127 seasons. 1,252 games. 879 wins – the fifth-most of any NCAA program.
To say Ohio State has a rich football tradition is putting things mildly. Yet, of the 110 different teams the Buckeyes have squared off against through the years, only a handful are unbeaten against Ohio State.
Clemson just so happens to be one of those teams. And with a win in the Fiesta bowl, the Tigers will join Florida State as the only teams to face the Buckeyes three times and come away with wins in every meeting.
In all, there are just 11 programs that have met Ohio State without tasting defeat. Seven of them live in the SEC or ACC – and two of them, the Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks, call the same state home.
| Team | Conference | First Meeting | Last Meeting | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLORIDA STATE | ACC | 1981 | 1997 | 0–3 | 0.000 |
| CLEMSON | ACC | 1978 | 2013 | 0–2 | 0.000 |
| CORNELL | IVY | 1939 | 1940 | 0–2 | 0.000 |
| FLORIDA | SEC | 2006 | 2011 | 0–2 | 0.000 |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | SEC | 2000 | 2001 | 0–2 | 0.000 |
| AIR FORCE | MOUNTAIN WEST | 1990 | 1990 | 0–1 | 0.000 |
| CARLISLE | N/A | 1904 | 1904 | 0–1 | 0.000 |
| GEORGIA | SEC | 1992 | 1992 | 0–1 | 0.000 |
| TENNESSEE | SEC | 1995 | 1995 | 0–1 | 0.000 |
| AUBURN | SEC | 1917 | 1989 | 0–1–1 | 0.250 |
| PRINCETON | IVY | 1927 | 1928 | 0–1–1 | 0.250 |
It's hard to look at this group and not think about John Cooper, whose teams dropped games to six of the programs, thanks to his bowl game troubles in Columbus, including three of the four programs who are 1–0 against the Buckeyes.
Or the now FCS programs like Cornell and Princeton, both of whom the Buckeyes will likely never have a chance to even things with.
Clemson is notable for going unbeaten against the two best coaches to ever patrol the sideline at Ohio State. The infamous 1978 Gator Bowl saw the Tigers drop the Buckeyes, 17-15, while also ending Woody Hayes' career. 35 years later, Dabo Swinney's Clemson squad handed Urban Meyer a 40-35 defeat in the Orange Bowl, marking the only time Meyer has suffered a multi-game losing streak at Ohio State.
Bonus: Here's Michigan's list. Hello, Toledo!
