California (1-1) at #12 Ohio State (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012 – Noon ET
Ohio Stadium (102,329)
Columbus, Ohio
The Broadcasts
Television: ABC will televise the game to a national audience with Beth Mowins and former Buckeye Joey Galloway on the call and Lewis Johnson on the sidelines.
Radio: WBNS (FM 97.1 The Fan) is the flagship station for the 73-station Ohio State radio network. The Urban Meyer pregame show airs 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Paul Keels will call the play-by-play with former Buckeye Jim Lachey in the booth and Marty Bannister on the sidelines. The game can also be heard live on Sirius and XM channel 91.
FIRST AND 10
Seventy years ago (1942) Ohio State won the first of its seven national championships and four members off that 1942 team – E Paul Matus, G Carmen Naples, QB Paul “Robin” Priday and E Don Steinberg – will be honored at the game.
Ohio State and California are playing for the first time in 40 years.
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is 106-23 in his 11th season as a head coach.
Cal coach Jeff Tedford is 80-49 in his 11th season as a head coach (all at Cal).
Meyer’s teams are 36-4 in the month of September.
Ohio State and Cal will square off Sept. 14, 2013 at Cal’s newly renovated Memorial Stadium.
Ohio State is 7-3 in its last 10 games against Pac-12 competition, dating back to the 1997 season.
The Big Ten Conference went 0-3 last week – all on the road – vs. teams from the Pacific-12.
Ohio State has won 59 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games vs. teams not ranked in the AP Top 25. The last loss: 34-17 to Florida State, Oct. 2, 1982.
Ohio State is 59-7 at Ohio Stadium since the start of the 2002 season.
KICKING THINGS OFF
Ohio State and California kick off a two-year home-and-home series with a game Saturday, Sept. 15, at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes are 2-0 so far this season and are ranked 12th this week by the Associated Press while Cal comes to town with a 1-1 record.
The game will be the third of four consecutive home games at Ohio Stadium for the Buckeyes. Cal is on the road for the first time this season. Ohio State hosts UAB next week (time still TBD). Cal plays at USC.
12 TO ENTER HALL OF FAME
Twelve outstanding former student-athletes will be enshrined into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend. The class will be inducted Friday at a dinner in the Ohio Union and will be introduced to the public at halftime of the Ohio State/California game Saturday. The 2012 class includes Louise Bond-Williams (fencing), Pete Cusick (football), Jessica Davenport (basketball), George Downes (wrestling), Joseph Gailus (football), Ray Griffin (football), Rex Holman (wrestling), Bob Knight (lifetime achievement), Keturah Lofton (track and field), Dick Schafrath (football), Jim Stone (women’s volleyball coach) and Mike Vrabel (football).
ABOUT THE GOLDEN BEARS
California is 1-1 on the season with a 31-24 opening game loss to Nevada, followed by a 50-31 win over Southern Utah Saturday.
Senior QB Zach Maynard is fifth in the Pac-12 with a 154.2 passer rating. He has completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 474 yards to go along with three TDs and one INT. Last week in the win over Southern Utah he was 17 of 23 for 229 yards with one TD and one INT. Freshman Chris Harper is his favorite target with 12 catches for 151 yards and one score. Wide receiver Keenan Allen has 11 receptions in 2012 and 155 for his career for nearly 2,000 yards.
Defensively, Cal is sixth in the NCAA with 10.0 TFL per game and tied for 23rd with 3.0 sacks.
Jeff Tedford is in his 11th season in Berkeley with an 80-49 record. He has led the Golden Bears to eight bowl appearances, going 5-3 in those contests.
BUCKEYES LEAD SERIES, 5-1
Ohio State and Cal have met six times previously, and the start of this home-and-home is the third time the teams have played in consecutive years.
