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1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

American college football season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University in the Big Ten Conference during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. The Buckeyes won all nine games in the regular season and were ranked second in both major polls. Ohio State won the Big Ten title and a berth in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on New Year's Day against the Stanford Indians, ranked No. 12 and champions of the Pac-8. The Buckeyes were upset, 27–17, and finished with a 9–1 record.

ConferenceBig Ten Conference
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 5
Record9–1 (7–0 Big Ten)
Quick facts Ohio State Buckeyes football, NFF co-national championBig Ten champion ...
1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football
NFF co-national champion
Big Ten champion
Rose Bowl, L 17–27 vs. Stanford
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 5
Record9–1 (7–0 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive schemeHeavy run
Base defense5–2
MVPJim Stillwagon
Captains
Home stadiumOhio Stadium
Seasons
← 1969
1971 →
Close
More information Conf., Overall ...
1970 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 Ohio State $7–0–09–1–0
No. 9 Michigan6–1–09–1–0
Northwestern6–1–06–4–0
Iowa3–3–13–6–1
Wisconsin3–4–04–5–1
Michigan State3–4–04–6–0
Minnesota2–4–13–6–1
Purdue2–5–04–6–0
Illinois1–6–03–7–0
Indiana1–6–01–9–0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
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This was the last year Ohio State played a nine-game regular-season schedule (the Big Ten first allowed a 10th regular season game in 1965). Many major colleges added an eleventh game in 1970, although no Big Ten school did so until the following season.

The Buckeyes were recognized as co-national champions, along with Texas, by the National Football Foundation at the end of the regular season. The teams were jointly awarded the MacArthur Bowl.[1]

This was the fifth and last national title that head coach Woody Hayes won for the Buckeyes; they did not win another national championship until 2002.

Both Ohio State and Texas would go on to lose their bowl games; the 11–0–1 Nebraska Cornhuskers won the AP national championship when they finished No. 1 in final post-bowl AP Poll.

Schedule

More information Date, Time ...
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 261:30 p.m.Texas A&M*No. 1
W 56–1385,657[2]
October 31:30 p.m.Duke*No. 1
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
W 34–1086,123[3]
October 101:30 p.m.at Michigan StateNo. 1
W 29–075,511[4]
October 171:30 p.m.MinnesotaNo. 1
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
W 28–886,667[5]
October 242:30 p.m.at IllinoisNo. 1
W 48–2946,208[6]
October 311:30 p.m.No. 20 NorthwesternNo. 2
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
W 24–1086,673[7]
November 72:00 p.m.at WisconsinNo. 3
W 24–772,758[8]
November 141:00 p.m.at PurdueNo. 3
ABCW 10–768,157[9]
November 211:00 p.m.No. 4 MichiganNo. 5
ABCW 20–987,331[10]
January 1, 19715:00 p.m.vs. No. 12 Stanford*No. 2
NBCL 17–27103,839[11]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time
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[12]

Game summaries

Texas A&M

See also: 1970 Texas A&M Aggies football team
Texas A&M Aggies (2–0) at Ohio State Buckeyes (0–0)
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texas A&M 0 7 0613
Ohio State 21 7 21756
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at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: September 26
  • Game time: 1:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 85,657
More information Game information ...
Game information

First quarter

  • OSU – Rex Kern 6-yard run (Frank Schram kick), 11:45. Ohio State 7–0. Drive:
  • OSU – John Brockington 2-yard run (Frank Schram kick), 7:27. Ohio State 14–0. Drive:
  • OSU – Leo Hayden 3-yard run (Frank Schram kick), 3:13. Ohio State 21–0. Drive:

Second quarter

  • A&M – Homer May 29-yard pass from Lex James (Pat McDermott kick), Ohio State 21–7. Drive:
  • OSU – John Brockington 1-yard run (Frank Schram kick), 0:16. Ohio State 28–7. Drive:

Third quarter

  • OSU – Jan White 5-yard pass from Ron Maciejowski (Frank Schram kick), 6:10. Ohio State 35–7. Drive:
  • OSU – Larry Zelina 11-yard run (Frank Schram kick), 5:23. Ohio State 42–7. Drive:
  • OSU – James Coburn 7-yard run (Frank Schram kick), 2:47. Ohio State 49–7. Drive:

