With only 45 days until Ohio State takes on the Beavers of Oregon State, I'm having a difficult time trying to figure out who should be the featured player today. Andy Katzenmoyer jumped off of the page, but coming up with a second player who is deserving is tough.

Below you will find the 11 players who wore the No. 45 for Ohio State. 

*Wore another number at Ohio State
Did not earn a varsity letter while wearing No. 45

Archie Griffin, HB (1972-75)
Born: 1954 (Columbus)
High School: Eastmoor

Ohio State:
The Buckeyes were 40-5-1 with Griffin on the team.
1972 Big Ten Title.
1973 Big Ten Title.
1974 Big Ten Title.
1975 Big Ten Title.
1974 Defeated USC 42-21 to win the Rose Bowl.
Went 3-0-1 against That Team.
*Records are listed below.

Honors:
1973 Team MVP.
1973 Big Ten's Most Valuable Player.
1973 All-Big Ten.
1974 Captain.
1974 Team MVP.
1974 Heisman Trophy.
1974 All-American.
1974 Big Ten's Most Valuable Player.
1974 Chic Harley Award.
1974 UPI Player of the Year.
1974 Walter Camp Foundation Player of the Year.
1974 All-Big Ten.
1975 Captain.
1975 Heisman Trophy.
1975 Maxwell Award.
1975 All-American.
1975 Chic Harley Award.
1975 UPI Player of the Year.
1975 Walter Camp Foundation Player of the Year.
1975 All-Big Ten.
1975 Sporting News Man of the Year.
1981 Inducted into the Varsity O Hall of Fame.
1986 Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
1990 Inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
1996 Inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.
1999 Ohio State retired No. 45 in his honor. 
2011 The first recipient of the B1G's Ford-Kinnick Leadership award.
2014 Named the All-Century Player of the Rose Bowl.

Archie Griffin's Ohio State career per ohiostatebuckeyes.com:

In 1974, Ohio State tailback Archie Griffin became just the fifth junior ever to win the Heisman Trophy. In 1975, Griffin became the first player ever to win a second Heisman. Twenty-eight years later he is still the only player to have two of the coveted bronze statues, which go annually to the nation's top college football player.

But even though more than two decades have passed, honors continue to befall Griffin now the President of the Ohio State Alumni Association.

Most recently, Griffin was selected to the National High School Hall of Fame. He was inducted into that organization in the fall of 1996. He also is a member of the National Football Foundation and the Rose Bowl halls of fame and, of course, belongs to the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame.

Griffin was the Buckeyes' starting tailback for four years, leading Ohio State to a 40-5-1 record and four Big Ten titles between 1972 and 1975. He started in four-consecutive Rose Bowls, the only player ever to do so, and was a three-time first-team All-American.

At 5 feet 9 inches and 180 pounds, Griffin was small by college football standards even then, but he played with the heart of a lion and no football accomplishment was beyond his reach.

In just the second game of his freshman year, Griffin ran for a school record 239 yards. It was the start of a brilliant career that would see him amass an OSU record 5,589 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Excluding bowl games, Griffin rushed for 5,177 yards on 845 carries. The former figure ranks him fifth among all NCAA career ball carriers and Griffin rarely played more than half a game, his coach, Woody Hayes, always opting to take his star out as soon as the Buckeyes were in control.

Between his sophomore and senior seasons, Griffin ran for 100 or more yards in 31 consecutive regular-season games. That, too, is still an NCAA record, as is his 33 career 100-yard games.

In addition to two Heisman Trophies, Griffin also has a pair of Silver Footballs. The latter award is presented annually by the Chicago Tribune to the Big Ten's MVP. He is one of just three players to win that award twice. Griffin also was a two-time pick as National Player of the Year by both United Press International and the Walter Camp Foundation. He won those honors as a junior and senior.

Following his senior year, Griffin, who graduated a quarter early with a degree in industrial relations, received the NCAA's prestigious Top Five Award for combined excellence in athletics, academics and leadership. It is the highest award the NCAA can bestow.

After graduation, Griffin was a first-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals. He played eight years of professional football, before returning to Columbus and joining the staff at Ohio State.

His jersey number "45" was retired Oct. 30, 1999.

Archie Griffin's career after football per Wikipedia:

Griffin returned to Ohio State University to receive a MBA. Griffin is currently the President and CEO of Ohio State University Alumni Association. He is also the current spokesman for the Wendy's High School Heisman award program. Formerly, he served as Assistant Athletic Director for Ohio State University and still speaks to the football team before every game.

Griffin also serves on the Board of Directors for Motorists Insurance which has offices in downtown Columbus and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, based in Irving, Texas.

Along with former NBA basketball star Magic Johnson, Griffin is a part owner of the Dayton Dragons, a Class Single-A minor league baseball team affiliated with Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds.

Archie Griffin's records per The Ohio State Team Guide:

• 1972: Set a then OSU single-game rushing record with 239 yards against North Carolina. Rushed for 867 yards during the year, then a freshman record.

• 1973: Became the first OSU sophomore to rush for 1,000 yards (1,577) and was named to a first-team spot on the UPI All-America team. Winner of the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football as the Big Ten Player of the Year.

• 1974: Rushed for a then-school record 1,695 yards and was a unanimous All-America choice. Won the Heisman Trophy, a second-consecutive Silver Football and was the UPI and WalterCamp player of the year.

