Carroll Widdoes guided Ohio State to a 9–0 record in 1944, his first season as head coach. In early 1945, Paul Brown announced his intentions to coach the Cleveland Browns once he fulfilled his military obligation. Widdoes, the Coach of the Year, was left in a job he didn't want.
Widdoes was having second thoughts about being Ohio State's head coach. He loved the players and the game but did not enjoy the publicity and speaking engagements.
However, he did like that the Buckeyes had familiar faces returning. Halfbacks Dick Fisher and Paul Sarringhaus; quarterback, Robin Priday; and end, Don Steinberg were back following stints in the military. Fisher played in 1941 and the others were on the 1942 championship team. Sarringhaus was also an All-American that season.
| The 1945 Buckeyes | |
|---|---|
| Record | 7–2 |
| B1G Record | 5–2, 3rd |
| Coach | Carroll Widdoes (2nd year, 16–2) |
| Captain | Bill Hackett |
Games of Note
October 6th • Iowa • Ohio Stadium
In the season opener, Sarringhaus scored four touchdowns in Ohio State's 47-6 victory over Missouri. It marked the fourth time the Buckeyes beat the Tigers in the first game of the season.
In week two, the Buckeyes hosted Iowa, a team that failed to score on them since 1934. Iowa had not defeated the Buckeyes in 27 years, though those facts are a little misleading because 1945 was only the fifth matchup between the schools since 1928.
Ohio State started slow and led 7-0 at halftime. Iowa's defense ha found success by loading the box with eight defenders.
After Widdoes made halftime adjustments, the offense scored four times. However, the most exciting score came early in the third quarter from the defense.
Sarringhaus stepped in front of a pass early in the second half and returned it 72 yards for a touchdown. The interception sparked Ohio State to a 42-0 rout.
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEP. 29 | MISSOURI | OHIO STADIUM | W, 47–6 |
| OCT. 6 | IOWA | OHIO STADIUM | W, 42–0 |
| OCT. 13 | WISCONSIN | OHIO STADIUM | W, 12–0 |
| OCT. 20 | NO. 9 PURDUE | OHIO STADIUM | L, 13–35 |
| OCT. 27 | NO. 5 MINNESOTA | MEMORIAL STADIUM | W, 20–7 |
| NOV. 3 | NO. 20 NORTHWESTERN | OHIO STADIUM | W, 16–14 |
| NOV. 10 | PITTSBURGH | PITT STADIUM | W, 14–0 |
| NOV. 17 | ILLINOIS | OHIO STADIUM | W, 27–2 |
| NOV. 24 | NO. 8 MICHIGAN | MICHIGAN STADIUM | L, 3–7 |
| 7–2, 194–71 |
October 20th • #9 Purdue • Ohio Stadium
Ohio State notched its 12th straight victory in Week 3, defeating Wisconsin 12-0 behind touchdowns from Sarringhaus and Tom Watson (not the golfer). Ohio State was now 3-0 and ranked fourth in the AP Poll.
A crowd of 73,585 greeted No. 9 Purdue (4-0) the following week but left disappointed. The Boilermakers buried the Buckeyes, scoring 28 points before halftime. Ohio State didn't get on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. The 35-13 loss was Widdoes' first as head coach and it dropped OSU to 12th in the rankings.
October 27th • #5 Minnesota • Memorial Stadium
The Gophers were unbeaten but had not defeated Ohio State in Minneapolis for 24 years. However, hopes were high with coaching great, Bernie Bierman, on the sidelines.
Ohio State had different plans. Ollie Cline started the scoring with a short touchdown run. Fisher and Bud Kessler followed and the Buckeyes won 20-7, for the program's 300th victory all-time.
| OPPONENT | STREAK | RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| MISSOURI | W5 | 5–0 |
| IOWA | W4 | 6–4–1 |
| WISCONSIN | W2 | 9–5–2 |
| PURDUE | L2 | 9–3 |
| MINNESOTA | W2 | 4–3 |
| NORTHWESTERN | W1 | 14–8–1 |
| PITTSBURGH | W6 | 7–2–1 |
| ILLINOIS | W11 | 20–12–2 |
| MICHIGAN | L1 | 12–27–3 |
November 3rd • #20 Northwestern • Ohio Stadium
The Wildcats served as the third straight ranked opponent for the Buckeyes, now ranked No. 6.
