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2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

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2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football
Gator Bowl, L 17–24 vs. Florida
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionLeaders Division
Record6–7 (3–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJim Bollman (11th season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorJim Heacock (7th season)
Base defense4–3
MVPDan Herron
Captains
Home stadiumOhio Stadium
Seasons
← 2010
2012 →
2011 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Legends Division
No. 11 Michigan State x   7 – 1     11 – 3  
No. 12 Michigan %   6 – 2     11 – 2  
No. 24 Nebraska   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Iowa   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Northwestern   3 – 5     6 – 7  
Minnesota   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Leaders Division
No. 10 Wisconsin xy$   6 – 2     11 – 3  
Penn State x   6 – 2     9 – 4  
Purdue   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Ohio State   3 – 5     6 – 7  
Illinois   2 – 6     7 – 6  
Indiana   0 – 8     1 – 11  
Championship: Wisconsin 42, Michigan State 39
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Luke Fickell on an interim basis following the resignation of Jim Tressel as head coach. The Buckeyes played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and are members of the Big Ten Conference in the Leaders Division.

Amid significant adversity due to Tressel's abrupt departure and an NCAA investigation, the Buckeyes finished with their first non-winning season since 1999, at 6–7. They also finished 3–5 in the Big Ten, placing them fourth in the Leaders Division—only their sixth losing record in conference play since the end of World War II. They lost the 2012 Gator Bowl to Florida, 24–17.

Before the season

[edit]

Previous season

[edit]

Expectations were high in 2010 as Jim Tressel and Ohio State started the season ranked #2 and poised for another National Championship run. With #1 Alabama losing to South Carolina, Ohio State was voted #1 on October 10, 2010. However, the Buckeyes were defeated by #16 Wisconsin on October 16, effectively ending their hopes at a national championship bid. The OSU football season finished with the team posting a 12–1 record, which includes a 38–10 victory over Indiana that gave Tressel his 100th win at Ohio State and a 31–26 victory over #8 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. 2010 resulted in a sixth straight conference title as well as securing a #5 final ranking.

The first five games of the season were played without the participation of five players: Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, Solomon Thomas, and Boom Herron. These players were part of a scandal that involved selling memorabilia to the owner of a Columbus tattoo parlor. On March 8, 2011, it was reported that Tressel knew about it as early as April 2010 through an anonymous e-mail. As of result, Tressel received a two-game suspension for failing to notify authorities of the players' wrongdoings. Tressel later decided to sit out the first five games in order to allow him to face the adversity with the five players. On May 30, 2011, Tressel tendered his resignation from the head coaching position. Assistant head coach Luke Fickell, who was to take over during Tressel's suspension, was named interim head coach.[1] On June 8, returning starting Quarterback Terrelle Pryor announced his intention to forgo his senior season, "in the best interest of [his] teammates," in light of his suspension and ongoing investigation by the NCAA.[2]

2012 NFL Draft Class

[edit]
2012 NFL Draft selections
Round Pick # Team Player Position
2 31 Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Adams Offensive Tackle
3 16 Houston Texans DeVier Posey Wide receiver
6 27 Cincinnati Bengals Dan Herron Running back
6 28 New England Patriots Nate Ebner Defensive back

Undrafted Seniors who signed with an NFL Team

[edit]

Brandon Saine (Running back) – Green Bay Packers

Dane Sanzenbacher (Wide receiver) – Chicago Bears

Justin Boren (Offensive lineman) – Baltimore Ravens

Bryant Browning (Offensive lineman) – St. Louis Rams

Jake McQuaide (Long snapper) – St. Louis Rams

Dexter Larimore (Defensive Tackle) – New Orleans Saints

Devon Torrence (Cornerback) – Minnesota Vikings

Unsigned Seniors

[edit]

5 Taurian Washington (Wide receiver)

8 Aaron Grant (Safety)

23 Devin Barclay (Kicker)

17 Grant Schwartz (Wide receiver)

55 Andy Miller (Offensive lineman)

57 Chris Malone (Offensive lineman)

72 Scott Sika (Offensive lineman)

73 Josh Kerr (Offensive lineman)

77 Connor Smith (Offensive lineman)

81 Ricky Crawford (Tight end)

89 Garrett Hummel (Tight end)

95 Don Matheney (Defensive lineman)

NFL Draft early entries

[edit]

Terrelle Pryor – Junior Quarterback (NFL Supplemental Draft – third round to the Oakland Raiders)

Transfers out

[edit]

