Ohio State: a football coaching history
See Ohio State’s full 91-year Zeitgeist History →← all coaches
Stature and coaches, 1936–2026
The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.
DynastyBlue BloodPower ProgramNational ProgramRegional Program
Run↔pass identity, by season
Every coach
Big movers show how many stature points they built or lost against what they inherited; steadier tenures show the tier they reached instead. A small blue arrow marks a real System Shift at that changeover — how hard the offense’s run/pass identity flipped.
2018–now
Ryan Day Sustainer
Ryan Day kept the Buckeyes a national power for 8 seasons.
2021 offense ranked in the 100th percentile nationally — elite
vs. Michigan
+5.0 pts over 8 seasons · top 33% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Gus Malzahn’s Auburn run (2013–2020)
3rd-best Ohio State tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Urban Meyer (2012–2018).
System Shift, on arrival
| Season | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||||
| Record | 3-0 | 13-1 | 7-1 | 11-2 | 11-2 | 11-2 | 14-2 | 12-2 | 6-2 | |
| Postseason | — | CFP loss | Title game L | W bowl | CFP loss | L bowl | Champion | CFP loss | — | |
| Recruiting rank | — | #14 | #5 | #2 | #4 | #5 | #5 | #4 | #4 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||||
| Pass rate | — | 38.0 | 39.5 | 53.9 | 46.8 | 48.1 | 46.1 | 46.4 | 44.6 | |
| Coordinators | ||||||||||
| OC | — | Kevin Wilson | Kevin Wilson | Kevin Wilson | Kevin Wilson | Brian Hartline | Chip Kelly / Brian Hartline | Keenan Bailey / Brian Hartline | Keenan Bailey / Arthur Smith | |
| DC | — | Greg Mattison / Jeff Hafley | Greg Mattison / Kerry Coombs | Kerry Coombs | Jim Knowles | Jim Knowles | Jim Knowles | Matt Patricia / Tim Walton | Matt Patricia / Tim Walton | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||||
| Offense | — | 97 | 96 | 100 | 97 | 87 | 100 | 94 | 87 | |
| Defense | — | 95 | 43 | 57 | 52 | 96 | 100 | 97 | 92 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | 39.9 | 35.9 | 55.4 | 43.3 | 42.0 | 46.0 | 46.5 | 47.0 | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | 37.7 | 33.3 | 51.4 | 41.3 | 38.1 | 38.6 | 37.3 | 47.8 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | 33.3 | 19.0 | 40.0 | 26.3 | 31.6 | 45.9 | 37.9 | 44.4 | |
Recruiter or developer?
Outperforms his recruiting talent on offense and performs about as expected for his recruiting talent on defense.
Offense vs. talent
+23.2 pts
#26 of 208 · top quarter
Defense vs. talent
+6.6 pts
#72 of 208 · middle half
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.
Roster construction · portal era
Barely touches the portal — recruits and develops his own.
Portal arrivals
47
3.5★ avg rating
Portal departures
113
left via the portal
Net portal flow
-66
#147 of 187 FBS stints
Notable portal arrivals with a modeled NIL value
Qua Russaw On3 modeled · $1,000,000Julian Sayin On3 modeled · $2,500,000Phillip Daniels On3 modeled · $1,000,000
On3’s modeled estimate (social reach / exposure), not money actually paid — shown per player, never totaled.
Who they bring in
Brings in bigger-than-position-typical players than most.
Recruits younger transfers than most — more of a development bet.
Avg. size (raw)
6′2″, 233 lbs
across 39 of 47 arrivals — unadjusted for position mix
Size vs. position-typical
+8.6 lbs
#31 of 255 · top quarter
Avg. class year
Jr
#225 of 255 · bottom quarter
Top states: FL (6), TX (5), CA (4), OH (4), AL (3)
Who won the portal our read
Talent added
66.2
position-weighted
Talent lost
64.8
position-weighted
Net
+1.5
arrivals minus departures
Best addition: Julian Sayin (QB) from Alabama
Biggest loss: Quinn Ewers (QB) to Texas
Position-value-weighted (QB/CB weighted highest, depth-decayed within each position) — the same scoring engine as the Portal Heat feed, not a separate grade.
Does the system survive a coordinator change?
OC: Kevin Wilson → Brian Hartline (co) · 2023
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 43.3% → 42.0% (-1.3 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 64% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Brian Hartline (co) → Chip Kelly / Brian Hartline (co) · 2024
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 42.0% → 46.0% (+4.1 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 22% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Chip Kelly / Brian Hartline (co) → Keenan Bailey (co) / Brian Hartline · 2025
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 46.0% → 46.5% (+0.5 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 31% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Keenan Bailey (co) / Brian Hartline → Keenan Bailey (co) / Arthur Smith · 2026
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 46.5% → 47.0% (+0.5 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 68% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
DC: Greg Mattison (co) / Jeff Hafley (co) → Greg Mattison (co) / Kerry Coombs · 2020
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
DC: Greg Mattison (co) / Kerry Coombs → Kerry Coombs · 2021
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
DC: Kerry Coombs → Jim Knowles · 2022
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
DC: Jim Knowles → Matt Patricia / Tim Walton (co) · 2025The system held
2-season window either side.
