COLUMBUS — This season marks the 100th anniversary of Ohio Stadium, and to commemorate it we’re going to look at the 10 greatest plays the Old Gray Lady has seen.
Unfortunately, the man responsible for her construction, Chic Harley, never played an Ohio State game on Ohio Stadium turf. The Horseshoe opened in 1922, with Harley’s last season completed in 1919 at Ohio Field. But it was his brilliance that ignited the passion necessitating construction of the historic facility.
Alas, many others have indeed found glory within Ohio Stadium’s confines, just along the banks of the Olentangy River.
I wish we had a Buckeye highlight reel of Wes Fesler from 1928-30 or Bill Willis from 1942-44. I would love to see a detailed breakdown of Jim Parker’s yeomen defensive effort (and he was better known as an offensive line standout) on three goal-line plays to turn back Michigan in 1954.
I wish we had more footage of the brilliance of Les Horvath during his 1944 Heisman season, the electric Paul Warfield from 1961-63, or better understood the power of Bob Ferguson when he should’ve won the Heisman over Ernie Davis in 1961.
While it’s only natural to favor recent history, I’d feel much better about this list if a more comprehensive video library existed of Ohio State’s older legends, and the plays that made them so.
However, with that limitation in mind, here’s one opinion of the greatest plays in Ohio Stadium history — and it’s no coincidence five of them have come against arch-rival Michigan.
Also, be sure to check out the links to nine of the 10 plays we could find online. Spoiler Alert: My apologies in advance to Rex Kern and Bruce Jankowski. If there’s video of their 26-yard TD connection from the 1970 win over the Wolverines, shoot it to me and I’ll be glad to include it in our list.
So, without further ado, here’s the Best from the Shoe:
1. Terry Glenn’s 82-yard TD catch vs. Notre Dame in 1995
This remarkable play was merely a curl pattern from QB Bob Hoying simply designed to collect a first down, but the explosive Terry Glenn turned it into an iconic moment.
“Pass is good to Terry Glenn, it’s now a footrace,” Keith Jackson called it on the national telecast. “He. Is. On. His. Way. For. A. Touchdown!”
One could hear Jackson’s broadcast partner Bob Griese in the background. “No way,” Griese said — as in no way would the multiple Fighting Irish defenders catch Glenn. They didn’t.
Ohio State trailed throughout the first half, but with Glenn’s third-quarter “bolt of lightning” and Eddie George racking up 207 yards, the Buckeyes prevailed for the first time ever against Notre Dame 45-26.
OSU hasn’t lost to the Fighting Irish since, winning five straight times (including this year’s season opener) in the seven-game series.
2. Archie Griffin’s 30-yard TD run vs. Michigan in 1972
Interestingly, though he won two Heisman Trophies and never lost while facing four undefeated Michigan foes, this was Archie Griffin’s lone touchdown against Bo Schembechler’s teams.
“I swear, in four years, we never tackled the guy,” Schembechler would later say.
It began when he was a true freshman. Griffin’s dazzling 30-yard dash capped a 78-yard, third-quarter march and gave the underdog Buckeyes a surprising 14-3 lead over the No. 3 Wolverines.
Two spectacular goal-line stands denied Michigan, and OSU went on to claim a 14-11 shocker, a share of the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.
It was a prelude to one of the most exciting four-year stretches in Buckeye history.
3. Chris Gamble’s Pick-6 vs. Penn State in 2002
Offense was always a tricky proposition for the 2002 squad. In this outing, it was virtually non-existent. So, the team’s most valuable player, Chris Gamble, provided it from his defensive back position.
If Gamble had a more outgoing personality, and the Ohio State marketing team had some forewarning of his jaw-dropping season, the Florida native would’ve had a genuine case for the 2002 Heisman Trophy. Gamble started on both sides of the ball for the eventual national champions, unheard of even then.
This play, made from his cornerback slot, could’ve easily been his Heisman moment.
The undefeated Buckeyes trailed 7-3 early in the third quarter when Gamble stepped in front of a Zack Mills pass and smartly weaved his way 39 yards through Penn State’s bewildered players, casually flipping the ball to the referee as he stepped across the goal line.
It was Ohio State’s lone touchdown in a 13-7 win over the 17th-ranked Nittany Lions.
I’ve attended more than 100 games in Ohio Stadium over 40-plus years. On this particular day I had a ticket. In my experience, the Horseshoe was never louder than when Gamble scored on this play.
Count it among the myriad of crucial highlights Gamble created that season. He had game-saving interceptions against Wisconsin, Cincinnati, and Purdue and the game-winning TD against Penn State. Incredible.
