With a loaded roster and a talented head coach, expectations were high for the 1937 season. The Buckeyes shutout six of their eight opponents, but mistakes cost the team a shot at greatness.
Francis Schmidt had started hot out of the gate for Ohio State, going 14–2 in his first two seasons on the sideline in Columbus. In his third campaign, his Buckeyes finished 5–3, despite outscoring opponents 160-27.
Most importantly, Schmidt was 3–0 against the despised Michigan Wolverines.
Needless to say, fans were now flocking to Ohio Stadium, despite the lingering effects of the Great Depression.
| The 1937 Buckeyes | |
|---|---|
| Record | 6–2 |
| B1G Record | 5–1, 2nd |
| Coach | Francis Schmidt (4th year, 25–7) |
| Captains | James McDonald, Ralph Wolf |
Games of Note
September 25th • Texas Christian • Ohio Stadium
TCU was another first opponent for the Buckeyes in an opening game. Adding a twist to this first meeting between the two programs was Schmidt's personal connection to the Horned Frogs.
Prior to arriving in Columbus, Schmidt had coached Texas Christian to five exceptional seasons, accumulating a record of 45–6–5 in Forth Worth. TCU's coach when the teams met that Saturday at Ohio Stadium was Dutch Meyer, who had helped the program to two Southwest Conference titles as Schmidt's top assistant.
Friendship is fine, but Meyer had come to town intent on upsetting his former boss. TCU was led by talented junior quarterback Davey O'Brien – the namesake for the award handed out today to the country's top quarterback.
Fortunately for Ohio State, the weather was not conducive for O'Brien's passing skills. Although the rainy conditions kept both offenses at bay, the Buckeyes were able to overcome the less than ideal conditions with the play of halfbacks Johnny Rabb and Jim Miller.
Rabb finished a second quarter drive with a three-yard touchdown run and Miller was on the receiving end of a 38-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. When the final gun had sounded, Ohio State had a 14–0 victory in the opener of the 1937 season.
TCU was a year away from an 11–0 record, O'Brien winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship. However, on this day, Schmidt and the Buckeyes were the better team.
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEP. 25 | TCU | OHIO STADIUM | W, 14–0 |
| OCT. 2 | PURDUE | OHIO STADIUM | W, 13–0 |
| OCT. 9 | USC | MEMORIAL COLISEUM | L, 12–13 |
| OCT. 23 | NO. 7 NORTHWESTERN | OHIO STADIUM | W, 7–0 |
| OCT. 30 | CHICAGO | STAGG FIELD | W, 39–0 |
| NOV. 6 | INDIANA | OHIO STADIUM | L, 0–10 |
| NOV. 13 | ILLINOIS | OHIO STADIUM | W, 19–0 |
| NOV. 20 | MICHIGAN | MICHIGAN STADIUM | W, 21–0 |
| 6–2, 125–23 |
October 2nd • Purdue • Ohio Stadium
Former Notre Dame end Allen Elward was in his first season at the helm in Purdue when the Boilermakers visited Columbus for a week two tilt.
The schools had not met in 13 years, so at least he although Elward brought a sub-.500 career record with him, he had no part in the Boilermarkers' 0–5 all-time record against the Buckeyes.
With that said, Elward had to feel some pressure to at least score against Ohio State. To this point, the fighting 11 from West Lafayette had been outscored by the Buckeyes 117-0.
Ohio State's defense set the tone in this game, intercepting six Purdue pass attempts. Dick Nardi's interception in the second quarter gave the Buckeyes the ball near midfield. The ensuing drive ended with Nardi running it in from the one yard line to put the good guys up by one score.
In the fourth quarter, Frank Zadworney got in on the thieving action and returned the ball to Purdue's 20-yard line. A few plays later, Fred Crow ended the scoring when he caught a touchdown pass from Mike Kabealo.
The Buckeyes made it six-straight shutouts against Purdue with the 13-0 victory. Ohio State had now outscored the Boilermakers 130-0 in the first six games of the series.
October 9th • USC • Memorial Coliseum
In week three, Ohio State traveled west to Los Angeles for the first time in program history to face Southern Cal in the inaugural meeting between the two schools.
USC entered the game 1–1 following an opening week shutout of Pacific, 40-0, before a home loss to Washington ahead of the Ohio State game.
The backdrop of this contest was the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which had opened 14 years prior. USC's Ambrose Schindler used the stage to display his football skills.