Fourth quarter

  • OSU – Ron Maciejowski 1-yard run (Frank Schram kick), 13:15. Ohio State 56–7. Drive:
  • A&M – Homer May 22-yard pass from Lex James (kick failed), 5:17. Ohio State 56–13. Drive:
Top passers
  • A&M – Lex James – 18/30, 271 yards, 2 TD, INT
  • OSU – Rex Kern – 4/6, 71 yards
Top rushers
  • A&M – Steve Burks – 7 rushes, 28 yards
  • OSU – Leo Hayden – 14 rushes, 89 yards, TD
Top receivers
  • A&M – Hugh McElroy – 4 receptions, 71 yards
  • OSU – Leo Hayden – 3 receptions, 37 yards
Close

Top-ranked Ohio State rolled up 513 yards of offense and scored touchdowns off five Texas A&M turnovers in a 56–13 rout. Fullback John Brockington scored twice and six other players accounted for touchdowns. The Buckeyes' defense forced three fumbles and an interception which led to four scores in an eight-minute span in the third quarter even though head coach Woody Hayes pulled the starters a little after halftime.[13]

This was the first of nine consecutive losses for the Aggies, who were riding high into Columbus following a shocking 20-18 victory at LSU seven days earlier.

Duke

More information Team, Total ...
Team 1 234Total
Duke 3 007 10
• Ohio St 0 6217 34
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  • Date: October 3
  • Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
  • Game start: 1:30 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 2:27
  • Game attendance: 86,123
  • Game weather: Sunny; 63 °F (17 °C); wind 18 to 30 mph (29 to 48 km/h) W–NW
Scoring summary
Q12:04DUKEPugh 38-yard field goalDUKE 3–0
Q2:13OHSTLuttner 45-yard blocked punt return (kick blocked)OHST 6–3
Q310:52OHSTZelina 11-yard pass from Kern (Schram kick)OHST 13–3
Q34:24OHSTKern 3-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 20–3
Q31:27OHSTBrockington 3-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 27–3
Q45:51OHSTGalbos 3-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 34–3
Q41:23DUKEJones 2-yard run (Pugh kick)OHST 34–10

[14]

[15]

Michigan State

More information Team, Total ...
Team 1 234Total
• Ohio St 9 0713 29
Michigan St 0 000 0
Close
  • Date: October 10
  • Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
  • Game start: 1:30 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 2:33
  • Game attendance: 75,511
  • Game weather: Partly sunny; 50 °F (10 °C); wind 15 mph (24 km/h) SSW
  • Referee: Howard Wirtz
Scoring summary
Q18:17OHSTBrockington 2-yard run (kick failed)OHST 6–0
Q11:36OHSTSchram 33-yard field goalOHST 9–0
Q35:15OHSTMaciejowski 2-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 16–0
Q47:46OHSTMaciejowski 1-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 23–0
Q44:39OHSTBrockington 25-yard run (kick failed)OHST 29–0

[16]

[17]

Minnesota

More information Team, Total ...
Team 1 234Total
Minnesota 0 008 8
• Ohio St 21 700 28
Close
  • Date: October 17
  • Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
  • Game start: 1:30 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 2:30
  • Game attendance: 86,667
  • Game weather: Sunny; 52 °F (11 °C); wind 12 mph (19 km/h) W
Scoring summary
Q111:14OHSTKern 7-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 7–0
Q15:00OHSTBrockington 1-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 14–0
Q11:57OHSTBrockington 62-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 21–0
Q28:40OHSTKern 10-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 28–0
Q46:09MINNHamm 12-yard pass from Curry (Cook pass from Curry)OHST 28–8

[18]