Ohio State vs. California
1-1-21 – Cal 28, Ohio State 0 (at Rose Bowl)
1-2-50 – Ohio State 17, Cal 14 (at Rose Bowl)
10-3-53 – Ohio State 33, Cal 19 (Memorial Stadium)
10-2-54 – Ohio State 21, Cal 13 (Ohio Stadium)
10-2-71 – Ohio State 35, Cal 3 (Ohio Stadium)
10-7-72 – Ohio State 35, Cal 18 (Memorial Stadium)
BUCKEYES vs. CURRENT PAC-12
Ohio State has a record or 56-26-2 against teams that are current members of the Pac-12. USC (9-13-1) and Stanford (2-3) are the only teams Ohio State doesn’t own at least a .500 record against.
Ohio State vs. Pacific-12 (Last meeting)
vs. Arizona 3-1 (2000)
vs. Arizona State 2-0 (1996)
vs. California 5-1 (1972)
vs. Colorado 4-1 (2011)
vs. Oregon 8-0 (2009)
vs. Oregon State 2-0 (1984)
vs. Stanford 2-3 (1982)
vs. USC 9-13-1 (2009)
vs. UCLA 4-4-1 (2001)
vs. Utah 1-0 (1986)
vs. Washington 8-3 (2007)
vs. Washington State 8-0 (2002)
LAST 10 vs. PAC-12
1-1-10 – Ohio St. 26, Oregon 17 (Rose Bowl)
9-12-09 – USC 18, at Ohio State 15
9-13-08 – at USC 35, Ohio State 3
9-15-07 – Ohio St. 33, at Washington 14
8-30-03 – at Ohio State 28, Washington State 9
9-14-02 – at Ohio St. 25, Washington State 7
9-22-01 – at UCLA 13, Ohio State 6
9-9-00 – Ohio State 27, at Arizona 17
9-11-99 – at Ohio State 42, UCLA 20
9-20-97 – at Ohio State 28, Arizona 20
HOME & HOME AGENDAS
Ohio State’s most recent home-and-home series have come against Notre Dame (1995-96), Missouri (1997-98), UCLA (1999 & 2001), Cincinnati (2000 & 2002), North Carolina State (2003-04), Washington (2003 and 2007), Texas (2005-06), USC (2008-09) and Miami (2010-11). Ohio State has upcoming home-and-home dates scheduled with Virginia Tech (2014-15), North Carolina (2015 & 2017) and Oklahoma (2016-17).
THE 1942 BUCKEYES
Coached by Paul Brown, the 1942 Ohio State Buckeyes captured the university’s first football national championship as well as a Big Ten title, finishing 9-1 and ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press at season’s end. The team was led by a star-studded backfield featuring future Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath, All-American Paul Sarringhaus and Gene Fekete, whose 89-yard touchdown run that year against Pitt still ranks as the longest in school history. Ohio State scored 337 points that season, a record that stood 27 years.
BUCKEYES OFF TO 2-0 START
Behind the running, throwing and scoring of Braxton Miller and a defense that had three interceptions among its 12 passes defensed, Ohio State improved to 2-0 on the young season with a 31-16 win over a solid Central Florida (UCF) team Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Miller rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns and he completed 18 of 24 passes for 155 yards with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jake Stoneburner. He threw one interception. Ohio State’s defense only had one sack Saturday, but it allowed just 103 rushing yards and, when UCF went to the air, eight different players broke up passes, including interceptions by Travis Howard, Etienne Sabino and Orhian Johnson.
TURNOVERS: +14 POINTS
Ohio State was plus-14 in points off interceptions vs. UCF. Both Ohio State and Central Florida forced three turnovers, but the big difference was what each did after the miscues. Ohio State drove 48 yards for a touchdown after Travis Howard’s interception and 32 yards for a touchdown after Etienne Sabino’s interception. Howard’s came in the second quarter, Sabino’s in the third and the ensuing drives extended Ohio State leads to 17-10 and 31-10, respectively.
Central Florida recovered two fumbles and intercepted Braxton Miller once, but its ensuing possessions resulted in the Howard and Sabino interceptions and the clock running out at the end of the game.
HUGE DEFENSIVE PLAY. JUST HUGE.
