There are 99 days that separate us from Ohio State's march to Blacksburg. To help pass the time until the Buckeyes put the Sandman to sleep I will countdown Ohio State's top 100 players according to the rubric* listed at the bottom of this article.
Ray Griffin started his Ohio State career as Archie's back-up at running back.
NO. 99 RAY GRIFFIN, S (1974-77)
Born: 1956 (Columbus)
High School: Eastmoor
OHIO STATE CAREER
- The Buckeyes were 39-8 with Griffin on the team.
- 1974 Big Ten Title.
- 1975 Big Ten Title.
- 1976 Big Ten Title.
- 1977 Big Ten Title.
- 1977 Defeated Colorado 27-10 to win the Orange Bowl.
- Griffin's interception in The Game in 1975 set up the winning touchdown
HONORS
- 1977 Captain.
- 1977 All-American.
- 1977 All-Big Ten.
- 2012 Inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame.
NFL DRAFT
Round 2 to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 35th pick of the 1978 draft.
Ray Griffin was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
RAY GRIFFIN'S OHIO STATE CAREER PER OHIOSTATEBUCKEYES.COM:
“Ray Griffin, a three-year starter and four-year Varsity O letterwinner for the Ohio State football team from 1974-77, was a First Team All-American and team captain as a safety in 1977. A First Team All-Big Ten selection in 1977, Griffin helped lead the Buckeyes to four-consecutive Big Ten championships, two Rose Bowl appearances, one Sugar Bowl appearance and an Orange Bowl appearance.
Ohio State went 29-6-1 in Griffin's three seasons as a starter, allowing only 102 points
the 1975 campaign. Griffin recorded 192 tackles in his three seasons in the OSU defensive backfield. He played in the Hula Bowl following his senior season before going on to play seven seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League. Griffin is the younger brother of former two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.”
The game was tied 14-14 late in the fourth quarter when Ray Griffin made this game-winning interception. From OurHonorDefend.com and Youtube.com:
Ray Griffin's Varsity O Hall of Fame Induction speech per theozone.net and youtube.com:
| CATEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | |
| BIG TEN MVP | |
| TEAM MVP | |
| ALL-AMERICAN | 4 |
| CAPTAIN | 4 |
| 1ST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICK | |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 3 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | 2 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | |
| LETTER | 1 |
| TOTAL | 14 |
For more information on Griffin and other players who wore No. 44 check out Andy Vance's article from 2013.
Sources- The Ohio State Team Guide, ohiostatebuckeyes.com and Wikipedia
| CATEGORY | POINTS |
|---|---|
| HEISMAN | 8 |
| NO. RETIRED / HONORED | 8 |
| BIG TEN MVP | 6 |
| TEAM MVP | 5 |
| ALL-AMERICAN | 4 |
| CAPTAIN | 4 |
| 1ST ROUND NFL PICK | 4 |
| ALL-BIG TEN | 3 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN | 3 |
| NFL DRAFT PICK | 2 |
| ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN | 1 |
| LETTER | 0.25 PER YEAR |
Archie and Ray Griffin were drafted by the Bengals in back-to-back years.