4. Ted Provost’s Pick-6 vs. Purdue in 1968
There are surely those among us, particularly older members of the Ohio State fanbase, who will insist this play should rank at the very top of the list.
It was certainly the pivotal point in the 1968 national championship campaign.
No. 1-ranked Purdue had buried Ohio State 41-6 the previous season, and was highly-favored to feast on Woody Hayes’ Super Sophs.
But after a scoreless first half, the Buckeyes’ secondary deployed in assistant coach Lou Holtz’s “robber coverage.” When Purdue quarterback Mike Phipps faded back to pass, junior Ted Provost read the play perfectly, broke sharply on the ball and picked off the interception at a full gallop. He raced 35 yards untouched for a game-changing TD.
The play happened so fast, it seemed to stun the Boilermakers for the rest of the afternoon. The fourth-ranked Buckeyes, who really dominated this game, eventually won 13-0 and went on to claim the national championship.
5. Hopalong Cassady’s Pick-6 vs. Wisconsin in 1954
This was long before the phrase twitchy was used in football-ease. But Howard “Hopalong” Cassady was twitchy.
The electrifying playmaker scored 37 touchdowns in 36 games at Ohio State, breaking Chic Harley’s career scoring record that had stood for 35 years.
But no play was more important than an incredible, 88-yard pick-6 against undefeated No. 2 Wisconsin and its eventual Heisman winner Alan “The Horse” Ameche.
Had this event happened today, with color highlights and wall-to-wall analysis, it would probably rank higher on our list. Published words and a silent film don’t do it justice. It was the play of the year in a national championship campaign.
This theft, seemingly made out of nowhere, turned back the undefeated Badgers in the red zone, immediately altered the momentum of a game in peril, and propelled the Buckeyes to a 31-14 breakthrough win and a perfect season.
A year later, Cassady won the Heisman Trophy and was voted the AP Athlete of the Year ahead of Rocky Marciano, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Bob Pettit, Bill Russell, Harlon Hill and John Belliveau.
One could argue this was his Heisman moment, a year before he received the trophy.
6. Rex Kern’s 26-yard TD pass to Bruce Jankowski vs. Michigan in 1970
The great “Revenge Game” was probably the most emotional contest ever played in Ohio Stadium.
Central Ohio was boiling after the 1969 Upset of the Century at Michigan. That triggered the 10-Year-War pitting Woody Hayes and his former pupil, one-time Buckeye offensive coordinator Bo Schembechler.
Fourth-ranked Michigan and No. 5 Ohio State were both undefeated and untied coming into this clash. It was the first time in 65 years that had happened in the Big Ten season finale — when Chicago beat the Wolverines 2-0 in 1905.
Ohio State pulled away from a 3-3 tie right before halftime on this play. Rex Kern got crushed just as he let go of a picture-perfect pass on a post pattern to Bruce Jankowski, who sliced across the south end zone and snagged the aerial in stride with 1:18 remaining in the half. Fred Schram’s PAT made it 10-3, and became the game-winning point.
One could argue Stan White’s interception in the fourth quarter, or Leo Hayden’s ensuing 4-yard TD dash that finished the scoring at 20-9 were monster plays, too.
But this touchdown pass was called “the biggest play of a big-play afternoon” by Sports Illustrated’s Dan Jenkins. Since I was only 3 years old, and the YouTube video of the contest does not include this play, I’ll have to take Jenkins’ word for it.
This game simply had to be represented. It was arguably the biggest home victory of Woody Hayes’ career, and led directly to a national title as determined by the National Football Foundation (which did not recognize bowl games).
7. Curtis Samuel’s 15-yard TD run vs. Michigan in 2016
This was the first, and so far only, time Ohio State and Michigan battled into overtime — actually double overtime.
Coach Urban Meyer’s second-ranked Buckeyes were the youngest team in the nation when No. 3 Michigan came to town in a matchup of two one-loss teams.
The Wolverines’ brilliant defense was stout through the first three quarters. It didn’t help that OSU missed two chip-shot field goals that should’ve settled this seat-squirming affair in regulation.
But quarterback J.T. Barrett spearheaded a suddenly rejuvenated Ohio State offense that marched the length of the field twice in the fourth quarter, then scored touchdowns on both of its overtime possessions.
Finally, Barrett converted a fourth-and-one on a quarterback keeper (which Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh famously and erroneously still disputes) at the Wolverines’ 15.