Sam Longo – Redshirt Sophomore Offensive lineman (University of Cincinnati)

Dorian Bell – Redshirt Sophomore Linebacker (Duquesne University)

James Louis – Redshirt Freshman Wide receiver (Florida International University)

James Jackson – Redshirt Sophomore Wide receiver (Grand Valley State University)

Transfers in

[edit]

None

Recruiting class

[edit]
US college sports recruiting information for 2011 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Michael Bennett
DT 		Centerville, OH Centerville 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 275 lb (125 kg) 5.0 May 16, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 80
Brian Bobek
OL 		Palatine, IL Fremd 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 278 lb (126 kg) – Mar 16, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Tommy Brown
OL 		Akron, OH Firestone Senior 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 310 lb (140 kg) 5.1 Apr 3, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Chris Carter
OL 		Cleveland, OH John F. Kennedy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 325 lb (147 kg) – Feb 25, 2011 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Jeremy Cash
DB 		Plantation, FL Plantation 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) – Apr 18, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 80
Conner Crowell
LB 		Waldorf, MD North Point 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 4.5 Nov 5, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Chase Farris
DE 		Elyria, OH Elyria 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 4.9 Mar 16, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
DerJuan Gambrell
DB 		Toledo, OH Rogers 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 4.5 Mar 16, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 77
Curtis Grant
LB 		Richmond, VA Hermitage 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 222 lb (101 kg) 4.5 Feb 2, 2011 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 81
Doran Grant
DB 		Akron, OH St. Vincent-St. Mary 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 171 lb (78 kg) 4.6 Jan 5, 2011 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 81
Joel Hale
DT 		Greenwood, IN Center Grove 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 290 lb (130 kg) – Jun 7, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Kenny Hayes
DE 		Toledo, OH Whitmer 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 240 lb (110 kg) – Aug 31, 2009 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Bryce Haynes
OL 		Cumming, GA Pinecrest Academy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 4.8 Jan 28, 2011 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 73
Jeff Heuerman
TE 		Naples, FL Barron Collier 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 240 lb (110 kg) 4.7 Apr 26, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 80
Cardale Jones
QB 		Cleveland, OH Glenville Academic Campus 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 4.9 Feb 2, 2011 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Braxton Miller
QB 		Huber Heights, OH Wayne 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 4.5 Jun 3, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 81
Steve Miller
DE 		Canton, OH McKinley 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 230 lb (100 kg) 4.8 Oct 29, 2009 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 82
Ejuan Price
LB 		Pittsburgh, PA Woodland Hills 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 235 lb (107 kg) – Jan 17, 2011 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Ryan Shazier
LB 		Plantation, FL Plantation 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 4.6 Dec 17, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 81
Devin Smith
WR 		Massillon, OH Washington 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) – Jun 17, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Evan Spencer
WR 		Vernon Hills, IL Vernon Hills 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) – Jun 5, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 81
Ron Tanner
DB 		Columbus, OH Eastmoor 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 4.5 Jul 2, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Antonio Underwood
OL 		Shaker Heights, OH Shaker Heights 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 295 lb (134 kg) – Mar 15, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 75
Nick Vannett
TE 		Westerville, OH Westerville Central 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 230 lb (100 kg) – Jun 30, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 5   Rivals: 11  ESPN: 7
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Ohio State Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
  • "2011 Ohio State Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
  • "2011 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 25, 2011.

Schedule

[edit]
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 312:00 p.m.Akron*No. 18
ESPNW 42–0105,001
September 1012:00 p.m.Toledo*No. 15
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
BTNW 27–22105,016
September 177:30 p.m.at Miami (FL)*No. 17
ESPNL 6–2466,279
September 243:30 p.m.Colorado*
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
ABC/ESPN2W 37–17105,096
October 13:30 p.m.Michigan State
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
ABCL 7–10105,306
October 88:00 p.m.at No. 24 Nebraska
ABCL 27–3485,426
October 153:30 p.m.at No. 16 Illinois
ABC/ESPNW 17–755,229
October 298:00 p.m.No. 12 Wisconsindagger
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
ESPNW 33–29105,511
November 512:00 p.m.Indiana
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, OH
BTNW 34–20105,159
November 1212:00 p.m.at Purdue
BTNL 23–26 OT43,334
November 193:30 p.m.No. 21 Penn State
  • Ohio Stadium
  • Columbus, Ohio (rivalry)
ABC/ESPNL 14–20105,493
November 2612:00 p.m.at No. 12 Michigan
ABCL 34–40114,432
January 2, 20121:00 p.m.vs. Florida*
ESPN2L 17–2461,312
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[3]