Northwestern led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. Things looked bleak for the Buckeyes, but Cline had different plans.
Cline rushed for a touchdown in the second after both teams fumbled inside the Wildcats' 5-yard line. The score remained the same until the fourth.
Cline scored again to cap a 10-play, 58-yard scoring drive and cut the lead to 14-13. The Buckeyes forced Northwestern to punt on its ensuing possession.
Widdoes kept feeding Cline and the sophomore fullback came through. His efforts set up Max Schnittker's 31-yard game-winning field goal.
Cline finished with 180 yards rushing on 34 carries in the 16-14 victory.
November 17th • Illinois • Ohio Stadium
Ohio State entered the game with a 6-1 record and a No. 9 AP ranking. The week before the battle for the Illibuck, the Buckeyes beat Pittsburgh 14-0, battling through horrid weather to get the victory.
Back in Columbus, the weather wasn't any better. Still, 70,287 fans braved the cold and rain for homecoming in Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes dominated the Illini throughout, but only led 7-2 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Hal Daugherty, Chuck Grandee and Cline found the end zone late, however, to secure a 27-2 win. Cline finished with 124 yards and two touchdowns.
The Buckeyes improved to 16–4 against Illinois with the Illibuck Trophy on the line.
November 24th • #8 Michigan • Michigan Stadium
The last time Ohio State beat Michigan in Ann Arbor was in 1937, when Francis Schmidt led the Buckeyes to a 21-0 victory. If Widdoes and company could end the drought and Indiana lost to Purdue, the Buckeyes would earn a share of the Big Ten title.
Two inches of snow blanketed Ann Arbor the day before The Game while icy winds and sub-zero temperatures beset campus on game day. With the deplorable conditions, a defensive battle was in store in the season finale.
Neither team scored in the first half. The Buckeyes finally sustained a drive early in the third quarter, but it ended on downs at the Michigan 5-yard line.
Wolverines quarterback Pete Elliott, tested the strength of the wind with a pass a little later but failed when Priday picked it off at the Michigan 30. The Buckeyes were driving, but the possession stalled at the 10-yard line after Cline left due to injury. Max Schnittker stepped up and kicked a 27-yard field goal to give Ohio State a 3-0 lead.
Unfortunately, the Wolverines' offense kicked into gear after a 25-yard pass to Hank Fonde in the game's final stanza. Fonda finished off the drive when he scored a touchdown on a reverse.
The 7-3 final increased Michigan's lead in the series to 27–12–3.
Indiana shutout Purdue to won its first Big Ten title.
1945 Recap
- Paul Brown broke fans' hearts when he left to coach the Cleveland Browns.
- Ohio State improved to 5–0 against Missouri.
- Purdue ended the Buckeyes' 12-game winning streak and gave Widdoes his first loss.
- Ohio State won its 300th game in the 20-7 victory over Minnesota.
- Max Schnittker kicked a fourth quarter field goal to defeat Northwestern 16-14.
- The Buckeyes beat Illinois for the 11th straight time.
- Ohio State lost to Michigan and fell to 12–27–3 in the series.
- The Buckeyes finished the season ranked 12th in the AP Poll.
- Warren Amling, Ollie Cline and Russell Thomas were All-Americans.
- Joe Whisler, Thornton Dixon, Warren Amling, Tom Phillips and George Slusser were selected in the NFL Draft.
The 1945 season was Carroll Widdoes' last as head coach. He did not care for the spotlight and willingly switched places with assistant Paul Bixler.
With the hiring of Bixler, Ohio State had four coaches in seven seasons. How long would Bixler last?
