Ohio State entered the 1938 season with high hopes, having run a Michigan coach out of town following four defeats at the hands of the Buckeyes.
Francis Schmidt was 25–7 in his first four seasons as Ohio State's head coach but he wanted more.
Buckeye greats Gomer Jones and Sid Gillman joined the staff prior to that season, and with a roster bursting with talent – quarterback Mike Kabealo, tackles Joe Aleskus, Karl Kaplanoff and Alex Schoenbaum, along with fullback Jim Langhurst, to name just a few of the stars – Schmidt hoped the 1938 season would be the one to put his team over the top in its quest for a national championship.
As things played out, the season didn't go exactly as Schmidt had envisioned, however.
| The 1938 Buckeyes | |
|---|---|
| Record | 4–3–1 |
| B1G Record | 3–2–1, 6th |
| Coach | Francis Schmidt (5th year, 29–10–1) |
| Captains | Michael Kabealo, Carl Kaplanoff |
Games of Note
October 8th • USC • Ohio Stadium
A week after a less than stellar 6-0 opening game victory over Indiana, the Buckeyes welcomed USC to the Ohio Stadium.
The Trojans brought a 1–1 record to town, following a 19-7 loss to Alabama in their opener before bouncing back to beat Oregon State, 7-0.
Missed extra points were the culprit in Ohio State's one-point loss to USC in 1937. In the rematch, the Buckeyes would dominate everything but the scoreboard.
Ohio State opened by going three-and-out on their first possession. USC quarterback, Grenville Lansdell, returned the ensuing punt 85 yards to put the Trojans up early, 7-0.
In the second quarter, Ohio State's Keith Bliss blocked a USC punt. The short field set the Buckeyes up and fullback Jim Langhurst blasted through the line from one yard out to tie things up, 7-7.
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| OCT. 1 | INDIANA | OHIO STADIUM | W, 6–0 |
| OCT. 8 | USC | OHIO STADIUM | L, 7–14 |
| OCT. 15 | NORTHWESTERN | DYCHE STADIUM | T, 0–0 |
| OCT. 22 | CHICAGO | OHIO STADIUM | W, 42–7 |
| OCT. 29 | NY UNIVERSITY | POLO GROUNDS | W, 32–0 |
| NOV. 5 | PURDUE | OHIO STADIUM | L, 0–12 |
| NOV. 12 | ILLINOIS | MEMORIAL STADIUM | W, 32–14 |
| NOV. 19 | NO. 17 MICHIGAN | OHIO STADIUM | L, 0–18 |
| 4–3–1, 119–65 |
Southern Cal scored in the third quarter to retake the lead, and the Buckeyes were unable to seriously threaten after that.
The final: USC 14, Ohio State 7.
The Buckeyes owned the stat book on the afternoon, outgaining USC 257 yards to 137 and racking up 14 first downs to just five for the Trojans.
Howard Jones, USC's coach, was a native of Excello, Ohio. Jones spent one season as Ohio State's head coach in 1910, finishing his lone season in Columbus with a 6–1–3 record.
Jones' boys would finish 9–2 in 1938, ending the season ranked No. 7 following a 7-3 Rose Bowl victory over No. 3 Duke.
Before retiring in 1940, Jones amassed 121 wins, seven Pacific Coast Conference titles and five Rose Bowl victories. The son of Ohio – who coached the great John Wayne in Los Angeles – was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.
October 29th • New York University
Ohio State “bounced back” from the loss against USC by tying No. 18 Northwestern in a scoreless game in Evanston and then trouncing Chicago, 42-7, in the Shoe to improve to 2–1–1.
Schmidt's team had risen to No. 20 in the AP Poll and were headed east to face NYU at the Polo Grounds.
The Buckeyes started slow, but got the scoring machine rolling in the second quarter. Powered by a precision passing game, Ohio State put up five touchdowns and plucked the Violets, 32-0.
This completed the home-and-home arrangement with NYU, started in 1936, with the Buckeyes outscoring the Violets 92-0 in the two meetings.
| OPPONENT | STREAK | RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| INDIANA | L2 | 12–8–3 |
| PURDUE | L1 | 6–1 |
| USC | L2 | 0–2 |
| NORTHWESTERN | T1 | 11–5–1 |
| CHICAGO | W7 | 9–2–2 |
| NY UNIVERSITY | W2 | 2–0 |
| PURDUE | L1 | 6–1 |
| ILLINOIS | W4 | 13-12-2 |
| MICHIGAN | L1 | 10–23–2 |
November 5th • Purdue • Ohio Stadium
Ohio State welcomed Purdue to town for a week six clash holding a 6–0 series edge and having outscored the Boilermarkers 130-0 in those games.
However, Purdue played like the dominant team on this early November Saturday.
From The Columbus Dispatch:
Machine-like precision, superior line and backfield speed, keener thinking, better choice and execution of plays and a better-rounded team were combined to produce a more cohesive organization and carry Purdue's black-shirted Boilermakers to a convincing 12 to 0 victory over Ohio State Saturday in the stadium.
A shocked crowd of over 54,000 left Ohio Stadium after having witnessed Purdue upset the favored Buckeyes. It was a Dad's Day debacle.
November 12th • Illinois • Memorial Stadium
If the Buckeyes spent extra time on Illinois instead of preparing for Purdue, it worked. Ohio State dominated the Illini on both sides of the ball.
With the line getting a push, Langhurst accounted for three of the five Buckeye touchdowns. The 32-14 victory was Ohio State's fourth straight win against Illinois. The Buckeyes had now won eight of the last nine games in the series and Illibuck had firmly established residency in the state of Ohio.
November 19th • Michigan • Ohio Stadium
Schmidt secured his place in Ohio State history by defeating Michigan with shutouts the first four times he faced them. The beatings were so regular, the Wolverines were forced to make a change following the end of the 1937 season.
Harry Kipke was out, after going 3–6 against the Buckeyes. In was Illinois native Fritz Crisler, who had gone 35–9–5 in six seasons at Princeton. Crisler had cut his teeth as a top assistant to the great Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Chicago. He was being groomed for the Maroons job, but jumped ship when Minnesota gave him the athletic director and head football coaching positions in 1930.
Crisler brought the winged helmet design with him from Princeton and the Wolverines have worn the distinctive crowns every year since their debut in 1938. Ugly then. Ugly today.
Michigan had little trouble with Ohio State in this contest. The Wolverines picked up touchdowns from Tom Harmon, Ed Frutig and Fred Tosko on the way to an 18-0 victory. The loss was the largest margin of defeat for Schmidt as Ohio State's head coach.
Ohio State now trailed Michigan 10–23–2 in the series.
1938 Recap
- The Buckeyes battled USC in Ohio Stadium for the first time.
- Ohio State played NYU for the last time and ended the series with a 2–0 record.
- The Buckeyes lost to Purdue for the first time.
- Ohio State won its fourth straight against Illinois.
- A Francis Schmidt coached team lost to Michigan for the first time.
- The Buckeyes only won four games, the fewest since 1932.
- An Ohio State player was not named to the All-American team.
- Alex Schoenbaum, Carl Kaplanoff and Joe Aleskus were selected in the NFL Draft.
Ohio State finished 4–3–1 in 1938, good enough for seventh in the Big Ten.
Despite an impressive overall record and a 4–1 mark against Michigan, Schmidt's schemes and innovations weren't quite as innovative as they had seemed when he first arrived and his cursing and iron grip coaching style was concerning for members of the athletic department.