Coaching staff

[edit]
  • Luke Fickell – interim head coach (10th year on staff)
  • Jim Bollman – offensive line/OC (11th year)
  • Nick Siciliano – quarterbacks (3rd year)
  • Jim Heacock – defensive coordinator / defensive line (16th year)
  • Paul Haynes – defensive safeties (7th year)
  • Stan Drayton – wide receivers (1st year)
  • Taver Johnson – defensive cornerbacks (5th year)
  • John Peterson – tight ends coach / recruiting coordinator (8th year)
  • Dick Tressel – running backs (11th year)
  • Mike Vrabel – defensive linebackers
  • Greg Gillum – director of football operations (3rd year)
  • Stan Jefferson – director of player development (8th year)
  • Eric Lichter – director of football performance (6th year)
  • Doug Davis – strength coordinator (5th year)
  • Troy Sutton – strength coordinator (4th year)

Regular season

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Akron

[edit]
Akron at #18 Ohio State
1 234Total
Akron 0 000 0
• #18 Ohio State 7 14714 42

The first game of the Luke Fickell era began with an opening drive defensive stop and a touchdown run by starting quarterback Joe Bauserman. Both teams struggled on offense through the first quarter, with the score only amounting to 7–0 Ohio State. Midway through the second quarter, the Buckeyes put together a 12 play drive that resulted in a Bauserman to Jake Stoneburner touchdown pass, increasing the Buckeyes lead to 14–0. Before the end of the half, Ohio State was able to score another touchdown on a Bauserman to Stoneburner pass, and going into halftime Ohio State led 21–0. The heat throughout the game caused problems not only for the players, but also for the referees, band members, and fans in attendance with temperatures reaching almost 100 °F (38 °C). The second half saw another big offensive start with the third touchdown pass from Bauserman to Stoneburner, advancing the Buckeyes lead to 28–0. Throughout the rest of the second half, freshman Braxton Miller took most of the offensive snaps at quarterback, compiling 1 touchdown pass along with 130 yard, compared to Bauserman's 163. Ohio State won the game 42–0, their first shutout since October 23, 2010 against Purdue. Ohio State opened their 2011 season 1–0, and giving Fickell his first win as the Ohio State head coach.

[4]

Toledo

[edit]
Toledo at #15 Ohio State
1 234Total
Toledo 15 070 22
• #15 Ohio State 7 1460 27

Ohio State continued their 2011 season with a home match up against in-state foe Toledo. The game started out well for the Buckeyes, as it did with Akron the week before. Joe Bauserman completed a touchdown pass to Jake Stoneburner, his fourth touchdown reception of the year, and Ohio State quickly went up 7–0. However, throughout the rest of the first quarter, Toledo would dominate, with a blocked punt and an eventual touchdown resulting. (This touchdown would be the first points Toledo scored against Ohio State in three games.)[5] A 66-yard reception by Eric Page allowed Toledo to take a 15–7 lead heading into the second quarter. Toledo committed 14 penalties on the day for 109 yard, allowing Ohio State to make big plays resulting and capitalize on plays which were broken up. Heading into the second quarter, Ohio State received the momentum back from Toledo, with a 36 touchdown run from Carlos Hyde and a 45-yard punt return from Chris Fields. After a sloppy first half by both teams, Ohio State went into halftime with a 21–15 lead. Ohio State again started off the second half slow, allowing the Rockets to score a touchdown on their opening drive of the half, and allowing them to take the lead again, 22–21. The one-point Toledo lead held up for most of the third quarter, until another touchdown run by Hyde, and a subsequently missed two-point conversion, gave Ohio State a five-point, 27–22 lead. No more scoring took place during the rest of the game for both teams, with a defensive battle ensuing in the fourth quarter. The game came down to a final play, with a Toledo fourth and six on the Ohio State 17. Terrance Owens was unable to complete the pass, coming five yards short and the Buckeyes were able to escape with a victory, allowing them to go 2–0 on the season.