Schindler scored the only points of an uneventful first half and Ohio State went to halftime down 6-0. The Buckeyes would answer in the third quarter when Jim McDonald's first carry of the season capped a' scoring drive when he crossed the goal line from two yards out.
Alex Schoenbaum missed the kick and the game was tied, 6-6. Missed extra points were nothing near automatic for Schmidt's teams at the time and this one would come back to bite the Buckeyes.
After the two teams traded stalled drives, Ohio State struck again midway through the 4th quarter. Dick Nardi was on the receiving end of Mike Kabealo's 28-yard touchdown toss giving Ohio State a 12-6 lead.
This time, Joe Aleskus was called upon to put the ball through the uprights. Like Schoenbaum before him, Aleskus was not up to the task. If you're keeping score at home, that's two missed extra points in as many chances for the Buckeyes in the Coliseum.
USC promptly returned the ensuing kickoff to its own 41-yard line. With time dwindling on the clock, Schindler guided the Trojans to Ohio State's 37. From there, Schindler connected with Bill Anderson for the game-tying 37-yard touchdown pass. Ralph Stanley took advantage of the opportunity and made the point after, handing USC a 13-12 upset.
Ohio State was on the losing end of another one-point game. The common factor in the close losses was missed extra points.
| OPPONENT | STREAK | RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| TCU | W1 | 1–0 |
| PURDUE | W6 | 6–0 |
| USC | L1 | 0–1 |
| NORTHWESTERN | W1 | 11–5 |
| CHICAGO | W6 | 8–2–2 |
| INDIANA | L1 | 12–7–3 |
| ILLINOIS | W3 | 12–12–2 |
| MICHIGAN | W4 | 10–22–2 |
November 13th • Illinois • Ohio Stadium
After the USC loss, Ohio State won two of its next three games. The Buckeyes defeated No. 7 Northwestern, 7-0, and shut out Chicago, 39-0, at Stagg Field, moving up to No. 8 in AP Poll.
Indiana would strike the following week, handing the Buckeyes a 10-0 loss in the Shoe. It would be the Hoosiers' first win against Ohio State in 13 years and cost Schmidt's team the Big Ten title.
Still, there were games to play, and the Buckeyes welcomed Illinois to Ohio Stadium to slug it out for the wooden turtle in mid-November.
McDonald and Nardi were the stars against the Fighting Illini that day. Early in the first quarter, McDonald caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Nick Wasylik to put the Buckeyes up 7-0.
That was all the scoring Ohio State needed, but Nardi added two touchdown runs to give the Buckeyes a 19-0 homecoming victory. McDonald also “scored” a kiss from homecoming queen, Ellen Morley, at halftime.
The series against Illinois was now tied 12–12–2, but the Buckeyes had won three straight games against the Illini and seven of the last eight.
November 20th • Michigan • Michigan Stadium
Francis Schmidt entered “The Game” with a 3-0 record against Michigan. Better yet, the Wolverines had failed to score against Schmidt's Buckeyes in those three games.
This 1937 edition of the greatest rivalry in sports featured cold and snow in Ann Arbor, but the conditions did not impede Ohio State. Jim Miller and Nardi accounted for Ohio State's three touchdowns, while Charlie Ream recorded a safety in the Buckeyes' 21–0 win over the Wolverines.
The fourth straight shutout win by Schmidt sealed Harry Kipke's fate as Michigan's head coach was fired following the loss to Ohio State. Kipke was 10–22 over his final four seasons in Ann Arbor.
Schmidt became the first Ohio State coach to start 4–0 against Michigan. The Buckeyes were now 10–22–2 against the Wolverines.
1936 Recap
- Ohio State played TCU for the for first time.
- The home opener against TCU was only the second time the Buckeyes played in Ohio Stadium during the month of September.
- The Buckeyes improved to 6–0 against Purdue. Every victory was a shutout.
- Ohio State played USC for the first time.
- The Buckeyes won the Illibuck trophy for the third straight year.
- Ohio State kept Michigan from scoring for the fourth straight season.
- The Buckeyes' defense had six shutouts.
- Carl Kaplanoff, Jim McDonald, Ralph Wolf and Gust Zarnas were All-Americans.
The 1937 Buckeyes won six games by shutout, outscoring their opponents 125-23 on the year. Missed extra points against USC and a shocking upset to Indiana at home kept Ohio State away from a league, and possible national championship, however.
In the first season of the AP Poll, Ohio State peaked at No. 8, before eventually ending the season ranked 13th.
