We’re counting the days until the 2022 season by the number of points the Buckeyes scored in some of their greatest victories.
There are many ways to countdown to the upcoming college football season, though none may be more popular than naming the best player in school history by jersey number.
We've decided to do something a little different, though, and will be counting the days until Ohio State's season opener against Notre Dame on Sept. 3 by the number of points the Buckeyes scored in some of their greatest victories.
For example, Ohio State scored 48 points in its win over Utah in the Rose Bowl back in January. That game could very well be highlighted when there are 48 days remaining in the offseason.
We understand that this approach won't allow us to do a daily countdown, especially with higher point totals, but we're hopeful that looking back at some of the more notable games in school history will build anticipation for the upcoming season.
With that said, let's continue the countdown...
Ohio State 80, Miami (Ohio) 0 - Oct. 1, 1904
Edwin Sweetland’s first season as Ohio State’s head coach began with so much promise that the university’s athletic association expanded the seating area along the east side of Ohio Field from 500 to 2,000 spectators.
The Buckeyes then kept their first four opponents out of the end zone, knocking off Otterbein, 34-0; Miami (Ohio), 80-0; Muskingum, 46-0; and Denison, 24-0. The blowout of the RedHawks, known then as the Redskins, was even more impressive given that touchdowns were counted as just five points.
However, those expectations came to a screeching halt with a 31-6 loss to Michigan in the fifth game of the season. The loss was still notable in that Ohio State finally scored against its rival when Bill Marquardt returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown.
The Wolverines had outscored the Buckeyes 177-0 in their first five meetings, so taking an early 6-5 lead before giving up 26 unanswered points was widely viewed as a moral victory in Columbus.
Ohio State ended up losing five of its final seven games to close out the season with a 6-5 overall record, including 2-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Buckeyes cashed in that season, though, as tickets for the loss to Michigan and the regular-season finale against Carlisle went for $1, while the price of the Otterbein, Miami, Muskingum and Denison games were a modest $0.25.
As for the win over the Redskins, that marked the first of six all-time meetings between the two programs. Ohio State has outscored Miami by a 276-45 margin in the all-time series, including a 76-5 victory in their most recent matchup in 2019.
Photos courtesy of The Ohio State University Library.
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