[6]

Miami (Florida)

[edit]
#17 Ohio State at Miami (Florida)
1 234Total
#17 Ohio State 0 600 6
• Miami (FL) 14 307 24

Ohio State's first road game of the season took them to south Florida for a rematch against the Miami Hurricanes who they faced in the 2010 season, as well as the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, beating them both times. The game did not start well for the Buckeyes, with a bad opening offensive drive, giving Miami good field position. The Hurricanes quickly drove down the field 63 yards and scored their first points of the game on a Jacory Harris touchdown pass. Later in the quarter, Miami again drove down the field for another Harris touchdown pass, giving the Hurricanes a 14–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw the momentum swing in favor of Ohio State, with two drives heading deep into Miami territory, however, once in the red zone, the Buckeyes were unable to capitalize and had to settle for two short range field goals by Drew Basil, bringing them closer in the games and giving Miami only a 14–6 lead. However a field goal at the end of the first half gave Miami a two-possession lead heading into halftime. The second half of the game saw little offense, with both the Buckeyes' defense dominating the Hurricanes and keeping them out of Ohio State territory, as well at the Buckeye offense continuing to struggle to get any kind of rhythm. Miami was able to score a touchdown with 0:33 remaining in the game, giving them a 24–6 lead—the final score of the game. The game was the first non-conference loss since the September 12, 2009 loss against the University of Southern California.

[7]

Colorado

[edit]
Colorado at Ohio State
1 234Total
Colorado 0 737 17
• Ohio State 10 10143 37
  • Date: September 24
  • Location: Ohio Stadium
    Columbus, OH
  • Game start: 3:30 PM EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:16
  • Game attendance: 105,069
  • Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 64 °F (18 °C), Wind NE 4 mph (6.4 km/h)
  • Referee: Dan Capron
  • TV announcers (ABC/ESPN2): Mike Patrick (Play-by-play) & Craig James (Color)

Ohio State came off their previous week's loss to Miami with a home game against the Colorado Buffaloes. For the first time during the season, freshman quarterback Braxton Miller received the start, only the third time Ohio State started a freshman at that position. The second offensive drive of the first quarter saw the Buckeyes move the ball 43 yards down the field and score on a Jordan Hall touchdown run. A Drew Basil field goal later on in the quarter gave Ohio State a 10–0 lead early on in the game. Colorado's special teams, as well as the number of penalties which they drew, allowed Ohio State to have relatively good field position throughout the game, averaging a start around their 50-yard line. Ohio State took advantage of the field position with a touchdown pass from Miller to Devin Smith, giving Ohio State a 17–0 lead. Colorado eventually drove down the field on their next possession and scored on an 11-yard touchdown reception, narrowing the score to 17–7. A field goal before the end of the half allowed Ohio State to go into the locker room with a 20–7 lead. The third quarter saw a back and forth between the two teams, with Ohio State still dominating. Another Miller to Smith touchdown reception put Ohio State up 27–7, while Colorado continued to stay in the game with an Oliver field goal. Basil would kick a field goal to end the third quarter, as well as starting the fourth, and gave Ohio State a 37–10 lead late in the game. A late Colorado touchdown was the last score of the game, as the favored Buckeyes beat Colorado 37–17, rebounding after their previous week's loss to Miami, as Ohio State moved to 3–1 on the season.

[8]

Michigan State

[edit]
Michigan State at Ohio State
1 234Total
• Michigan State 7 003 10
Ohio State 0 007 7

On a cold rainy day in Columbus, Ohio, the Ohio State Buckeyes opened their 2011 Big Ten Conference campaign against the Michigan State Spartans. Both teams were unable to score on their opening possessions of the ballgame. Michigan State opened the scoring with a 33-yard pass from Kirk Cousins to B.J. Cunningham, giving the Spartans a 7–0 lead. Throughout the first quarter both teams would trade field position as both defenses stepped up to the occasion to stop the opposing team. Michigan State found themselves deep in Ohio State territory late in the second quarter, however, an interception by Cousins, one of three Michigan State turnovers on the day, would allow Ohio State to enter halftime only down by a score of 7–0. The rain and windy conditions made the game much more of a defensive battle than expected. Throughout the third quarter and the rest of the second half, both teams continued to trade field position and come up with stops on defense. A missed 51-yard field goal by Dan Conroy allowed the Buckeyes and their struggling offense to have a shot at tying the game, however, with Joe Bauserman replacing Braxton Miller at QB, Ohio State was unable to move the ball. Michigan State extended their lead by 3 with a 50-yard field goal from Conroy, giving the Spartans a 10–0 advantage. A late touchdown by the Buckeyes would do little to help their effort as Ohio State went on to lose the game 10–7. This was Ohio State's first 0–1 start in Big Ten play since 2004, as well as their first loss to Michigan State since 1999.

