Ohio State has one of the most glorious and glamorous programs in the history of college football. Identifying the 5 greatest players who have worn the famed Scarlet and Grey uniforms is a major challenge — with the exception of identifying Archie Griffin in the No. 1 spot.
Griffin, of course, is the only player in the history of college football to win two Heisman Trophies. He secured them in 1974 and '75, and his dazzling runs led Ohio State to 4 straight Big Ten titles and 4 consecutive Rose Bowl appearances.
There have been a multitude of great players that have played at Ohio Stadium and displayed their talents in and around the Big Ten. They include including Orlando Pace, Cris Carter, Jack Tatum, Eddie George, Jim Parker, Howard “Hopalong” Cassidy, James Laurinaitis, Ezekiel Elliot, Rex Kern, Joey Bosa, Pete Johnson and Justin Fields, just to name a few.
In this piece, we identify the top 5 Ohio State football players of all-time.
5. DE Chase Young, 2017-19
Young was a player who intimidated the opposition by his mere presence. Those who tried to block him knew they were going up against someone who simply would not allow that to happen.
Young recorded 30.5 sacks in three season with the Buckeyes, including a spectacular 16.5 sacks in 2019. The defensive end combined excellent speed, quickness, power, strength, skill and a hunger to succeed. He was an All-American and a Heisman finalist and his great skills and accomplishments allowed him to be the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
4. LB Chris Spielman, 1984-87
The Buckeyes have been known for their dominating linebacker play over the years, and Spielman is one of the best in the history of Ohio State and all of college football.
Some players love to hit, and Spielman is almost certainly at the top of that list. He registered an overwhelming 546 tackles throughout his Ohio State career, and that includes an all-time best 283 solo tackles.
Spielman drove the Ohio State defense throughout his career and he won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top linebacker/ lineman. He was also a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten player
3. RB Eddie George, 1992-95
Few running backs in Ohio State history have been more impressive than Eddie George. The powerful George certainly looked the part.
He checked in at 6-3 and 240 pounds, and he combined that size with game-changing speed. During his four years, he ranked second in rushing yards to Griffin with 3,768 yards, and he set the single-season record with 1,927 rushing yards in a season. He also had a record 314 rushing yards in a single game.
He was so dominant that he won the Triple Crown of awards in 1997 with the Heisman, Doak Walker and Maxwell Trophies all having spots in his sports den.
2. OT Orlando Pace, 1994-96
Pace is considered by many to be the best blocker in Ohio State history and one of the best in NFL history. During his college career, he actually was one of the leading vote getters for the Heisman Trophy, finishing 4th in the voting in 1996.
Pace started at left tackle for three seasons, and he became the first sophomore to win the Lombardi Award in 1995, and he picked up his second Lombardi honor the following year. He was also an All-American in each of his last two seasons.
He was the NFL's No. 1 draft pick in 1997, and he was a seven-time Pro Bowler.
1. RB Archie Griffin, 1972-75
Griffin served notice of the kind of player he would become when he ran for 231 yards as a freshman, showing off his speed, quickness and power in a memorable effort against North Carolina.
After that game, stopping or slowing down Griffin became every opponent's priority, but they could not do it. He ran for 5,589 yards during his four seasons in Columbus.
Archie Griffin was one of the most consistent runners in the history of college football, eclipsing the 100-yard mark 31 straight times, and 33 times overall. He was an All-American in his last 3 seasons at Ohio State, and he won the Heisman in his last 2 seasons.
The Buckeyes also recorded a 40-5-1 record during his Griffin's tenure, further testimony to his greatness.
Follow Us
Subscribe