As we countdown the rich and storied history of Ohio State football, we look back at the 1933 Buckeyes, the last season for Sam Willaman.
The rumblings from the media, fans and alumni were at an all-time high entering the 1933 season. Head coach Sam Willaman had won 19 games in his four seasons in Columbus, but had had never finished above fourth place in the Big Ten, falling well short of the expectations set by his predecessor, John Wilce.
1933 was shaping up as a huge season for the native of Salem, Ohio. He needed wins – and better yet, a league championship – to placate his critics.
| The 1933 Buckeyes | |
|---|---|
| Record | 7–1 |
| B1G Record | 4–1, 2nd |
| COACH | Sam Willaman (5th year, 26–10–5) |
| Captain | Joe Gailus, Sid Gillman |
Games of Note
October 7th • Virginia • Ohio Stadium
In a move you would never see happen today, Ohio State allowed more than 30,000 high school students from around the state free admission to watch the first game between the Buckeyes and Virginia. The throngs of prep students led to a new record crowd of 42,001 to watch an Ohio State home opener.
On the field, the Buckeyes treated Virginia as if they were a high school team by scoring 11 touchdowns in a 75-0 drubbing. Another impressive feat is that nine different Ohio State players crossed the goal line.
To say the game was ugly is an understatement. It was so bad, Virginia has never played Ohio State again. Can you blame them?
October 14th • Vanderbilt • Ohio Stadium
Two years earlier, Vanderbilt came to Columbus and shocked the Buckeyes, 26-21. Willaman and his troops did not want a repeat performance.
Ohio State's defense played inspired and not only kept the Commodores from scoring, but kept them from crossing midfield. The 20-0 Ohio State victory was much more lopsided than the score indicated as Ohio State's starters played sparingly after the Buckeyes jumped out to a two-score lead on their first two possessions.
This game also featured a Rudy moment of sorts for Ohio State, as 145-pound reserve linebacker Sam Drakulich returned a fourth-quarter interception to inside Vandy's 10-yard line, bringing the crowd of 21,358 to their feet.
Like Virginia, this was the last time Ohio State and Vanderbilt played on the gridiron. The Buckeyes ended the series with a 3–1 advantage over the SEC program from Nashville.
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| OCT. 7 | VIRGINIA | OHIO STADIUM | W, 75–0 |
| OCT. 14 | VANDERBILT | OHIO STADIUM | W, 20–0 |
| OCT. 21 | MICHIGAN | MICHIGAN STADIUM | L, 0–13 |
| OCT. 28 | NORTHWESTERN | OHIO STADIUM | W, 12–0 |
| NOV. 4 | INDIANA | OHIO STADIUM | W, 21–0 |
| NOV. 11 | PENN | FRANKLIN FIELD | W, 20–7 |
| NOV. 18 | WISCONSIN | CAMP RANDALL STADIUM | W, 6–0 |
| NOV. 25 | ILLINOIS | OHIO STADIUM | W, 7–6 |
| 7–1, 161–26 |
October 21st • Michigan • Michigan Stadium
Week three saw a battle of unbeatens as 2–0 Ohio State clashed with 2–0 Michiagan in the Big House. Ohio State had outscored its first two opponents to the tune of 95-0. Meanwhile, the Wolverines were playing well on both offense and defense as they had defeated Michigan State and Cornell by a combined score of 60-6.
It was homecoming in Ann Arbor and the Wolverines took the field in front of 82,606.
Playing in 80-degree heat, the Ohio State defense gave it everything it had, but Willaman's anemic offense reared its ugly head. The Buckeyes would only gain three first downs in the 13-0 loss.
A recap of the game from The Columbus Dispatch:
Michigan rose to the occasion here this afternoon and knocked Ohio State's challenge for Western Conference football honors to all parts of the gridiron. there was not a single department of the game in which Harry Kipke's championship squad demonstrated any weakness.
After the game Willaman refused to talk to reporters as he knew the questions would revolve around the offensive futility. Ohio State now trailed the series 6–22–2 and the quest for its first Big Ten title since 1920 appeared to be in trouble.