[9]

Nebraska

[edit]
Ohio State at #14 Nebraska
1 234Total
Ohio State 10 1070 27
• #14 Nebraska 3 31414 34

In the first match up between the Buckeyes and Cornhuskers since the 1950s, Ohio State went into Lincoln hoping to win and rebound after their previous week's loss to Michigan State. Ohio State struggling offense came out with some fire, driving down the field on their first drive for a Drew Basil field goal, giving Ohio State an early 3–0. With Nebraska kicking a field goal a few minutes later, the game was tied midway through the first quarter at 3–3. A Braxton Miller to Jake Stoneburner touchdown at the end of the quarter gave Ohio State a 10–3 lead and the momentum. The second quarter continued the Ohio State dominance with a 63-yard touchdown run from Carlos Hyde and an exchange of field goals between the two teams, allowing the Buckeyes to go into halftime with a 20–6 lead. The second half of the game began very well for the Buckeyes with another Hyde touchdown, giving Ohio State their largest lead at 27–6. However, a Braxton Miller fumble, which allowed Nebraska to score their first touchdown of the game in the third quarter, as well as an ankle injury by Miller, eventually gave the Cornhuskers the momentum back down the stretch of the game. Another Nebraska touchdown at the end of the third quarter allowed the Cornhuskers to cut it to a 7-point game, 27–20, going into the fourth quarter. Two fourth-quarter touchdowns, both by Rex Burkhead, allowed Nebraska to receive their first lead of the night, pushing them to the victory, and the largest comeback in school history. With the loss, Ohio State dropped to 3–3 and 0–2 in the Big Ten for the first time since the 1988 season.

[10]

Illinois

[edit]
See also: Illibuck Trophy
Ohio State at #16 Illinois
1 234Total
• Ohio State 3 077 17
#16 Illinois 0 007 7

Ohio State came into the season match up with the undefeated Illinois Fighting Illini coming off two consecutive losses for the first time since the 2004 season. As with the last game against Nebraska, Ohio State opened the game with a primarily running attack on their first drive, with the return of star running back Dan Herron from suspension. Ohio State began the game with a Drew Basil 43-yard field goal, giving them a 3–0 lead. Throughout the rest of the first half, both teams would exchange field position and punts with no more scoring or offensive production coming from either team. Going into halftime, Ohio State still held a 3–0 lead, with Illinois receiving the ball first in the second half. An interception by Ohio State early on in the third quarter, set up Ohio State inside the Illinois red-zone, and the eventual Herron touchdown. After no more scoring throughout the third quarter, Ohio State went into the fourth quarter with only a 10–0 lead. An early touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Jake Stoneburner gave Ohio State their largest lead at 17–0. Following the touchdown, a very long, 16 play drive by Illinois, which resulted in a touchdown, ended the Ohio State shutout thus far, and put Illinois back in the game. A few defensive stops, coupled with the offense running down the clock, clinched the victory for the Buckeyes. With the victory, Ohio State moved to 4–3 on the season and 1–2 in the Big Ten, their first Big Ten victory of the season.

[11]

Wisconsin

[edit]
#12 Wisconsin at Ohio State
1 234Total
#12 Wisconsin 7 0715 29
• Ohio State 0 31416 33

Ohio State entered their 2011 homecoming game following a bye week, with their opponent being the Wisconsin Badgers, who were the only team to defeat the Buckeyes in the 2010 season. The game opened with neither team scoring on their opening possession. Wisconsin's high-powered run-and-pass attack struck first midway through the first quarter with a touchdown reception from Montee Ball giving Wisconsin an early 7–0 lead. Led on many parts by the mistakes of the Badgers, the Buckeyes were able to penetrate Wisconsin's side of the field, especially late in the second quarter, where a Drew Basil field goal cut the Wisconsin lead to 7–3 going into halftime. With the opening of the third quarter, Braxton Miller and the Ohio State offense were able to drive down the field, capped off with a 1-yard touchdown run from Miller, which gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the night at 10–7. After a Wisconsin blocked punt on their next possession, Ohio State was able to drive the ball into the end zone again with a Jordan Hall two-yard run and gave Ohio State a 17–7 lead. Wisconsin quickly responded with the next drive and the ensuing touchdown from Ball, his second on the day, cut the game back down to a 17–14 affair. Ohio State held the lead going into the fourth quarter and quickly was able to increase their lead with another Basil field goal. As the quarter quickly ticked away, Miller was able to break away on a quarterback run and go in for the touchdown. With the failed two-point conversion, Ohio State firmly held a 26–14 lead with a little under five minutes remaining in the game. Wisconsin quickly drove down the field to score a touchdown in only 0:58 cutting the Ohio State lead to 26–21. With Ohio State unproductive on their ensuing possession, Wisconsin received the ball back and again drove down the field quickly to score, in only 1:18, with their two-point conversion good. Ohio State trailed 29–26, and with a short field to work with, Miller and the offense took the field. With a little under forty seconds remaining in the game, Miller completed a 40-yard touchdown pass Devin Smith, and sealed the victory for Ohio State. With the win, the Buckeyes put themselves into position to earn a trip to the inaugural Big Ten championship game and moved to 2–2 in the Big Ten, after starting 0–2.