Fifth-year senior Orhian Johnson made the defensive play of the game for the Buckeyes when he intercepted Blake Bortles on a third-quarter second-down play from the Ohio State 14 yard line. The Knights, trailing 31-16 at the time, were threatening to make it a one-play game but Johnson displayed excellent hands to pick off the pass at the 5. Ohio State didn’t add to its lead after the interception, but it did run 5:13 off the clock during its nine-play drive. Johnson added a pass deflection and six tackles to his fine all-around day.
2 GAMES … 5 INTERCEPTIONS
Led by Travis Howard’s three interceptions, Ohio State has already picked off five passes this season. After securing two interceptions vs. Miami, Howard intercepted his third this season – and team-high seventh of his career – in the second quarter against UCF. Orhian Johnson initially tipped the pass. Etienne Sabino recorded the first interception of his career in the third quarter and then in the fourth quarter Johnson made his play, the fifth interception of his career.
CAREER INTERECEPTIONS…
7 – Travis Howard
5 – Orhian Johnson
3 – Bradley Roby
2 – C.J. Barnett
2 – Storm Klein
1 – Etienne Sabino
1 – Nathan Williams
TO THE BEAT OF BRAXTON
Braxton Miller is averaging as many yards of total offense – 332.0 – per game as Ohio State’s opponents. His 141-yard rushing game vs. UCF, in the wake of an Ohio State quarterback-record 161 in the opener vs. Miami, gives him the most rushing yards by a quarterback in consecutive games in school history (302). The sophomore is completing 66.7 percent of his 48 passes (32 of 48) for 362 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. So far this season Braxton has …
Carried the ball 44 times for an average of 151.0 yards per game;
Scored touchdowns from 65-, 37-, 6- and 8-yards out;
Set a school record for quarterbacks with 161 yards rushing vs. Miami;
Set a school quarterback record for most yards rushing in two games (302);
Set a school quarterback record with five career 100-yards (or more) rushing games;
Attempted 24 passes in each game and thrown for 362 yards;
Rushed more times in one game – 27 vs. UCF – than any OSU quarterback in one game in school history;
Scored three touchdowns in one game (UCF), the most since Art Schlichter scored three TDs vs. Wisconsin in 1978.
PASSING 2011 ALREADY
Corey Brown needs just two more receptions to top the 2011 team-high total of 14, of which he shared with two other players. Brown’s six receptions vs. UCF gives him 13 receptions (for 135 yards) in two games. Devin Smith, another with 14 catches in 2011, has eight so far this season.
Double Digit Career Catches …
41 – Jake Stoneburner (443 yards and 10 TDs)
35 – Corey Brown (445 and three)
23 – Zach Boren (182 and one)
22 – Devin Smith (382 and five)
21 – Jordan Hall (202 and four)
11 – Carlos Hyde (75 and none)
10 – Verlon Reed (145 and none)
IN. OUT. AND ???
A key special teams player the last few years – 25-gamer Zach Domicone – returned to action vs. Central Florida (UCF) after missing the opener with a knee issue. Those who did not play against UCF included DL Michael Bennett (groin), DL Nathan Williams (knee), RB Jordan Hall (foot), FB Adam Homan (shoulder) and special teams player Craig Cataline (thigh). Status for this week of those who did not play is to be determined, except for Cataline, who is out for the season after having surgery last Thursday.
DOWN THREE TBs
Carlos Hyde left the UCF game in the first half with what was described as a knee sprain. The status of Ohio State’s second-leading rusher (109 yards; 4.5 average and two touchdowns) going forward is to be determined, but it appears as if he’ll be the third of Ohio State’s five running backs to miss action with an injury. Jordan Hall has missed the first two games with a cut foot suffered 10 weeks ago. Freshman Warren Ball has had a foot surgery during fall camp. And now Hyde may miss action. Freshman Bri’onte Dunn (12 carries for 60 yards; 5.0) and sophomore Rod Smith (6-26; 4.3) are available to carry the football as is Zach Boren (9-33; 2.9), who is coming off a career-high seven-carry game vs. UCF.