• 1975: Made college football history by winning his second Heisman Trophy. Again chosen by UPI and Walter Camp as Player of the Year. A consensus All-America selection.

• Holds NCAA records for 100-yard games (33) and consecutive 100-yard games (31).

• Held NCAA record for most average yards percarry-6.13

• Held NCAA career rushing record at conclusion of his career and he still ranks 11th in NCAA annals with 5,177 yards.

• The only player to lead OSU in rushing four consecutive years.

• The only player to start four Rose Bowl games.

• Ohio State’s career-rushing leader with 5,589 yards.

Andy Katzenmoyer, LB (1996-98)
Born: 1977 (Kettering, Ohio)
High School: Westerville South

Ohio State:
The Buckeyes went 32-5 with Katzenmoyer on the team.
1996 Big Ten Title.
1998 Big Ten Title.
1997 Defeated Arizona State 20-17 to win the Rose Bowl.
1999 Defeated Texas A&M 24-14 to win the Sugar Bowl.
1996 Set a linebacker record with 12 sacks in a season.
1996 Set a linebacker record with 23 tackles for loss.

Honors:
1998 All-Big Ten.
1998 Randy Gradishar Award.
1997 All-American.
1997 All-Big Ten.
1997 Butkus Award.
1997 Randy Gradishar Award.
1997 Jack Lambert Trophy.
1997 All-Big Ten
1996 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
1996 All-Big Ten.
1995 High School All-American.
2009 Inducted into the Varsity O Hall of Fame.

Katzenmoyer's Ohio State career per The Ohio State Team Guide:

6-4, 255...from Westerville...will be a candidate for all the major awards this year, including the Heisman Trophy...one of the premier players in college football at any position...won the Butkus Award last year as the nation's top college linebacker and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award, the Nagurski Award as the nation's Defensive Player of the Year, and the Maxwell Award...also named a consensus All-American, becoming the first Ohio State linebacker to win first-team honors.

Dominant player who can change the tone of a game with one play...defensive coordinator Freg Pagac calls Andy a "great player who has no physical weaknesses...has a great knowledge of the game and we expect him to lead vocally"...his speed -at his size- and ability to close on the ball carrier separate him from the rest of the pack...one of the best linebackers ever to play at Ohio State, joining the great tradition that features the likes of Ike Kelley, Randy Gradishar, Tom Cousineau, Pepper Johnson and Chris Spielman...already among OSU defensive record holders in nine categories...not at all uncommon for opponents to build their game plan around neutralizing his effectivenes.

Is the first OSU player to wear No. 45 since fabled two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin wore it between 1972 and '75...named to virtually everybody's All-America team as a high school senior and was chosen as USA Today's Defensive Player of the Year.

Andy Katzenmoyer's Ohio State career per ohiostatebuckeyes.com:

Andy Katzenmoyer started the first game of his freshman year in 1996 and was a regular for 37-consecutive games. He opted for an NFL career at the end of his junior season. He won a plethora of awards, including the Butkus Award and consensus All-America honors as a sophomore in 1997, the 1996 Football News and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He was a three-time All-Big Ten selection and a two-time finalist for the Lombardi Award.

Katzenmoyer amassed three-year statistical totals of 197 solo tackles, 256 total tackles, 50 tackles-for-loss, 192 yards in losses, 18 quarterback sacks and six interceptions. He was twice named the team’s Randy Gradishar Award winner as best linebacker (1997-98). He scored twice on interceptions, vs. Minnesota as a freshman and vs. Arizona as a sophomore, tying a school-record for interception return TDs. He also tied the school record with five tackles-for-loss in a game (vs. Arizona State in the 1997 Rose Bowl).

As a junior in 1998, Katzenmoyer was a finalist for the Maxwell Football Club’s Defensive Player of the Year Award (in addition to the Lombardi Award) and he anchored the nation’s top-ranked defense against the run and second-ranked unit in total defense.

He was a consensus All-American as a sophomore in 1997 and became only the second sophomore to win the Butkus Award as the nation’s outstanding linebacker. He was a Lombardi Award finalist, ranking second on the team with 97 tackles, including 13 tackles-for-loss. He clinched the Arizona win with a 20-yard interception return touchdown. He had 11 tackles against both Arizona and Iowa.

In 1996 he became the first freshman to start every game at linebacker for the Buckeyes and finished second on the team with 85 tackles and paced the team with 23 tackles-for-loss and sacks (12), both school records for a linebacker.

Katzenmoyer's NFL career per katzenmoyerperformance.com:

In 1999, the New England Patriots drafted Andy 28th overall in the NFL draft. Andy played in every game as a rookie, starting the first 11 at middle linebacker. Andy finished his rookie campaign ranked third on the team with 107 tackles, including 76 solo stops. His 3.5 sacks ranked third on the team. Andy returned his only interception of the season 57 yards for a touchdown – his first career touchdown. To cap off this exceptional year, Andy earned Miller Lite Player of the Game honors for his performance against the Dolphins and was named to the NFL All Rookie Team. Unfortunately, Andy suffered a career-ending injury with the Patriots, and retired from playing football.

Katzenmoyer destroying Missouri's Corby Jones is one of my favorite hits of all-time:

128 days until The Game.