[12]

Indiana

[edit]
Indiana at Ohio State
1 234Total
Indiana 10 370 20
• Ohio State 7 6147 34

After the Buckeyes victory of Wisconsin, Ohio State remained at home to face an intra-divisional team in the Indiana Hoosiers. Ohio State began the game slowly, allowing an Indiana field goal, quickly followed by a five-yard touchdown run within the first ten minutes of the game, giving the Hoosiers a 10–0 lead. On the next possession, Braxton Miller quickly cut down the Indiana lead with an 81-yard touchdown run, one of the longest by runs by a quarterback in Ohio State history. Heading into the second quarter Indiana still held a 10–7, however two Drew Basil field goals allowed the Buckeyes to take their first lead of the day at 13–10. With 4:30 remaining in the first half, Indiana was able to capitalize and kick a 25-yard field goal, tying the game at 13–13 going into halftime. Dan Herron made his presence known again in the game quickly to start the third quarter with a 15-yard touchdown run, giving Ohio State the lead back at 20–13. However, the back-and-forth match continued at Indiana drove down the field to score a touchdown in response on a Robertson to Hughes reception. Another Miller touchdown run would give Ohio State the 27–20 lead going into the fourth quarter, as well as the momentum. Led by the defense, Ohio State was able to rally in the fourth quarter and allowed Ohio State the get the sealing touchdown with a little over two minutes remaining in the game, which gave the Buckeyes the 34–20 lead and improved their record to 6–3 on the season.

[13]

Purdue

[edit]
See also: 2011 Purdue Boilermakers football team
Ohio State Buckeyes (6–3) at Purdue Boilermakers (4–5)
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Ohio State 0 7 76323
Purdue 10 7 03626

at Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana

Game information

In their first visit to West Lafayette since their 2009 loss, the Buckeyes looked for their fourth straight win and first at Ross–Ade Stadium since 2007. The game started for the Buckeyes like the previous week's match up versus Indiana. A 19-yard field goal from Wiggs and four-yard touchdown run gave Purdue a 10–0 lead which they held through the entirety of the first quarter. A 38-yard touchdown reception from Miller to Hall gave the Buckeyes some offensive spark as they cut the score down to 10–7. However, another Purdue touchdown would give Purdue a commanding 17–7 lead with 3:19 left in the second quarter, a lead which they would take into halftime. With the Ohio State defense making crucial stops in the second half, Ohio State was able to get the ball back and score on their first possession in the second half with a 6-yard Braxton Miller touchdown run, giving Purdue now only a 17–14 lead. While both teams struggled with their offense, it would be Purdue who added to their lead with a 44-yard field goal, and extending their lead to 20–14. Ohio State was not able to get close to a score for most of the fourth quarter, however a long drive at the end of the quarter saw a Miller pass to Hall for a touchdown, tying the game at 20–20. However, with a Drew Basil blocked extra point, the game remained tied and headed into overtime. The Ohio State offense continued to struggle on their overtime possession only able to come up with a field goal, which gave them their first lead of the game at 23–20. The Buckeyes defense, taking the field next was unable to stop the Purdue running attack and eventually allowed a touchdown from the one-yard line to end the game and give the Boilermakers the 26–23 win. With the loss, Ohio State dropped to 6–4, losing at least four games in a season for the first time since 2004, and making the road to the Big Ten Championship Game much harder if not impossible with a 3–3 Big Ten record.