BROWN AVERAGES 15.0 YARDS PER RUSH
Junior wide receiver Corey Brown had two nice runs Saturday: a 19-yard end gain where he made a slick cut to his left to break into the clear; and a 14-yard run. Both were for first downs. He has carried the ball four times during his career for 60 yards, or an average of 15.0 yards per rush. His other two rushes came in 2010: for nine yards vs. Ohio and for 18 yards vs. Purdue.
QUARTERBACK CARRIES
It is now believed that the 27 rushes by Braxton Miller against UCF represents a school-record number of carries for an Ohio State quarterback, and his three touchdowns scored ties Art Schlichter (three vs. Illinois in 1979) for the most by a quarterback. Ohio State has had numerous quarterbacks throughout its history who liked to carry the football; here’s a look at the most carries for some of those QBs:
27 – Braxton Miller vs. UCF, 2012
25 – Cornelius Greene vs. Illinois, 1974
25 – Tom Matte vs. Michigan, 1960
24 – Rod Gerald vs. Penn State, 1976
23 – Don Lamka vs. Colorado, 1971
23 – Ron Maciejowski vs. Wisconsin, 1968
21 – Art Schlichter vs. Michigan, 1978
21 – Terrelle Pryor vs. Purdue, 2009
20 – Steve Bellisari vs. Penn State, 1999
20 – Rex Kern vs. Stanford, 1971 Rose Bowl
19 – Troy Smith vs. Penn State, 2005
19 – Craig Krenzel vs. Miami (Fla.), 2003
AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE
Just two teams in the the Big Ten Conference Leaders Division – Ohio State and Indiana – remain unbeaten at 2-0 this early in the season and three from the Legends Division are unscathed and 2-0: Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern.
MORE BIG TEN TEAM STUFF
Ohio State is leading the Big Ten Conference in both rushing offense (275.0) and rushing defense (51.0), and its 43.5 points per game is also tops.
THE OHIO STATE OFFENSE
The Buckeyes are producing 474.5 yards of total offense through its first two games and are averaging 80.5 plays per game. In addition to the rushing and points totals, impressive is the fact Ohio State has eight rushing touchdowns and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Ohio State has scored on 82 percent of its trips inside the red zone (9 of 11), including eight touchdowns (73 percent).
A FEW MORE OFFENSIVE NOTES …
Braxton Miller leads the Big Ten in rushing (151.0), total offense (332.0) and he is tied for first in scoring (12.0 ppg).
Corey Brown is tied for second in the B1G with 6.5 receptions per game, and he is third with 67.5 yards per game.
Drew Basil is sixth in the league in kick scoring with 7.5 ppg.
Zach Boren is the only running back to catch a pass this season. He has three catches for 31 yards.
Miller, in just 14 games played, has topped 1,500 yards passing (1,521) and 1,000 yards rushing (1,017).
When Jordan Hall returns, he’ll bring experience to the tune of 817 rushing yards and five touchdowns and 21 receptions for 202 yards and four touchdowns.
THE OHIO STATE DEFENSE
The Buckeyes have given up 562 yards passing in two games as teams have attempted 95 passes against just 43 rushes. The Buckeyes have knocked down or intercepted 20 passes so far, for an average of 10.0 passes defensed per game with Travis Howard leading in interceptions (three) and total passes defensed (five) and Bradley Roby, C.J. Barnett and Ryan Shazier right there with four, three and three pass break-ups, respectively.
A FEW MORE DEFENSIVE NOTES …
The team’s 13.0 points per game allowed is tied for third in the Big Ten Conference.
Ryan Shazier leads the team with 15 total tackles and, in his five career starts, he averages 9.4 tackles per game.
Christian Bryant, the team’s second-leading tackler with 12 total stops this season, is just nine tackles from 100 for his career.
