The 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an American football team that represented the Ohio State University in the 1968 Big Ten Conference football season. It is considered one of the strongest in OSU history, fielding 11 All-Americans and six first-round NFL draft picks. With quarterback Rex Kern and running back Jim Otis leading a powerful OSU offense and Jack Tatum on defense, Woody Hayes' Buckeyes capped an undefeated season with a dominating 50–14 victory over archrival Michigan and a come-from-behind 27–16 victory over defending national champion USC in the 1969 Rose Bowl to secure their first consensus national title since 1942.OSU Football National Championships , Ohio State University Archives This was also the first year the Buckeye players were awarded Buckeye pride stickers for their helmets, each one a reward for a good play. This would be Ohio State's last outright national championship until 2002. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the year for the Buckeyes was their upset of No. 1 Purdue in their third game.
Schedule
Game summaries SMU
Oregon
Game statistics StatisticOSUORETotal yardsPassing yardsRushing yardsPenaltiesTurnovers02Time of possession Game Leaders StatisticOSUOREPassingRushingReceiving
Purdue
Jim Otis 29 rush, 144 yards
Game statistics StatisticOSUPURTotal yardsPassing yardsRushing yardsPenaltiesTurnovers02Time of possession Game Leaders StatisticOSUPURPassingRushingJim Otis (144)Receiving
Northwestern
Rex Kern 20 rush, 121 yards
Game statistics StatisticOSUNWTotal yardsPassing yardsRushing yardsPenaltiesTurnovers02Time of possession Game Leaders StatisticOSUNWPassingRushingRex Kern (121)Receiving
Illinois
Game statistics StatisticOSUILLTotal yardsPassing yardsRushing yardsPenaltiesTurnovers23Time of possession Game Leaders StatisticOSUILLPassingRushingReceiving
Michigan State
Game statistics StatisticOSUMSUTotal yardsPassing yardsRushing yardsPenaltiesTurnovers26Time of possession Game Leaders StatisticOSUMSUPassingRushingReceiving
Wisconsin
Game statistics StatisticOSUWISCTotal yardsPassing yardsRushing yardsPenaltiesTurnovers04Time of possession Game Leaders StatisticOSUWISCPassingRushingReceiving
Iowa
"Ohio State '68: All the Way to the Top." Greenberg, Steve and Larry Zelina. 1998.
Game statistics StatisticOSUIowaTotal yardsPassing yardsRushing yardsPenaltiesTurnovers23Time of possession Game Leaders StatisticOSUIowaPassingRushingReceiving
Michigan
"Ohio St Shocks Michigan, 50-14." The Palm Beach Post. 1968 Nov 25.
Game statistics StatisticOSUMICHTotal yardsPassing yardsRushing yardsPenaltiesTurnovers34Time of possession Game Leaders StatisticOSUMICHPassingRushingReceiving
Rose Bowl
Game statistics StatisticOSUUSCTotal yardsPassing yardsRushing yardsPenaltiesTurnovers05Time of possession Game Leaders StatisticOSUUSCPassingRushingReceiving
Roster
Statistical leaders Scoring: Jim Otis Rushing: Jim Otis Passing: Rex Kern Receiving: Bruce Jankowski
Players in the 1969 NFL draft
Rufus Mayes 1 14 Tackle Chicago Bears Dave Foley 1 26 Tackle New York Jets Steve Howell 10 239 Tight end Cincinnati Bengals
References