As we count down the rich and storied history of Ohio State football, we look back at the 1925 Buckeyes, who snapped the program's streak of losing seasons—if barely.
John Wilce was still on the hot seat as he entered the 1925 season, his 13th in Columbus and the program's 36th season of college football.
His Buckeyes were in the midst of three consecutive losing seasons for the first time in school history. Thankfully, it would be the last time it happened at Ohio State.
| The 1925 Buckeyes | |
|---|---|
| Record | 4–3–1 |
| B1G Record | 1–3–1, 8th |
| Coach | John Wilce (13th Year, 62–26–8) |
| Captain | Harold Cunningham |
Games of Note
October 17th • Columbia • Ohio Stadium
In the first meeting of a home-and-home series between Ohio State and Columbia, the Buckeyes pitched a shutout, taking the contest by a score of 9-0.
The result was regarded as an upset as Columbia, with the largest student body in the nation at the time, was generally regarded as the best team in on the East Coast. The Buckeyes led the Lions in first downs, 12 to 7, and in total yards, 247 to 156.
Wilce complimented his team in the press following the game, which was out of character for the coach, but the win was no doubt a relief due to the mounting pressure he was facing. His Buckeyes were now 2–0–1, finally had a signature win in the Horseshoe, and were poised to snap the string of losing campaigns.
The Lions, then an independent program, would finish the season 6–3–1.
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| OCT. 3 | OHIO WESLEYAN | OHIO STADIUM | W, 10–3 |
| OCT. 10 | CHICAGO | OHIO STADIUM | T, 3–3 |
| OCT. 17 | COLUMBIA | OHIO STADIUM | W, 9–0 |
| OCT. 24 | IOWA | OHIO STADIUM | L, 0–15 |
| OCT. 31 | WOOSTER | OHIO STADIUM | W, 17–0 |
| NOV. 7 | INDIANA | OHIO STADIUM | W, 7–0 |
| NOV. 14 | MICHIGAN | FERRY FIELD | L, 0–10 |
| NOV. 21 | ILLINOIS | OHIO STADIUM | L, 9–14 |
| 4–3–1, 55–45 |
October 24th • Iowa • Ohio Stadium
Iowa (3–0) visited Columbus the following weekend and promptly shut out the Buckeyes, 15-0.
Ohio State remained winless in their series with Iowa, falling to 0–3–1. Worse yet – the Buckeyes fell to 1–8–1 against league foes in the now four-year-old Ohio Stadium.
The promising start to the 1925 season had hit a bump.
November 14th • Michigan • Ferry Field
The Buckeyes bounced back from the loss to Iowa with back-to-back home wins over Wooster and Indiana to improve to 4–1–1 on the season. With two games remaining, a winning season was now guaranteed.
In mid-November, Ohio State traveled to Ann Arbor to play in what would be the Buckeyes' final game on Ferry Field. Wilce had started his Ohio State career 3–0 against the Wolverines, but was in the midst of a three-game losing streak to the Team Up North.
Michigan blocked an Ohio State punt in the first quarter and capitalized on a 4th-and-1 touchdown run. The Wolverines would add a field goal in the second quarter and that would be all they needed, as they held on for a 10-0 victory over the Buckeyes.
Ohio State had now lost four-straight to Michigan and fell to 3–17–2 in the series with the loss.
| OPPONENT | STREAK | RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| OHIO WESLEYAN | W23 | 24–2–1 |
| CHICAGO | T2 | 2–2–2 |
| COLUMBIA | W1 | 1–0 |
| IOWA | L1 | 0–3–1 |
| WOOSTER | W1 | 4–2–2 |
| INDIANA | W1 | 5–6–1 |
| MICHIGAN | L4 | 3–17–2 |
| ILLINOIS | L3 | 4–8–2 |
November 21st • Illinois • Ohio Stadium
The sensational Harold “Red” Grange, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in college football history, visited Columbus for the season finale.
To say there was a buzz for the senior's visit would be an understatement. 84,295 fans – the largest crowd to watch a sporting event in our country's history at the time – packed into Ohio Stadium to watch the Galloping Ghost and his Illini face the Buckeyes.
Living up to the hype, Grange led to Illinois to victory over Ohio State. He threw a 13-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to put his Illini up 14-2 at the half. Late in the third quarter, the Buckeyes scored to make it a five-point game, but Grange stepped up to make two interceptions in the game's final two minutes to seal the win for Illinois.
1925 Recap
- Ohio State played Columbia for the first time, upsetting the favored Lions, 9-0.
- The Buckeyes fell to 0–3–1 against Iowa, lost their fourth-straight against Michigan and their third-straight against Illinois.
- Ohio State played Wooster for the last time, winning 17-0.
- Red Grange played his final game for Illinois at Ohio Stadium in front of a national record crowd.
- Ed Hess was named All-American.
The good news: Ohio State's string of three-straight losing seasons was snapped. The bad news: going 4–3–1 isn't exactly snapping that streak with gusto.
Fans and alumni would have all season to think about the two losses the Buckeyes endured to end the season and Wilce's position would remain tenuous, at best. He needed a strong campaign in 1926.