The fine, six-tackle performance by Orhian Johnson boosted his career tackle numbers to 99, to go along with five career interceptions, four pass break-ups and two forced fumbles.
John Simon and Johnathan Hankins combined on a tackle-for-loss against UCF, their first of the season. Simon has 29.0 career TFLs and Hankins has 13.0.
The team’s three sacks have been registered by young Buckeyes: true freshmen Adolphus Washington and Noah Spence, and sophomore Steve Miller.
Ohio State’s defense has five interceptions already this season. Last year it didn’t record its fifth until game No. 5 vs. Michigan State.
“QUOTES”
Coach Urban Meyer on going for it on fourth down (twice):
“Midfield, you should be able to, on fourth down, make a first down.”
UCF COACH GEORGE O’LEARY:
“Ohio State’s front seven is outstanding. John Simon is as good as anyone in the country. You don’t want to take your time passing against them. The quarterback can’t take more than a three- or four-step drop.”
HIGHS vs. UCF
Numerous career bests – on both sides of the ball – were set in the UCF game Saturday. Zach Boren had three personal bests: carries (7), yards rushing (18) and long gain (8). Corey Brown’s two attempts and 19-yard gain were his bests. Devin Smith’s six receptions was a personal best and Braxton Miller’s 18 completions and three rushing touchdowns were personal bests. Defensively: Orhian Johnson and Doran Grant set new marks for solo tackles (5 and 3, respectively) and Curtis Grant tied his high game with three stops.
CHAMPIONS CLUB – UCF
Freshmen dominated the special team’s champions club for the UCF game with a quartet of them being honored: Adolphus Washington (extra point block), David Perkins (two tackles inside the 20 yard line), Nagee Murray (great effort) and special teams player of the week Jamal Marcus (relentless from point A to B). Fifth-year senior Taylor Rice was also named a special teams champion because of his big hit and his effort on both kickoff teams. The offensive player of the week was Corey Brown and he was joined in the champions club by Andrew Norwell, Evan Spencer and Devin Smith. Defensive champions were player of the week Johnathan Hankins and John Simon.
ODDS & END ZONES
Ohio State has not allowed a point in the second half this season.
Braxton Miller ranks T4th nationally with four touchdowns.
Nice back-to-backs by frosh D-linemen: Tommy Schutt had three tackles vs. Miami and started vs. UCF; Adolphus Washington had a sack vs. UM and a blocked extra-point vs. UCF; and Noah Spence recorded a sack vs. Miami and two tackles vs. the Knights.
Kicker Drew Basil made his first field goal attempt of 2012 against UCF (24) and he has now made 17 of his 20 attempts for a fine percentage of .850.
Long snapper Bryce Haynes got called out in a good way after the game for making a solo tackle on punt coverage.
Ohio State has scored 28 points off turnovers this season (14 in each game). Opponents have zero.
Braxton Miller completed his first seven pass attempts vs. UCF and extended his streak to nine before missing. The school record is 12 consecutive completions by a handful of players.
Ohio State’s rush defense is allowing just 51.0 yards per game (8th nationally) and 2.4 yards per rush.
The Buckeye offense is averaging 80.5 plays per game. The last five years Ohio State has averaged 65.1 plays per game.
The 86 plays Ohio State ran vs. Miami represent a 27-game high, or most since the 2009 Ohio State team ran 89 plays in its season-capping Rose Bowl win over Oregon.
The 538 offensive yards Ohio State rolled up in its debut of the spread offense is a 23 game high. The last time Ohio State had more was against Eastern Michigan in 2010 (645).
The 46-point margin of victory over Miami was the 35th win for an Urban Meyer team by 30-or-more points.
Ohio State is nearing 400 wins in Ohio Stadium. The official record in the 90-year-old structure is 398-109-20.
The attendance at the Miami game – 105,039 – was just shy of the opening day attendance record of 105,092 in 2009 vs. Navy.