October 28th • Northwestern • Ohio Stadium
The following week, the Buckeyes returned home in search of its first win over Northwestern in Ohio Stadium. Fans, hoping to see Ohio State's offense come to life, left the game disappointed. For the second straight game, the Buckeyes failed to score on offense.
However, Ohio State's special teams and defense did their part.
Punter John Kabealo had 16 punts in the game. None was bigger than the punt Northwestern's Harry Leeper muffed in the first quarter. Leeper fumbled the ball into the end zone, and Ohio State's Stan Pincura pounced on it to give the good guys a quick 6-0 lead.
| OPPONENT | STREAK | RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| VIRGINIA | W1 | 1–0 |
| VANDERBILT | W1 | 1–1 |
| MICHIGAN | L2 | 6–22–2 |
| NORTHWESTERN | W2 | 8–4 |
| INDIANA | W1 | 9–6–3 |
| PENN | W2 | 2–0 |
| WISCONSIN | W1 | 6–4–2 |
| ILLINOIS | W4 | 9–11–2 |
The scoring would end in the second quarter when future NFL Hall-of-Famer Sid Gillman snagged a fumble and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown. The 12-0 win gave Ohio State consecutive victories over Northwestern and the Buckeyes their first ever win over the Wildcats at Ohio Stadium.
November 11th • Penn • Franklin Field
Ohio State was coming off a 21-0 victory over Indiana and had four shutouts on the season. The Buckeyes were hoping to keep the shutout streak alive.
In front of approximately 40,000 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, including Pop Warner, the Buckeyes' defense came close to its third-straight clean sheet. Ohio State beat the Quakers 20-7 and ended the series with a 2–0 lead.
November 25th • Illinois • Ohio Stadium
How do you add excitement to a season finale? Bring a gun to the Horseshoe, of course.
The Fighting Illini trailed Ohio State 7-6 late in the game. However, Illinois faced a 4th down at the Buckeyes' 13-yard line with about a minute left. Things looked grim for the home team. That's when a fan with a gun fired a blank in the air. The shot sounded exactly like the official's gun to end the game. When the gun fired, Ohio State and Illinois players left the field believing the game was over.
Officials realized there was still time on the clock and ushered the teams back to the playing field. David Cook, who earlier in the game had his game-tying extra point attempt blocked, lined up for the game-winning field goal. Cook's attempt was low and left.
This time when the gun fired, Ohio State officially defeated the Illini for the fourth-straight game.
Willaman Quits
Willaman saved his best season as Ohio State's head coach for his last. Although he accumulated a decent overall record of 26–10–2, his downfall was the Big Ten. With Willaman at the helm, the Buckeyes were 14–8–4 in the league and never sniffed a Big Ten title.
The growing grumblings from fans and alumni about his offensive strategies and struggles also added weight for Willaman to leave. Several weeks after the season, the battered coach let the Athletic Board know he was going to search for a new team.
On January 30, 1934, Sam Willaman officially resigned from Ohio State to take the same job at Western Reserve. An interesting note is that Western Reserve was already scheduled as Ohio State's fifth opponent for the 1934 season.
1933 Recap
- Ohio State played Virginia for the first time. The schools have never met again after the 75-0 victory.
- The Buckeyes played Vanderbilt for the last time and kept them from crossing midfield.
- Ohio State ended a home-and-home with Penn. The Buckeyes won the two contests by a combined score of 29-7.
- The Buckeyes won their fourth-straight game – the longest streak to that point – against Illinois.
- Ohio State played Illinois in the season finale of the regular season for the last time.
- Opponents only scored 26 points against Ohio State's defense.
- The Buckeyes finished the 1933 season with a five-game winning streak and Willaman's best record (7–1).
- Willaman resigned as head coach of The Ohio State University in January of 1934.
The 1933 Buckeyes finished with a respectable 7–1 record, but failed for the 14th-straight season to win the Big Ten title. The defense was stout all season only allowing 26 points, but the offense struggled again.
With Willaman's resignation, Ohio State's athletic department was on the search for a new coach. There wasn't a front-runner at the time, but the university knew the fans and alumni wanted an offensive-minded man to lead the team in 1934 and beyond.
