- Ohio State football. It’s on the shortlist of the greatest college programs of all time. Look up historical stats and records when it comes to team and individual awards, and the one draped in scarlet and gray can be found anywhere and everywhere in the game. Buy Buckeyes Tickets
But what about when we examine the OSU football program against itself? There are many records etched into the program’s history. Some seem pretty achievable, while others have stood the test of time and seem as if they may never be broken, especially with the style of play shifting to a more wide-open game.
We decided to go through the Ohio State football record books and ranked the top 10 most unbreakable offensive records on the banks of the Olentangy.
Here is our list of the top 10 most unbreakable Ohio State football records from the offensive side of the ball.
10
Career Rushing Touchdowns
The Record
56 TDs (1973-1976)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
Pete Johnson was a literal touchdown machine. Whenever Woody Hayes was in a short-yardage situation down by the goal line, it was time to dial up the bruising fullback. He delivered more often than not. The shift to protect running backs from too much wear and tear and the varied offenses that are now being used make Johnson’s record seem like one that’s going to be difficult to eclipse. It’s already been in place since the mid-70s.
9
Career All-Purpose Yards
The Record
6,559 yards (1972-1975)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
It was a perfect storm for Archie Griffin. Woody Hayes liked to hand the ball off almost every play to him, and yet he still managed to gain yards even when teams knew he was going to get the ball. You add that to the longevity and durability he showed, and it’s hard to see anyone coming close to this. In fact, second place isn’t really in shouting distance. J.K. Dobbins checking in with 5,104 yards.
8
Career Total Offense
The Record
12,697 yards (2014-2017)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
Speaking of astronomical records — not only did it seem like J.T. Barrett was the starting quarterback at Ohio State for a generation, but he was a dual threat that wracked up yards through the air and on the ground. This also stands as the all-time Big Ten record. Art Schlichter owns second place for OSU at a measly 8,750 career all-purpose yards. In today’s game, a guy that puts up these numbers likely isn’t staying for four years as Barrett did, so it’s a numbers game, too.
7
Career Touchdowns Responsible For
The Record
147 TDs (2014-2017)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
A lot of the same applies here as J.T. Barrett unleashed an assault on all-time OSU and Big Ten records. Not only did the captain from Wichita Falls, Texas, throw touchdown passes, but he was often used in short goal-to-go situations to score TDs on the ground. That’s a lot of touchdowns for a guy counted on often to score them by former head coach Urban Meyer.
6
Single-Game Rushing Yards
The Record
331 yards (2020 vs. Northwestern)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
I don’t know if we truly appreciated it at the time, but what Trey Sermon did against Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship game in 2020 was remarkable. In today’s day and age of wide-open offenses, the fact that this many yards were gobbled up on the ground (most of which in the second half), is astounding. It eclipsed the Griffin record from an era when he was handed the ball off ad nauseum. This one has a really good chance of standing for a very long time.
5
Career Rushing Attempts
The Record
924 attempts (1973-1976)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
Poring through the Ohio State record books, you start to realize why Griffin is still the only two-time Heisman winner. I don’t see anyone toting the rock this many times ever again from the backfield in Columbus. A running back would have to get nearly 20 carries a game for every game in a four-year period to approach this record. That’s not happening anytime soon — or ever again.
4
Single-Game Receiving Yards
The Record
347 receiving yards (2022 Rose Bowl vs. Utah)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
I’m not sure we’ll ever see another performance from an Ohio State receiver like what we witnessed in 2021 in Pasadena. Even in today’s world of wide-open offenses and slinging the ball around the field, 347 yards? Really? Terry Glenn held the record before that with only 253 yards receiving. C.J. Stroud was in a zone and Smith-Njigba was right there with him to catch dimes against Utah.
3
Single-Game Rushing Attempts
Hometown family friend Harold “Champ” Henson will kick off my rivalry week photo to kick some ttun a**. Go Bucks @ColtonHensonOH!!! pic.twitter.com/kAVSXCjwDv
— Luke Pontius (@Luke0677) December 6, 2020
The Record
44 attempts (1972)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
The benchmark for a lot of teams in college football these days is to have 60 offensive plays or so if they are playing with a faster tempo. “Champ” Henson toted the mail a whopping 44 times in a 27-14 win over Northwestern. Forget about three yards and a cloud of dust. How about three yards and a cloud of blood and guts? Teams today like to distribute the ball all over the field, so there’s a better chance of Jim Harbaugh discarding khakis before we see this number again.
2
Career Rushing Yards
The Record
5,589 yards (1972-1975)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
I mean, what’s there really to say? Griffin was a workhorse with a long career that gained a ton of yards throughout his long career in Columbus. It’s unlikely a running back will ever have the high level of success as consistently and as long as No. 45 did. It’s hard to see this record falling.
1
100-Yard Rushing Games
The Record
34 (1972-1975)
Why it May Stand the Test of time
This is an absolutely ridiculous stat. Gaining 100 yards on the ground is hard enough to do in back-to-back games, but Griffin did it 31 straight times toward this total. We’ll never see that again. No way, no how.
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