OPENING OUTBURSTS
The 46-point margin of victory by Ohio State in Urban Meyer’s debut game as coach represented the fourth-largest victory margin in an opening game for an Ohio State coach. Meyer is the 24th head coach in school history and only three enjoyed a larger winning margin.
Top 5 Margins of Victory (Coaches’ First Game)
58 – Ohio State 58, Ohio Wesleyan 0 (John Wilce)
55 – Ohio State 55, Otterbein 0 (John R. Richards)
54 – Ohio State 54, Missouri 0 (Carroll Widdoes)
46 – Ohio State 56, Miami 10 (Urban Meyer)
42 – Ohio State 42, Akron 0 (Luke Fickell)
“MAKE THE GREAT STATE OF OHIO PROUD”
Back home in Ohio to live for the first time in nine years, Urban Meyer addressed publicly early in his tenure that his goal was for his coaches and players and program to “make the great state of Ohio proud.”
EIGHT ASSISTANTS WITH OHIO TIES
Meyer’s coaching staff includes eight assistants who were either born, raised and/or schooled in the great football state of Ohio. Like Meyer, seven of his assistants grew up in the state.
CB coach Kerry Coombs is from Colerain, graduated from the University of Dayton and has coached in the state for 30 years; 24 years in the high school ranks and five years collegiately.
RB coach Stan Drayton is from Cleveland, graduated from Allegheny College and is in his fourth year coaching in the state.
Def. coord./LB coach Luke Fickell is from Columbus, graduated from Ohio State and has been a college coach in the state for 14 years.
Off. coord/QB coach Tom Herman was born in Cincinnati.
FB/TE coach Tim Hinton is from Amanda, graduated from Wilmington College and has coached collegiately or in the high school ranks in the state for 28 years.
WR coach Zach Smith, the grandson of Earle Bruce, grew up in the Columbus suburb of Dublin.
DL coach Mike Vrabel is from Akron, graduated from Ohio State and is in his second year coaching at his alma mater.
Co-off. coord/OL coach Ed Warinner is from Strasburg and graduated from Mount Union.
199 YEARS OF COACHING EXPERIENCE
Meyer’s Ohio State coaching staff has 199 combined years of NFL, college and high school coaching experience. The total includes three coaches on staff with college head coaching experience (Meyer, Luke Fickell and Everett Withers), two with a combined 32 years of high school head coaching experience (Kerry Coombs and Tim Hinton), two with 12 years of offensive coordinator experience on the collegiate level (Tom Herman and Ed Warinner) and two with 15 years of collegiate defensive coordinator or co-defensive coordinator experience (Withers and Fickell).
LUKE: FOURTH DC RETAINED BY MEYER
Urban Meyer has held four head coaching positions and at each school he has retained the previous staff’s defensive coordinator. It’s an impressive list that now includes Luke Fickell, co-defensive coordinator for six years previously at Ohio State. The others: Tim Beckman at Bowling Green (Beckman is now head coach at Illinois); Kyle Whittingham at Utah (he is entering his seventh season as Utah head coach); and Charlie Strong at Florida (Strong is in his third season as head coach at Louisville).
123RD FOOTBALL SEASON
The 2012 football season will be the 123rd season for the Ohio State football program. Football became a varsity sport at Ohio State in 1890. Ohio State ranks fifth all-time in NCAA Division I history with 826 wins. Ohio State’s all-time record is 827-315-53.
100TH BIG TEN SEASON
The 2012 season will be Ohio State’s 100th season of play in the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State joined the former Western Conference during the 1912-13 academic year, but it could not compete in the conference in football until 1913. Ohio State ranks second in all-time Big Ten wins with a record of 457-171-24. Ohio State also ranks second with 34 outright or shared Big Ten championships.
90TH YEAR IN OHIO STADIUM
Ohio Stadium, grand and venerable and registered on the National Register of Historic Places, will host its 90th football season in 2012. Ohio Stadium is endearingly nicknamed the “Horeshoe” or the “Shoe” because of its open south end. It is also referred to as the “House that Harley Built” after Chic Harley, Ohio State’s first three-time All-American who fans flocked to see at Ohio Field in 1916-17-19. Just one year after Harley’s career at Ohio State was over, things were in motion for a new stadium for the Buckeyes.