Roster size, by position
Skill positions · usage-weighted (real participation)
Quarterback
221 lbs
6′3″ avg · #153 of 767 · top quarter
Running back
214 lbs
5′11″ avg · #150 of 791 · top quarter
Wide receiver
202 lbs
6′2″ avg · #55 of 791 · top quarter
Tight end
250 lbs
6′5″ avg · #199 of 731 · middle half
Trench & secondary · recruited roster, not confirmed starters
Interior line
312 lbs
6′5″ avg · #256 of 779 · middle half
D-line
296 lbs
6′3″ avg · #137 of 753 · top quarter
Edge
263 lbs
6′4″ avg · #29 of 188 · top quarter
Linebacker
234 lbs
6′2″ avg · #135 of 772 · top quarter
Cornerback
193 lbs
6′0″ avg · #220 of 771 · middle half
Safety
203 lbs
6′1″ avg · #49 of 346 · top quarter
Offensive-line size is one undifferentiated bucket — the source data almost never distinguishes tackle from guard from center, so we can't split them out.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Buys Kicker via the portal
80%
#7 of 56 stints
Grows Running back from high school
75%
#162 of 208 stints
Grows Edge from high school
77%
#173 of 208 stints
Postseason detail2019: Lost to Clemson 23-29 Playstation Fiesta Bowl - Cfp Semifinal2020: Beat Clemson 49-28 Allstate Sugar Bowl - CFP Semifinal2020: Lost to Alabama 24-52 CFP National Championship pres. by AT&T2021: Beat Utah 48-45 Rose Bowl Game Pres. by Capital One Venture X2022: Lost to Georgia 41-42 CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl2023: Lost to Missouri 3-14 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic2024: Beat Tennessee 42-17 College Football Playoff First Round Game Presented by Allstate2024: Beat Oregon 41-21 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential2024: Beat Texas 28-14 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic2024: Beat Notre Dame 34-23 College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T2025: Lost to Miami 14-24 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
61 NFL Draft picks: Chase Young (2020), Jeff Okudah (2020), Damon Arnette (2020), J.K. Dobbins (2020), Davon Hamilton (2020), Jonah Jackson (2020), Malik Harrison (2020), Jordan Fuller (2020) + 53 more
21 player-seasons honored (All-America / national award): Chase Young (2019), Haskell Garrett (2020), Shaun Wade (2020), Wyatt Davis (2020), Garrett Wilson (2021), Nicholas Petit-Frere (2021), Chris Olave (2021), Thayer Munford (2021) + 13 more
AI Narratives — “Ohio State's Offseason Losses Raise Starter Risk” and 14 more on the team page.
+5.0
88-14
2012–2018
Urban Meyer Sustainer
Urban Meyer kept Ohio State a national power for 7 seasons.
2013 offense ranked in the 99th percentile nationally — elite
vs. Michigan
+6.0 pts over 7 seasons · top 30% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Gene Stallings’s Alabama run (1990–1996)
4th-best Ohio State tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Luke Fickell (2011) · succeeded by Ryan Day (2018–now).
System Shift, on arrival
System Shift, on departure
| Season | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||
| Record | 12-0 | 12-2 | 14-1 | 12-1 | 11-2 | 12-2 | 10-1 | |
| Postseason | — | L bowl | Champion | W bowl | CFP loss | W bowl | W bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | #5 | #2 | #3 | #7 | #4 | #2 | #2 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||
| Pass rate | 33.2 | 36.7 | 37.2 | 36.4 | 41.2 | 42.8 | 49.7 | |
| Coordinators | ||||||||
| OC | — | — | Ed Warinner / Tom Herman | Ed Warinner / Tim Beck | Ed Warinner / Tim Beck | Kevin Wilson / Ryan Day | Kevin Wilson / Ryan Day | |
| DC | — | — | Chris Ash / Luke Fickell | Chris Ash / Luke Fickell | Greg Schiano / Luke Fickell | Greg Schiano | Alex Grinch / Greg Schiano | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||
| Offense | 73 | 99 | 99 | 79 | 47 | 90 | 93 | |
| Defense | 79 | 32 | 80 | 84 | 98 | 95 | 49 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | 33.8 | 41.7 | 42.5 | 33.9 | 38.6 | 41.6 | 41.9 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 23.2 | 39.5 | 37.1 | 20.2 | 31.0 | 44.3 | 48.3 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 23.1 | 44.0 | 32.6 | 27.8 | 33.3 | 40.0 | 33.3 | |
Recruiter or developer?
