohio State quarterback in 2018, with gaudy stats like 4,831 passing yards, 50 touchdowns, 8 interceptions and a QBR of 174.1. Game developers would have quickly had to make Haskins rating skyrocket after putting defenses on notice early in the season with his cannon of an arm.

NCAA Football 20 (would have been released in the fall of 2019)

Chase Young (DE #2)

After recording 10.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in 2018, Chase Young was generating buzz as the next great OSU pass-rusher. After Nick Bosa was picked second overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2019 NFL Draft, Young was right in line to take his spot among the greats. 

His 99 overall would have been a consistent pain for offenses throughout the course of NCAA 20’s run, as his 16.5 sacks in 2019 would have boosted any categories that may have been lacking when the game first launched. Young had an incredible two-year stretch with the Buckeyes in 2018 and 2019, and would have been a major problem for opponents in the video game as well.

Honorable Mention

J.K. Dobbins (RB #2)

Coming off of a down season by Dobbins’ standards (1,316 scrimmage yards on 4.6 yards per carry), J.K. followed with his greatest season as a Buckeye in 2019. Over 2,000 rushing yards, 2,250 total scrimmage yards and 23 total touchdowns proved Dobbins to be an absolute workhorse. 

Ohio State turned to him whenever they needed to pick up yards in an important situation and he helped lead the team to a 13-1 record. Dobbins' talent has now transitioned to Madden NFL 21, where game developers gave him the highest rating of any rookie running back in the game with a 75 overall.

NCAA Football 21 (would have been released in the fall of 2020)

Justin Fields (QB #1)

Justin Fields’ first year at Ohio State did not disappoint. His ridiculous 41-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a QBR of 181.4 (16th best in NCAA history) secures his status as one of the premier decision-makers in all of college football. 

Already projected as a 2021 Heisman finalist and first-round NFL prospect entering his second year as a starter, Fields has shown he is worthy of the 99 overall he would have received entering this year’s installment of the NCAA Football series.

That concludes our list of 99 overall Buckeyes since the last NCAA Football video game was released in 2013. Where did we get it right? Who’s missing? Let us know in the comments section below!

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