From authors Marv Homan, a former Ohio State radio announcer and sports information director, and reporter Paul Hornung, who co-wrote “Ohio State – 100 Years of Football,” the stadium took shape this way:
1919 – Led by Harley, Ohio State recorded its first win over Michigan, 13-3, and the program was becoming a major force in the Western Conference. Ohio Field could not support the legions of fans that wanted to see the team play.
1920 – Professor and athletic board member Paul French, and Director of Athletics Lynn St. John, started an extensive stadium fund raising campaign while interest was soaring. The goal was to raise the “unrealistic” amount of $600,000 for the stadium campaign. Five weeks later more than $900,000 had been pledged. Ohio State went undefeated that season and received its first invitation to the Rose Bowl, further raising interest in the program.
1921 – A ground-breaking ceremony was held Aug. 3 with Ohio Governor Harry Davis part of a crowd of over 2,500 at the event. It was speculated the stadium would hold 35,000 fans. Upon completion, it would seat over 60,000.
1922 – The $1.5 million dollar stadium, of which more than $1.0 million was donated by proud and dedicated Ohio State football fans, was christened when Ohio State defeated Ohio Wesleyan, 5-0, in front of a crowd of 25,000. Ohio Stadium was dedicated prior to the Oct. 21 game against Michigan. With temporary stands in the south end of the stadium, a crowd of 72,500 was on hand.
1928 – L.W. St. John announces that all stadium debt has been paid, a remarkable achievement considering Ohio Stadium had only been standing for eight years.
OHIO STADIUM STATS
Ohio State has an all-time record of 398-109-20 in Ohio Stadium and the stadium has an official capacity of 102,329. The Buckeyes have not played before fewer than 100,000 fans in the last 72 games, or since the completion of a three-year renovation project in 2001 that restored and improved the stadium but also boosted attendance from an 88,000-plus capacity to over 100,000. Ohio State has played before more than 105,000 fans 43 times with a record crowd of 106,033 vs. USC on Sept. 12, 2009.
OHIO STADIUM SIGHT AND SOUND
A $7 million improvements project this summer replaced the 11-year-old Ohio Stadium scoreboard and audio system with a larger, high definition screen flanked by two clusters of speakers with new LED ribbon boards running the length of the south stands. The new Panasonic scoreboard is 42-feet-by-124-feet. The improvements project also included the conversion of 223 standard televisions in the stadium to HD sets.
FIVE CAPTAINS
Captaining the Buckeyes in 2012 will be a handful of seniors: FB Zach Boren; DL Garrett Goebel; RB Jordan Hall; LB Etienne Sabino; and DL John Simon.
SIMON 8th TWO-TIME CAPTAIN
John Simon is just the seventh two-time captain in Ohio State history and the first since All-American linebacker and St. Louis Ram James Laurinaitis was so honored in 2007 and 2008.
Ohio State Two-Time Captains
John Simon – 2011-12
James Laurinaitis – 2007-08
Joe Cooper – 2000-01
Steve Belisari – 2000-01
Pepper Johnson – 1984-85
Glen Cobb – 1981-82
Archie Griffin – 1974-75
Richard Ellis – 1891-92
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM STATS
Urban Meyer’s 10 previous collegiate teams have been extremely balanced in all phases of the game. His teams have led their respective conference in a statistical category 43 times, including in 17 offensive categories, 12 defensive, nine special teams and five times in turnover margin. Some highlights:
His team’s have led in total offense four times, including three times by Florida;
Four times his teams have led in scoring offense and passing efficiency;
His defenses have led a league three time against the rush and twice in scoring;
His return teams – punt and kickoff – have led a total of five times; and
His teams have led in net punting three times.
Meyer’s teams have been ranked among the nation’s Top 10 in team statistical categories 49 times, including NCAA statistical champions in passing efficiency (Florida; 2009) and kickoff returns (Utah; 2003).