Performs about as expected for his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.
Offense vs. talent
+4.4 pts
#90 of 208 · middle half
Defense vs. talent
+10.3 pts
#63 of 208 · middle half
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.
Does the system survive a coordinator change?
OC: Ed Warinner (co) / Tom Herman → Ed Warinner / Tim Beck (co) · 2015
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 42.5% → 33.9% (-8.6 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 82% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
DC: Chris Ash (co) / Luke Fickell (co) → Greg Schiano (co) / Luke Fickell (co) · 2016
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
DC: Greg Schiano (co) / Luke Fickell (co) → Greg Schiano · 2017
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints
Postseason detail2013: Lost to Clemson 35-40 Discover Orange Bowl2014: Beat Alabama 42-35 Allstate Sugar Bowl - Semifinal2014: Beat Oregon 42-20 Cfp National Championship Game Pres. By At&T2015: Beat Notre Dame 44-28 Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl2016: Lost to Clemson 0-31 CFP2017: Beat USC 24-7 Bowl
49 NFL Draft picks: Johnathan Hankins (2013), John Simon (2013), Reid Fragel (2013), Ryan Shazier (2014), Bradley Roby (2014), Carlos Hyde (2014), Jack Mewhort (2014), Corey Linsley (2014) + 41 more
+6.0
83-9
2011
Luke Fickell Short tenure
Averaged a 30% pass rate — among the most run-heavy stretches in FBS since 2004
vs. Michigan
6-7
2001–2010
Jim Tressel Transformer≈
Jim Tressel took the Buckeyes from Power Program I to Blue Blood.
2010 defense ranked in the 95th percentile nationally — elite
vs. Michigan
+12.3 pts over 10 seasons · top 48% of 10+-season tenures (202 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Joe Novak’s Northern Illinois run (1996–2007)
2nd-best Ohio State tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed John Cooper (1988–2000) · succeeded by Luke Fickell (2011).
System Shift, on departure
| Season | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||||||||
| Record | 7-5 | 14-0 | 11-2 | 8-4 | 10-2 | 12-1 | 11-2 | 10-3 | 11-2 | 12-1 | |
| Postseason | L bowl | W bowl | W bowl | W bowl | W bowl | Title game L | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | W bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | #55 | #74 | #25 | #72 | #10 | #5 | #18 | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | 41.3 | 37.4 | 41.5 | 37.4 | 33.1 | 35.9 | 39.0 | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | 31 | 89 | 84 | 68 | 75 | 47 | 87 | |
| Defense | — | — | — | 85 | 91 | 82 | 93 | 55 | 94 | 95 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | |||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | 32.3 | 32.5 | 38.7 | 32.1 | 28.9 | 32.5 | 37.6 | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | 30.2 | 31.4 | 38.9 | 37.8 | 27.8 | 32.7 | 38.7 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | 18.5 | 6.1 | 18.5 | 20.6 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 13.2 | |
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints
Postseason detail2001: Lost to South Carolina 28-31 Bowl2002: Beat Miami 31-24 At Tempe Az2003: Beat Kansas State 35-28 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl2004: Beat Oklahoma State 33-7 Bowl2005: Beat Notre Dame 34-20 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl2006: Lost to Florida 14-41 Bcs National Championship At Glendale Az2007: Lost to LSU 24-38 Bowl2008: Lost to Texas 21-24 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl2009: Beat Oregon 26-17 Rose Bowl Game Presented By Citi2010: Beat Arkansas 31-26 Allstate Sugar Bowl
66 NFL Draft picks: LeCharles Bentley (2002), Derek Ross (2002), Jonathan Wells (2002), Darnell Sanders (2002), Jamar Martin (2002), Courtland Bullard (2002), Tyson Walter (2002), Steve Bellisari (2002) + 58 more
+12.3
106-22
1988–2000
John Cooper Inheritor
John Cooper inherited Ohio State at Power Program I and won with it.
vs. Michigan
−9.2 pts over 13 seasons · bottom 4% of 10+-season tenures (202 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Rick Stockstill’s Middle Tennessee run (2006–2023)
6th-best Ohio State tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Earle Bruce (1979–1987) · succeeded by Jim Tressel (2001–2010).