On the next play, Curtis Samuel took a hand-off, burst around left end, picked his way through traffic and soared into the end zone for a scintillating 30-27 victory.
The Buckeyes advanced to the college football playoffs after this win.
8. Keith Byars’ shoeless 67-yard TD dash vs. Illinois in 1984
In a game that pitted the top two teams in the Big Ten, Illinois raced to a 24-0 lead. Star tailback Keith Byars finally answered the onslaught with a 16-yard TD run, then looked into a national TV camera and famously stated, “We’re coming back!”
He was as good as his word. Eighth-ranked Ohio State scored 35 of the next 38 points, accented by the most spectacular run in Byars’ career.
Setting up in a split backfield, quarterback Mike Tomczak handed the ball to the brutish Byars on a draw play. The Dayton junior veered off right tackle and headed to the sidelines. He avoided one defender, cut back to the middle of the field, ran out of his left shoe and still outraced five foes, a couple of them from the Illini track team, to cap a surreal 67-yard jaunt.
Byars finished the day with a then school-record 274 yards and five touchdowns — but this is the one they still talk about. If there was a better TD dash in Ohio Stadium history, I haven’t seen it — and I was in a seat at the southwest corner of the end zone for this one.
The Buckeyes eventually won 45-38, claimed the Big Ten crown and reached the Rose Bowl.
9. Chris Wells 52-yard TD sprint vs. Michigan in 2006
In an epic 1 vs. 2 showdown with the arch-rival Wolverines, Chris Wells turned in the most exciting play in a contest chock full of explosive plays.
The Buckeyes eventually won a 42-39 thriller, with the true freshman ripping off the most memorable touchdown of all.
Some questioned if Wells would even play, as he battled a case of chronic fumbling coming into this contest. But mired in a 7-7 tie early in the second quarter, coach Jim Tressel called on the Akron product.
Wells took a handoff heading left and was immediately met deep in the backfield by a Michigan tackler. He instinctively pirouetted away from the defender, quickly spun 270 degrees, squared his shoulders and shifted into overdrive heading directly upfield. Wells roared 52 yards for a TD that sent the Ohio Stadium fans into a frenzy.
This play gave the Buckeyes the lead for good. In three games against Michigan, Wells had touchdown runs of more than 50 yards all three years, the only player on either side to accomplish this feat in the rivalry. But this eruption was the best of that bunch.
Like the 1970 Michigan game, it was a contest that had to be represented on our list.
10. Vic Janowicz’s 38-yard FG in 1950 Snow Bowl vs. Michigan
This kick came in one of the most storied losses ever in Ohio Stadium, a 9-3 setback to arch-rival Michigan that cost 8th-ranked OSU a second straight Big Ten championship.
It also led directly to the end of Wes Fesler’s coaching career in Columbus, as he resigned amid the heat created by this bitter defeat. Woody Hayes got the job the following year.
The contest was played in blizzard conditions, with near zero-degree temperatures and 30 mph winds. The snow drifted so fast it measured two inches per hour — making it nearly impossible to see the yard markers.
The Buckeyes, who were ranked No. 1 just two weeks earlier, registered all three first downs in the game. Yet Michigan won by digging a blocked punt out of the OSU end zone for the lone TD of the day.
That sequence countered Ohio State’s 3-2 lead, which was built on the most memorable play of the year.
Janowicz somehow navigated the conditions to drill a straight-on 38-yard field goal, which knifed through the swirling wind and split the uprights barely in view. That gave the Buckeyes a 3–0 lead.
This kick would later be called one of the “Greatest Feats in American Sports” by a panel of sports writers. Janowicz won the Heisman as a junior after this campaign, and this was one of his strongest arguments as a tremendous runner, passer, kicker and defensive player.
The only thing keeping this field goal so low on our list is it was lost in a loss.
1. Terry Glenn’s 82-yard TD catch vs. Notre Dame (1995)
2. Archie Griffin’s 30-yard TD run vs. Michigan (1972)
3. Chris Gamble’s Pick-6 vs. Penn State (2002)
4. Ted Provost’s Pick-6 vs. Purdue (1968)
5. Hopalong Cassady’s Pick-6 vs. Wisconsin (1954)
6. Rex Kern 26-yard TD pass to Bruce Jankowski vs. Michigan (1970)
7. Curtis Samuel’s 15-yard TD run vs. Michigan (2016)
8. Keith Byars’ 67-yard TD dash vs. Illinois (1984)
9. Chris Wells’ 52-yard TD sprint vs. Michigan (2006)
10. Vic Janowicz’s 38-yard FG vs. Michigan (1950)