LOGOS
The FieldTurf at Ohio Stadium will wear the logo of the Big Ten Conference this season. B1G logos will be at both ends of the field between the 20 and 30 yard lines and facing the press box. This year the team’s jerseys will also sport the B1G logo on the front right chest.
100
In honor of the 2012 season being Ohio State’s 100th season playing football in the Big Ten Conference, team members will be sporting a decal on the back of their helmets with the number 100 on it.
DEFENSE AMONG THE NATION’S BEST
Ohio State’s defensive units the last seven years under Fickel and the now retired Jim Heacock have been good…real good! The defense has been an NCAA statistical champion four times in that span – 2005 rushing; 2007 total, scoring and pass defense – and it has been among the Top 5 15 other times.
THE SILVER BULLET DEFENSE
The Buckeyes have a long-standing tradition of producing the best defenses in the Big Ten and the nation year in, year out. Here are some bullets that put into perspective the Silver Bullets dominance.
Since the 2005 season, Ohio State has finished either first or second in scoring defense among Big Ten teams in six of the seven years. The Buckeyes were first in 2010, 2007 and 2005 and second in 2009, 2008 and 2006. The Buckeyes were sixth last season.
Since the beginning of the 2007 season, the Ohio State defense has allowed only 11 100-yard rushers. That mark is tied for third best among FBS schools.
Fewest 100-yd rushers allowed:
(FBS Teams Since 2007)
1. Alabama 5
2. Boston College 10
3. Ohio State 11
Brigham Young 11
5. Pittsburgh 13
Ohio State has held 70 opponents to 21 points or fewer since the start of the 2005 season, the most among FBS teams.
Ohio State has allowed fewer than 10 points 31 times since the start of the 2006 season.
Ohio State has featured a Top 20 scoring defense in nine of the past 10 seasons, including a top 6 in six of the last seven.
Year PPG Allowed FBS Rank
2011 21.0 27th
2010 14.3 5th
2009 12.5 5th
2008 13.9 6th
2007 12.8 1st
2006 12.8 5th
2005 15.3 5th
2004 18.3 19th
2003 17.6 16th
2002 13.1 2nd
NO B1G CHAMPIONSHIP OR BOWL IN 2012
Due to an NCAA major infraction, the Ohio State University football program is ineligible for post-season play during the 2012 season. This penalty was imposed by the NCAA Committee on Infractions in response to extra benefits and preferential treatment violations involving institutional memorabilia and apparel. Additional penalties for the football program include the imposition of a three year probationary period from December 20, 2011 to December 19, 2014; the reduction of scholarships from 85 to 82 during the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15 academic years; and the vacation of all wins from the 2010 season.
In response to the major infraction, the institution has increased its compliance educational and monitoring efforts regarding preferential treatment, extra benefits, institutional memorabilia and apparel. Further, a greater emphasis has been placed on the education of the Columbus community, local businesses, boosters and other constituents to ensure knowledge of NCAA, Big Ten, and institutional regulations. The Ohio State University continues to strive to create a compliance conscience within the university and throughout Buckeye Nation.
NOT SINCE 1922-24
Ohio State ranks first among all NCAA Div. I programs with 86 consecutive seasons since last posting back-to-back losing records. The Buckeyes have not been under .500 for two or more consecutive seasons since 1922-24. Tennessee had been first until last season; the Vols hadn’t had back-to-back losing seasons since 1909-11, a span of 98 consecutive seasons, until going 6-7 and 5-7 in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
TEAM/MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Ohio State has won 34 Big Ten titles. Only Michigan has more with 42.
Ohio State has 827 wins all-time, tied for the fifth-most among FBS teams:
Michigan – 889
Texas – 855
Notre Dame – 847
Nebraska – 837
Ohio State – 827
Alabama – 827
Oklahoma – 807
Ohio State has had 72 consecutive crowds of more than 100,000 at Ohio Stadium.