| Season | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||||||||
| Record | 4-6-1 | 8-4 | 7-4-1 | 8-4 | 8-3-1 | 10-1-1 | 9-4 | 11-2 | 11-1 | 10-3 | 11-1 | 6-6 | 8-4 | |
| Postseason | — | L bowl | L bowl | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | L bowl | W bowl | — | L bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Defense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Postseason detail1989: Lost to Auburn 14-31 Bowl1990: Lost to Air Force 11-23 Bowl1991: Lost to Syracuse 17-24 Bowl1992: Lost to Georgia 14-21 Bowl1993: Beat BYU 28-21 Bowl1994: Lost to Alabama 17-24 Bowl1995: Lost to Tennessee 14-20 Bowl1996: Beat Arizona State 20-17 Bowl1997: Lost to Florida State 14-31 Bowl1998: Beat Texas A&M 24-14 Bowl2000: Lost to South Carolina 7-24 Bowl
51 NFL Draft picks: Jeff Uhlenhake (1989), Vince Workman (1989), Jeff Davidson (1990), Joe Staysniak (1990), Vinnie Clark (1991), Jeff Graham (1991), Alonzo Spellman (1992), Scottie Graham (1992) + 43 more
−9.2
111-43-4
1979–1987
Earle Bruce Inheritor
Earle Bruce inherited the Buckeyes at Blue Blood and saw it slip to Power Program I.
vs. Michigan
−7.5 pts over 9 seasons · bottom 12% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Jim Lambright’s Washington run (1993–1998)
5th-best Ohio State tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Woody Hayes (1951–1978) · succeeded by John Cooper (1988–2000).
| Season | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||||
| Record | 11-1 | 9-3 | 9-3 | 9-3 | 9-3 | 9-3 | 9-3 | 10-3 | 6-4-1 | |
| Postseason | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | W bowl | W bowl | L bowl | W bowl | W bowl | — | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Defense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Postseason detail1979: Lost to USC 16-17 Bowl1980: Lost to Penn State 19-31 Bowl1981: Beat Navy 31-28 Bowl1982: Beat BYU 47-17 Bowl1983: Beat Pittsburgh 28-23 Bowl1984: Lost to USC 17-20 Bowl1985: Beat BYU 10-7 Bowl1986: Beat Texas A&M 28-12 Bowl
23 NFL Draft picks: Jim Laughlin (1980), Mike Guess (1980), Doug Donley (1981), Al Washington (1981), Todd Bell (1981), Calvin Murray (1981), Keith Ferguson (1981), Vince Skillings (1981) + 15 more
−7.5
81-26-1
1951–1978
Woody Hayes Transformer
Woody Hayes took the Buckeyes from Power Program I to Blue Blood.
vs. Michigan
+22.4 pts over 28 seasons · top 21% of 10+-season tenures (202 in sample)
Closest comparable run: David Cutcliffe’s Duke run (2008–2021)
1st-best Ohio State tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Wesley Fesler (1947–1950) · succeeded by Earle Bruce (1979–1987).
| Season | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Record | 4-3-2 | 6-3 | 6-3 | 10-0 | 7-2 | 6-3 | 9-1 | 6-1-2 | 3-5-1 | 7-2 | 8-0-1 | 6-3 | 5-3-1 | 7-2 | 7-2 | 4-5 | 6-3 | 10-0 | 8-1 | 9-1 | 6-4 | 9-2 | 10-0-1 | 10-2 | 11-1 | 9-2-1 | 9-3 | 7-4-1 | |
| Postseason | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | L bowl | — | L bowl | W bowl | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | L bowl | L bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Defense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Postseason detail1970: Lost to Stanford 17-27 Bowl1972: Lost to USC 17-42 Bowl1973: Beat USC 42-21 Bowl1974: Lost to USC 17-18 Bowl1975: Lost to UCLA 10-23 Bowl1976: Beat Colorado 27-10 Bowl1977: Lost to Alabama 6-35 Bowl1978: Lost to Clemson 15-17 Bowl
+22.4
205-61-10
1947–1950
Wesley Fesler Inheritor
Wesley Fesler inherited the Buckeyes at Power Program I and kept it there.
vs. Michigan
−2.7 pts over 4 seasons · top 48% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Bill Doba’s Washington State run (2003–2007)
8th-best Ohio State tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Paul Bixler (1946) · succeeded by Woody Hayes (1951–1978).
−2.7
21-10-3
1944–1945
Carroll Widdoes Short tenure
vs. Michigan
16-2
1941–1943
Paul Brown Steady
Paul Brown moved the Buckeyes from Power Program II to Power Program I in 3 seasons.
vs. Michigan
+4.1 pts over 3 seasons · top 16% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Mario Cristobal’s Miami run (2022–now)
7th-best Ohio State tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Francis Schmidt (1936–1940) · succeeded by Carroll Widdoes (1944–1945).
+4.1
18-8-1
1936–1940
Francis Schmidt Steady
Francis Schmidt held Ohio State at Power Program II for 5 seasons.
vs. Michigan
9th-best Ohio State tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Succeeded by Paul Brown (1941–1943).
Power Program II
25-14-1