Penn State

[edit]
See also: Ohio State–Penn State football rivalry
#21 Penn State at Ohio State
1 234Total
• #21 Penn State 10 1000 20
Ohio State 0 1400 14

Ohio State entered their 2011 senior day with a 6–4 record, facing a Penn State Nittany Lions team with aspirations of the Big Ten Championship Game. In the same fashion of the previous two games, Ohio State fell behind quickly in the game facing a 10–0 deficit following an early Stephfon Green touchdown run and a 43-yard field goal from Anthony Fera. Heading into the second quarter, Ohio State put together their first extended drive of the game, ending in a Braxton Miller 24-yard touchdown run cutting the Penn State lead to a 10–7 affair. Penn State returned the favor with a quick drive ending with another Green touchdown run, giving the Nittany Lions the 17–7 advantage midway through the second quarter. Later in the quarter, Ohio State was able to put together their second scoring drive of the game which consisted of only five plays and ended in a Jake Stoneburner touchdown reception. Penn State, however, was able to use the rest of the second quarter clock on a drive which put them into field goal position, Fera's 46-yard field goal was good, and allowed them to go into halftime with a 20–14, the eventual final score of the game. The second half was marred for Ohio State with the defense able to stop the Nittany Lions on the one-yard line four times for a goal line stand, but also of two costly fumbles which would end an hope of a comeback drive. The last two quarters of the game saw no scoring and allowed Penn State to exit Ohio Stadium with the 20–14 win, their first win at Ohio State since 2008, bringing Ohio State's overall record to 6–5 on the season, and 3–4 in conference play.

[14]

Michigan

[edit]
See also: Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry
Ohio State at #15 Michigan
1 234Total
Ohio State 7 17010 34
• #15 Michigan 16 7710 40

Ohio State finished its conference slate with a loss to the Wolverines under first year head coach and Ohio native Brady Hoke. The loss saw the Buckeyes' 7-year winning streak against their arch-rivals come to an end.

[15]

2012 Gator Bowl

[edit]
See also: 2012 Gator Bowl
2012 Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl
1 234Total
Ohio State 0 1007 17
• Florida 7 773 24

The game featured Urban Meyer's former school (Florida) versus the school (Ohio State) he was about to take over as head coach.

[16]

Rankings

[edit]
See also: 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP181517RVRV————RVRV————
Coaches161516RVRVRV———RVRV————
HarrisNot released———RVRV————Not released
BCSNot released————————Not released

