The 1968 Ohio State football team entered its season with the program at a crossroads.
The ’67 Buckeyes finished 6-3 and were unranked all season, the last time that has happened for OSU. Woody Hayes hadn’t won a Big Ten title since 1961, a season that ended prematurely when the school’s faculty wouldn’t let the team play in the Rose Bowl. In 1966, OSU finished 4-5.
Hayes needed a breakthrough or the fan base – as rabid and unforgiving then as it is now – might soon demand a coaching change.
That 1968 team did more than create a rebound for the program. By going undefeated and winning the national championship, it became a beloved team. In fan voting in The Dispatch bracket of 16 of the best OSU teams, readers voted the ’68 squad their favorite of all time.
The Buckeyes had a star-studded coaching staff that included Hayes’ eventual successor Earle Bruce, Lou Holtz, George Chaump, Bill Mallory and Rudy Hubbard. They also had some vital veteran players. Senior offensive tackles Rufus Mayes and Dave Foley would become first-round NFL draft picks in 1969. Junior fullback Jim Otis was a workhorse.
But the nucleus of the ’68 team was the so-called “Super Sophs.” Freshmen were ineligible until 1972, so those players were largely a mystery before they played in the opener against SMU.
They would soon become legends. Quarterback Rex Kern threw only 116 passes in the 10-game season, with more interceptions (6) than touchdown passes (5). But he kept the offense humming with his running, deception and leadership. Kern ran for 599 yards and eight touchdowns.
Running backs John Brockington and Larry Zelina, tight end Jan White, defensive backs Jack Tatum, Mike Sensibaugh and Tim Anderson and linebacker Jim Stillwagon blossomed into stars.
Tatum, known for his ferocious hitting, became a two-time unanimous All-American, including national defensive player of the year as a senior. In all, 11 Buckeyes were named All-Americans and six were first-round NFL picks.
Coming off the two down years and featuring such inexperienced players, the Buckeyes began the year ranked No. 11. After nonconference wins over SMU and Oregon, Ohio State was a 13-point underdog to No. 1 Purdue. But the Buckeyes’ defense stymied the Boilermakers in a 13-0 victory.
Ohio State escaped close calls against Illinois, No. 16 Michigan State and Iowa before its showdown against Michigan. The Buckeyes broke open a tight game against the No. 4 Wolverines in the second half for a 50-14 win.
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In the Rose Bowl against No. 2 USC and its Heisman Trophy-winning running back O.J. Simpson, the Buckeyes fell behind 10-0 after Simpson broke an 80-yard touchdown run.
But Simpson found little traction otherwise, and the Buckeyes pulled away for a 27-16 win to secure the national championship. It would be Ohio State’s last championship until the 2002 team, which finished runner-up in The Dispatch voting.
Ohio State has since won titles in 2014 and 2024, but the 1968 team will forever hold a special place in OSU lore.
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Ohio State football beat writer Bill Rabinowitz can be reached at brabinowitz@dispatch.com or on bluesky at billrabinowitz@bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why the 1968 Ohio State football national championship team remains atop Buckeyes pantheon
Reporting by Bill Rabinowitz, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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