9. The 1961 Ohio State Buckeyes
For Buckeye fans, 1961 was the year of almost: Fullback Bob Ferguson almost won the Heisman Trophy (he finished a mere 53 points behind Syracuse running back Ernie Davis, the third closest ballot of all time), thereby almost becoming the first black player to win that award (Davis, who was also black, did earn that distinction). The Buckeyes almost went to the Rose Bowl, but an Ohio State faculty committee voted (28-25) to keep the team out of that "commercial venture" lest the school become an "athletic factory" where "the football tail is wagging the college dog." And the Buckeyes almost finished with a perfect record and almost won a consensus national championship.
The 1961 Buckeyes got off to a slow start, playing a hapless Texas Christian squad (3-5-2 final record) to a 7-7 draw in Columbus in the opening game. Behind the running of two-time All American fullback Bob Ferguson (1961 Maxwell Award winner), who led the Big Ten with 938 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, and halfbacks Paul Warfield (540 yards, 6 TDs) and Matt Snell (258 yards, 1 TD), the team quickly rebounded from that early disappointment, beating their next seven opponents by an average score of 23 to 8. In the season finale, Ohio State blew out Michigan, 50-20, to win an undisputed Big Ten championship. This version of The Game was notable for the fact that Buckeye head coach Woody Hayes deliberately ran up the score against the overmatched Wolverines: with just five seconds left in the contest, Ohio State threw a 10-yard touchdown pass and followed that up with a two-point conversion to reach the half-century mark.
The Big Ten was tough in 1961, with Minnesota (8-2-0) finishing #6; Michigan State (7-2-0) finishing #8; and Purdue (6-3-0) finishing #12. However, due to the quirks of scheduling, the Buckeyes somehow managed to avoid each of those ranked teams, and the weakened competition undoubtedly hurt them in the eyes of the voters. Even though Ohio State finished with a near-perfect record in 1961, they couldn't surpass a powerful Alabama squad (11-0-0) and wound up #2 in both major polls.
Final thoughts: In the year of almost, the Buckeyes did receive a consolation prize of sorts: they were awarded the national championship by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Based on the FWAA trophy, the NCAA recognizes, and Ohio State claims, a national title for 1961.
For Buckeye fans, 1961 was the year of almost: Fullback Bob Ferguson almost won the Heisman Trophy (he finished a mere 53 points behind Syracuse running back Ernie Davis, the third closest ballot of all time), thereby almost becoming the first black player to win that award (Davis, who was also black, did earn that distinction). The Buckeyes almost went to the Rose Bowl, but an Ohio State faculty committee voted (28-25) to keep the team out of that "commercial venture" lest the school become an "athletic factory" where "the football tail is wagging the college dog." And the Buckeyes almost finished with a perfect record and almost won a consensus national championship.
The 1961 Buckeyes got off to a slow start, playing a hapless Texas Christian squad (3-5-2 final record) to a 7-7 draw in Columbus in the opening game. Behind the running of two-time All American fullback Bob Ferguson (1961 Maxwell Award winner), who led the Big Ten with 938 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, and halfbacks Paul Warfield (540 yards, 6 TDs) and Matt Snell (258 yards, 1 TD), the team quickly rebounded from that early disappointment, beating their next seven opponents by an average score of 23 to 8. In the season finale, Ohio State blew out Michigan, 50-20, to win an undisputed Big Ten championship. This version of The Game was notable for the fact that Buckeye head coach Woody Hayes deliberately ran up the score against the overmatched Wolverines: with just five seconds left in the contest, Ohio State threw a 10-yard touchdown pass and followed that up with a two-point conversion to reach the half-century mark.
The Big Ten was tough in 1961, with Minnesota (8-2-0) finishing #6; Michigan State (7-2-0) finishing #8; and Purdue (6-3-0) finishing #12. However, due to the quirks of scheduling, the Buckeyes somehow managed to avoid each of those ranked teams, and the weakened competition undoubtedly hurt them in the eyes of the voters. Even though Ohio State finished with a near-perfect record in 1961, they couldn't surpass a powerful Alabama squad (11-0-0) and wound up #2 in both major polls.
1961 Ohio State Buckeyes
Final record: 8-0-1
Poll rankings: #2 AP; #2 CP
Defeated #16 UCLA
Tied unranked Texas Christian
Final record: 8-0-1
Poll rankings: #2 AP; #2 CP
Defeated #16 UCLA
Tied unranked Texas Christian
Final thoughts: In the year of almost, the Buckeyes did receive a consolation prize of sorts: they were awarded the national championship by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Based on the FWAA trophy, the NCAA recognizes, and Ohio State claims, a national title for 1961.