Roster

[edit]
2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
OL 75 Mike Adams Sr
QB 14 Joe Bauserman Sr
RB 4 Jamaal Berry So
OL 64 Ivon Blackman So
OL 51 Brian Bobek Fr
FB 44 Zach Boren Jr
C 50 Mike Brewster Sr
WR 10 Corey Brown So
OL 55 Tommy Brown Fr
OL 72 Chris Carter Fr
RB 35 Bo DeLande Sr
RB 37 Spencer DeLande So
FB 33 David Durham  Fr
WR 80 Chris Fields So
TE 88 Reid Fragel Jr
RB 37 James Georgiades Jr
QB 19 Taylor Graham  Fr
QB 13 Kenny Guiton So
RB 7 Jordan Hall Jr
OL 79 Marcus Hall So
RB 1 Dan Herron Sr
TE 88 Jeff Heuerman Fr
RB 49 Adam Homan Jr
OL 65 Nick Humphries Fr
RB 34 Carlos Hyde So
OL 69 Eric Kramer  Fr
OL 71 Corey Linsley So
OL 74 Jack Mewhort So
QB 5 Braxton Miller Fr
OL 78 Andrew Norwell So
WR 8 DeVier Posey Sr
WR 9 Verlon Reed  Fr
WR 89 Jared Riley So
WR 87 Chris Roark Sr
WR 84 Ryan Ross  Fr
TE 82 Kyle Schuck  Fr
WR 83 Donald Senegal Jr
OL 76 J.B. Shugarts Sr
QB 17 Justin Siems So
WR 15 Devin Smith Fr
RB 2 Rod Smith  Fr
TE 48 Spencer Smith Sr
WR 16 Evan Spencer Fr
OL 66 Ben St. John Fr
TE 11 Jake Stoneburner Jr
OL 70 Tim Trummer Fr
OL 73 Antonio Underwood Fr
TE 81 Nick Vannett Fr
WR 18 T.Y. Williams Fr
RB 32 Darryl Wood So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 8 Dionte Allen Sr
LB 48 Dan Bain Sr
DL 90 Darryl Baldwin  Fr
DB 4 C.J. Barnett So
DL 93 Adam Bellamy So
DL 63 Michael Bennett Fr
DL 68 Evan Blankenship Sr
DL 56 Dalton Britt Jr
DB 3 Corey Brown So
DB 2 Christian Bryant So
DB 17 Jeremy Cash Fr
DB 5 Dominic Clarke So
LB 36 Connor Crowell Fr
DB 16 Zach Domicone Jr
DB 34 Nate Ebner Sr
DB 30 Donnie Evege Sr
DL 57 Chase Farris Fr
DE 91 Melvin Fellows So
DB 24 Adam Frazier So
DB 18 DerJuan Gambrell Fr
DL 53 Garrett Goebel Jr
LB 14 Curtis Grant Fr
DB 12 Doran Grant Fr
DL 94 Cavin Green So
DB 9 Adam Griffin  Fr
DB 23 Chad Hagen  Fr
DT 51 Joel Hale Fr
DL 52 Johnathan Hankins So
LB 35 James Hastings So
DL 86 Kenny Hayes Fr
DB 7 Travis Howard Jr
LB 41 Tony Jackson Sr
DB 19 Orhian Johnson Jr
LB 32 Storm Klein Jr
DL 95 Don Matheney Sr
DB 37 Chris Maxwell Sr
DL 92 William McCary Jr
LB 38 Scott McVey  Fr
DL 88 Steve Miller Fr
LB 26 Tyler Moeller Sr
DL 50 J.T. Moore  Fr
DB 20 Nate Oliver Sr
DB 25 Vincent Petrella Jr
DB 29 Taylor Rice Jr
DB 25 Bradley Roby  Fr
LB 6 Etienne Sabino Jr
DB 33 Nik Sarac Fr
LB 10 Ryan Shazier Fr
DL 54 John Simon Jr
DL 59 Stewart Smith Jr
LB 42 Andrew Sweat Sr
DB 28 Ron Tanner Fr
DE 98 Solomon Thomas Sr
DB 13 Julian Vann  Fr
LB 39 Jordan Whiting So
DL 43 Nathan Williams Sr
DB 21 Jamie Wood So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P/K 24 Drew Basil So
P/K 17 Ben Buchanan Jr
LS 60 Garrett Dornbrook Sr
K 20 Russell Doup Fr
P 39 Derek Erwin Sr
LS 54 Bruce Haynes Fr
LS 56 George Makridis So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Jim Bollman – Offensive coordinator/offensive line
  • Jim Heacock – Defensive coordinator/defensive line
  • Paul Haynes – Co-defensive coordinator/safeties
  • Stan Drayton – Wide receivers
  • Taver Johnson – Cornerbacks
  • John Peterson – Tight ends/recruiting coordinator
  • Nick Siciliano – Quarterbacks
  • Dick Tressel – Running backs
  • Mike Vrabel – Linebackers
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

2012 NFL Draft

[edit]
Main article: 2012 NFL draft
Rnd. Pick No. NFL team Player Pos. College Conf. Notes
2 56 Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Adams  OT Ohio State Big Ten
3 68 Houston Texans DeVier Posey  WR Ohio State Big Ten
6 191 Cincinnati Bengals Daniel Herron  RB Ohio State Big Ten
6 197 New England Patriots Nate Ebner  S Ohio State Big Ten

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Jim Tressel Tenders Resignation". ESPN. May 30, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  2. ^ "Quarterback Terrelle Pryor Giving up Senior Season". ESPN. June 8, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  3. ^ "2011 Football Schedule". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 28, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Akron vs Ohio State (Sep 3, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. September 3, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  5. ^ http://www.winsipedia.com/ohio-state/vs/toledo Ohio State vs. Toledo. Winsipedia.com
  6. ^ "Toledo vs Ohio State (Sep 10, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. September 10, 2011. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  7. ^ "Ohio State vs Miami, Florida (Sep 17, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. September 17, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  8. ^ "Colorado vs Ohio State (Sep 24, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. September 24, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  9. ^ "Michigan State vs Ohio State (Oct 1, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. October 1, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  10. ^ "Ohio State vs Nebraska (Oct 8, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. October 8, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  11. ^ "Ohio State vs Illinois (Oct 15, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. October 15, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  12. ^ "Wisconsin vs Ohio State (Oct 29, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. October 29, 2011. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  13. ^ "Indiana vs Ohio State (Nov 5, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. November 5, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  14. ^ "Penn State vs Ohio State (Nov 19, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. November 19, 2011. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
  15. ^ "Ohio State vs Michigan (Nov 26, 2011)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. November 26, 2011. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  16. ^ "Ohio State vs Florida (Jan 2, 2012)". The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. January 2, 2012. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
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