Illinois

More information Team, Total ...
Team 1 234Total
• Ohio St 7 71321 48
Illinois 7 1336 29
Close
  • Date: October 24
  • Location: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
  • Game start: 1:30 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 2:39
  • Game attendance: 46,208
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); wind 4 to 10 mph (6.4 to 16.1 km/h) SE
  • Referee: Dwight Wilkey
Scoring summary
Q110:12OHSTBrockington 2-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 7–0
Q14:17ILLLewis 18-yard run (Wells kick)Tie 7–7
Q212:10ILLDieken 11-yard pass from Wells (Wells kick)ILL 14–7
Q211:53OHSTKern 76-yard run (Schram kick)Tie 14–14
Q22:34ILLRobinson 1-yard run (kick failed)ILL 20–14
Q311:48OHSTWhite 43-yard pass from Kern (Schram kick)OHST 21–20
Q36:27ILLWells 30-yard field goalILL 23–21
Q33:59OHSTBrockington 5-yard run (kick failed)OHST 27–23
Q414:56OHSTBrockington 11-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 34–23
Q49:30OHSTHayden 31-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 41–23
Q44:19OHSTCoburn 1-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 48–23
Q4:37ILLDieken 4-yard pass from Wells (pass failed)OHST 48–29

[19]

Northwestern

More information Team, Total ...
Team 1 234Total
Northwestern 7 300 10
• Ohio St 0 3147 24
Close
  • Date: October 31
  • Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
  • Game start: 1:30 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 2:31
  • Game attendance: 86,673
  • Game weather: Sunny; 60 °F (16 °C); wind 10 mph (16 km/h) SW
Scoring summary
Q12:58NWAdamle 1-yard run (Planisek kick)NW 7–0
Q212:13OHSTSchram 32-yard field goalNW 7–3
Q21:22NWPlanisek 29-yard field goalNW 10–3
Q311:27OHSTKern 6-yard run (Schram kick)Tie 10–10
Q34:01OHSTBrockington 8-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 17–10
Q44:14OHSTKern 3-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 24–10

[20]

[21]

Wisconsin

More information Team, Total ...
Team 1 234Total
• Ohio St 3 7140 24
Wisconsin 0 700 7
Close
  • Date: November 7
  • Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m.
  • Elapsed time: 2:33
  • Game attendance: 72,758
  • Game weather: Sunny; 45 °F (7 °C); wind 5 to 10 mph (8.0 to 16.1 km/h) W
  • Referee: Dwight Wilkey
Scoring summary
Q13:00OHSTSchram 23-yard field goalOHST 3–0
Q214:27OHSTBrockington 11-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 10–0
Q21:17WISMialik 15-yard pass from Graff (Jaeger kick)OHST 10–7
Q38:31OHSTBrockington 4-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 17–7
Q35:58OHSTBrockington 1-yard run (Schram kick)OHST 24–7

[22]

[23]

Purdue

See also: 1970 Purdue Boilermakers football team
Ohio State Buckeyes (7–0) at Purdue Boilermakers
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Ohio St 7 0 0310
Purdue 7 0 007
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at Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana

  • Date: November 14, 1970
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: Overcast, 37 °F (3 °C)
  • Game attendance: 68,157
  • TV announcers (ABC): Chris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson
More information Game information ...
Game information

First quarter

  • OSU – John Brockington 26-yard run (Fred Schram kick), 2:13. Ohio St 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards.
  • PUR – Stan Brown 96-yard kickoff return (Jeff Jones kick), 2:01. Tie 7–7.

Fourth quarter

  • OSU – Fred Schram 30-yard field goal, 2:04. Ohio St 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards.
Top passers
  • OSU – Ron Maciejowski – 1/3, 52 yards
  • PUR – Gary Danielson – 2/12, 17 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
Top receivers
  • OSU – Bruce Jankowski – 1 reception, 52 yards
  • PUR – Stan Brown – 1 reception, 9 yards
Close

Woody Hayes received a congratulatory phone call from President Richard Nixon after the game and then asked to speak to Fred Schram, who made the game-winning field goal. John Brockington carried the ball for 136 yards and Leo Hayden added 64 yards on 16 carries.[24]

Michigan

See also: 1970 Michigan Wolverines football team and Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry
Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes (8–0)
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Michigan 0 3 609
Ohio St 3 7 01020
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at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

More information Game information ...
Game information

First quarter

  • OSU – Fred Schram 28-yard field goal, 12:18. Ohio St 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards.

Second quarter

  • MICH – Dana Coin 31-yard field goal, 14:57. Tie 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards.
  • OSU – Bruce Jankowski 26-yard pass from Rex Kern (Fred Schram kick), 1:18. Ohio St 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards.

