As we count down the rich and storied history of Ohio State football, we look back at the 1921 Buckeyes, who suffered a shocking home loss to a small liberal arts school in Ohio.
It's 1921. Ohio State is fresh off the program's first Rose Bowl trip and Ohio Field will serve as the home stadium for the Buckeyes for the final season.
In August, construction began on Ohio Stadium, projected to hold 30,000 for a price tag of $1.3 million. When it's completed, it holds 60,000 for just a little under $1.5 million.
The 32nd season of Ohio State football would feature plenty of highs, but also a few lows, including an upset loss to a tiny school in Northeast Ohio, and a gut-wrenching loss to a rival in Ohio Field's final game.
| The 1921 Buckeyes | |
|---|---|
| Record | 5–2 |
| B1G Record | 4–1, 2nd |
| Coach | John Wilce (9th Year, 50-12-3) |
| Captain | Cyril Myers |
Games of Note
October 8th • Oberlin • Ohio Field
After opening the season with a resounding 49-0 victory over Ohio Wesleyan, the Buckeyes welcomed Oberlin, a small liberal arts college near Cleveland, to Ohio Field.
Ohio State, heavily favored, had only managed to build a 6-0 lead over Yeomen in the third quarter, when disaster struck. Starting from its own 15-yard line, Oberlin moved the ball 85 yards to take the lead and held on to make it final.
The Ohio State Journal on the game:
The real story of what happened is brief. The Buckeye eleven entered the contest confident that no matter what happened Ohio State would win. Oberlin licked the Buckeyes in a fair and square manner and deserved the victory. From the middle of the initial period until the close of the contest Oberlin outplayed Ohio State in every department of the game.
This would be the last time Ohio State lost a football game to a school from Ohio.
| Date | OPPONENT | LOCATION | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| OCT. 1 | OHIO WESLEYAN | OHIO FIELD | W, 49–0 |
| OCT. 8 | OBERLIN | OHIO FIELD | L, 6–7 |
| OCT. 15 | MINNESOTA | OHIO FIELD | W, 27–0 |
| OCT. 22 | MICHIGAN | FERRY FIELD | W, 14–0 |
| NOV. 5 | CHICAGO | STAGG FIELD | W, 7–0 |
| NOV. 12 | PURDUE | OHIO FIELD | W, 28–0 |
| NOV. 19 | ILLINOIS | OHIO FIELD | L, 0–7 |
| 5-2, 110–14 |
October 22nd • Michigan • Ferry Field
Michigan rededicated Ferry Field on the date of the game as the capacity was expanded from 25,000 to 45,000.
Fortunately, the party would be brief.
John Stuart and Charles Taylor scored as the Buckeyes handed the Wolverines a 14-0 shutout loss. This was the third-straight season in which John Wilce had bested the great Fielding Yost.
After starting the series 0–13–2, the Ohio State–Michigan series was starting to become a rivalry.
November 19th • Illinois • Ohio Field
Despite the shocking early season loss to Oberlin, Ohio State bounced back to win their next four league games – outscoring opponents 76-0 – and welcomed Illinois for a chance at another championship.
Better yet, the Illini entered the game winless in conference play. Oh, and they hadn't managed to score any points, either.
Needless to say, the Buckeyes were heavy favorites.
| OPPONENT | STREAK | RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| OHIO WESLEYAN | W19 | 20-2-1 |
| OBERLIN | L1 | 12-10-3 |
| MINNESOTA | W1 | 1-0 |
| MICHIGAN | W3 | 3-13-1 |
| CHICAGO | W2 | 2-0 |
| PURDUE | W3 | 3-0 |
| ILLINOIS | L1 | 3-5-2 |
In a twist, Illinois coach Robert Zuppke had his 11 play both sides of the ball against the Buckeyes. His troops were gassed, with Ohio State holding a 251-128 edge in total yards and a 14 to 5 advantage in first downs, but the strategy paid off, as the Buckeyes were unable to find the end zone and Illinois held on for a shocking 7-0 upset win on homecoming.
Harvey Woodruff, writing for the Chicago Tribune, was so inspired by the gutty effort out of Illinois that he coined a new term for the program, the “Fighting Illini,” after Illinois held off the onslaught of 33 different Ohio State players. To this day, the University of Illinois athletic teams play under the moniker Woodruff bestowed upon them that November Saturday.
1921 Recap
- Ohio State played Minnesota for the first time in school history.
- The Buckeyes lost to an in-state opponent (Oberlin) for the last time.
- The final season at historic Ohio Field.
- Ohio State beat Michigan for the third-straight season.
- Iolas Huffman and Cyril Myers were named to the All-American team.
The Ohio State defense of 1921 surrendered just two touchdowns and 14 points—for the season. Unfortunately, those points were good enough to hand the Buckeyes two losses.