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

  • OSU – Fred Schram 27-yard field goal, 10:49. Ohio St 13–9. Drive: 15 plays, 64 yards.
  • OSU – Leo Hayden 4-yard run (Fred Schram kick), 8:14. Ohio St 20–9. Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Close

Ohio State clinched a Big Ten title, a Rose Bowl berth and some measure of revenge for the 1969 upset.

Stanford

More information Team, Total ...
Team 1 234Total
Ohio State 7 730 17
• Stanford 10 0314 27
Close
Scoring summary
Q110:20STANBrown 4 yard run (Horowitz kick)STAN 7–0
Q16:50STANHorowitz 37 yard field goalSTAN 10–0
Q13:45OSUBrockington 1 yard run (Schram kick)STAN 10–7
Q214:24OSUBrockington 1 yard run (Schram kick)OSU 10–14
Q312:29STANHorowitz 48 yard field goalOSU 13–14
Q38:33OSUSchram 32 yard field goalOSU 13–17
Q410:03STANBrown 1 yard run (Horowitz kick)STAN 20–14
Q48:18STANPlunkett 10 yard pass to Vataha (Horowitz kick)STAN 27–14

New Year's Day

In the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, top-ranked and defending national champion Texas was upset 24–11 by #6 Notre Dame, ending the Longhorns' 30-game winning streak.

Heavily favored Ohio State could claim their second outright national title in three years that afternoon with a Rose Bowl victory over Stanford in Pasadena. Stanford (8–3) was led by quarterback Jim Plunkett, the 1970 Heisman Trophy winner. The Indians had climbed to a 6–0 conference record and 8–1 overall, but lost their final two regular season games, to Sugar Bowl-bound Air Force and arch-rival California. Stanford lost earlier in the season at home to Purdue, a team OSU defeated on the road.

The Buckeyes led Stanford by four points after three quarters, but were outscored 14–0 in the fourth quarter and lost 27–17. Later that night, #3 Nebraska won the Orange Bowl 17–12 over #5 LSU in Miami to claim the top spot in the AP writers poll.

Personnel

Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
RB 34 John Bledsoe
OL 58 Chuck Bonica
HB 42 John Brockington Sr
WR 24 Tom Campana
OL 75 Dave Cheney
RB 47 James Coburn
OL 52 Tom DeLeone
OL 53 Brian Donovan
QB 33 Richard Galbos
TE 58 Jimmie Harris
HB 22 Leo Hayden Sr
OL 65 John Hicks
WR 82 Bruce Jankowski Sr
QB 10 Rex Kern (C) Sr
DL 57 Dick Kuhn
QB 18 Ron Maciejowski
QB Ross Moore
OL 62 Phil Strickland
TE 80 Jan White (C) Sr
WR 16 Larry Zelina
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
LB 63 Doug Adams (C) Sr
CB 26 Tim Anderson Sr
DL 83 Tom Debevc
DL 70 George Hasenohrl
DL 67 Ralph Holloway
CB 28 Harry Howard
DL 87 Ken Luttner
S 3 Mike Sensibaugh Sr
DB 14 Bruce Smith
MG 68 Jim Stillwagon (C) Sr
S 32 Jack Tatum Sr
LB 88 Stan White
DL 79 Shad Williams
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K 1 Fred Schram
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt
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[25]

Depth chart

More information FS, WLB ...
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[26]

1971 NFL draftees

More information Player, Round ...
Player Round Pick Position NFL club
John Brockington19Running BackGreen Bay Packers
Jack Tatum119Defensive BackOakland Raiders
William Anderson123Defensive BackSan Francisco 49ers
Leo Hayden124Running BackMinnesota Vikings
Jan White229Tight EndBuffalo Bills
Jim Stillwagon5124LinebackerGreen Bay Packers
Doug Adams7165LinebackerDenver Broncos
Mike Sensibaugh8191Defensive BackKansas City Chiefs
Larry Zelina8196Running BackCleveland Browns
Bruce Jankowski10250Wide ReceiverKansas City Chiefs
Rex Kern10260Defensive BackBaltimore Colts
Ron Maciejowski15376QuarterbackChicago Bears
Mark Debevc16405LinebackerCincinnati Bengals
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References

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