Coming off the program's first national championship in 34 years, things should have been euphoric in Columbus.
Unfortunately, there was a cloud of controversy and uncertainty entering the 2003 season. Ohio State eventually suspended star running back Maurice Clarett for the season due to filing a false police report. The defending champs should have had him in the backfield with eyes on another trophy. Instead, Clarett stood on the outside looking in and never again took the field in a Buckeye uniform.
| The 2003 Buckeyes | |
|---|---|
| Record | 11–2 |
| B1G Record | 6–2, 2nd |
| Coach | Jim Tressel (3rd year, 32–7) |
| CaptainS |
Tim Anderson, Michael Jenkins, Craig Krenzel, Will Smith |
Games of Note
September 13th • #24 NC State • Ohio Stadium
No. 2 Ohio State rode a 16-game winning streak into its matchup with Chuck Amato's 24th-ranked Wolfpack. The first meeting between the schools turned out to be a closer than expected battle.
The Buckeyes had a comfortable 24-7 lead 11:25 left in the fourth quarter. That's when quarterback Philip Rivers sprung to life and guided his team to two touchdowns and a field goal on his team's final three possessions of regulation. He threw the game-tying 5-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Williams with 21 seconds on the clock.
Both teams scored touchdowns during the first two overtimes. Craig Krenzel threw strikes to tight ends Ben Hartsock and Ryan Hamby for the Ohio State scores that enabled his team to extend the game.
The Buckeyes were on offense to start the third overtime and Krenzel and Jenkins hooked-up for a 7-yard touchdown. Ohio State had to go for two as mandated by NCAA overtime rules, but failed. To win, NC State needed to score a touchdown and convert the two-point conversion.
After a couple of plays, the Wolfpack had 1st-and-goal from OSU's 4-yard line. Rivers gained two yards on a sneak, threw an incomplete pass and gained a yard on another sneak. Facing fourth down from the 1-yard line, Amato called for a pitch to T.A. McLendon. A.J. Hawk held McLendon up and Will Allen screamed in and stopped him before he could reach the goal line. The play secured the victory and extended the winning streak to 17 games.
Krenzel threw for 273 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions while Jenkins who finished with 124 yards and two touchdown catches. Hawk led all defenders with 12 tackles and he also had an interception that he returned 55 yards. The interception led to a Mike Nugent field goal.
The Buckeyes held NC State to 21 rushing yards on 30 carries and the Wolfpack's defense held Ohio State to 44 yards rushing on 32 attempts.
In a losing effort, Rivers completed 36-of-52 passes for 315 yards, four touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUG. 30 | NO. 17 WASH. | OHIO STADIUM | W, 28–9 |
| SEP. 6 | SAN DIEGO STATE | OHIO STADIUM | W, 16–13 |
| SEP. 13 | NO. 24 NC STATE | OHIO STADIUM | W, 44–38 3OT |
| SEP. 20 | BOWLING GREEN | OHIO STADIUM | W, 24–17 |
| SEP. 27 | NORTHWESTERN | OHIO STADIUM | W, 20–0 |
| OCT. 11 | NO. 23 WISCONSIN | CAMP RANDALL | L, 10–17 |
| OCT. 18 | NO. 9 IOWA | OHIO STADIUM | W, 19–10 |
| OCT. 25 | INDIANA | MEMORIAL | W, 35–6 |
| NOV. 1 | PENN STATE | BEAVER STADIUM | W, 21–20 |
| NOV. 8 | NO. 14 MICH. ST. | OHIO STADIUM | W, 33–23 |
| NOV. 15 | NO. 11 PURDUE | OHIO STADIUM | W, 16-13 OT |
| NOV. 22 | NO. 5 MICHIGAN | MICHIGAN STADIUM | L, 21–35 |
| JAN. 1 | NO. 8 KANSAS ST. | FIESTA BOWL | W, 35-28 |
| 11–2, 322–229 |
October 11th • #23 Wisconsin • Camp Randall Stadium
Krenzel returned to action for the first time in two games after a sore elbow sidelined him. Scott McMullen filled in to lead Ohio State over Bowling Green and Northwestern and extend the nation's longest winning streak to 19.
For the first time in the 2003 season, No. 3 Ohio State played outside the friendly confines of Ohio Stadium. The Bucks found themselves down 7-3 at halftime and 10-3 after the third quarter against Wisconsin.
Krenzel was rusty over the first 52 minutes but found his groove with just over eight minutes remaining in the game. He was responsible for all 75 yards his team needed to cover in order to tie the game. Krenzel rushed for a yard and completed four passes for 74 more. At the 6:09 mark, he hit Jenkins for a 6-yard touchdown to tie the game at 10.
It appeared Ohio State might be on the path for another heart-pounding comeback victory. Those thoughts were dashed two plays and 49 seconds later when Lee Evans got behind Chris Gamble for a 79-yard game-winning touchdown catch.
Perhaps more upsetting than the 17-10 loss was when Robert Reynolds choked Jim Sorgi and forced Wisconsin's quarterback out of the game.
"He's having a hard time breathing," Barry Alvarez told reporters after the game.
After winning 10 of the 19 games in the streak by seven points or less, the Buckeyes tendency to play with fire finally burnt them. For the first time in just over 22 months, Ohio State and its fans tasted defeat. This was also the team's first Big Ten loss since Illinois defeated the Buckeyes in 2001.
October 18th • Penn State • Beaver Stadium
Lydell Ross scored the first points of the game, but Penn State scored 17 straight to lead No. 8 Ohio State 17-7 at halftime. Things looked bleak at this point for the Buckeyes because an injury knocked Krenzel out of the game near the end of the second quarter.
Jim Tressel turned to McMullen again in relief and the Granville, Ohio, native directed the Buckeyes on an 80-yard touchdown drive to start the second half. Santonio Holmes caught a pivotal 38-yard pass to set-up Jenkins' 4-yard touchdown reception. The score remained 17-14 in favor of PSU for the remainder of the quarter.
A David Kimball 48-yard field goal gave Joe Paterno's squad a little breathing room at with 10:09 left, but Ohio State could still win with a touchdown.
McMullen took the field with 5:55 on the clock and his team on its own 28. Tressel trusted his fifth-year senior enough to have him throw on seven of the 11 plays in the drive, which ended with a 5-yard Jenkins touchdown catch. Nugent's point after gave the Buckeyes their first lead since Ross' touchdown early in the first quarter.
Penn State had 4:20 to come up with a winning drive. The Nittany Lions got to the Ohio State 43-yard line and had time for one more play. Paterno had to decide between throwing for the end zone or attempting a 60-yard field goal. The veteran coach chose to send Kimball out to kick the long field goal. The ball was well struck, but it landed a bit short and to the right.
"I thought it was good," Paterno said of Kimball's kick. "I think the crowd thought it was good, too, and then (the officials) said it was wide. It was a great effort by Kimball."
McMullen was 12-of-17 for 112 yards and two touchdowns in relief duty, and Ross rushed for a game-high 110 yards and a touchdown. Ohio State's defense held the Nittany Lions to 33 rushing yards in the 21-20 victory.
November 15th • #11 Purdue • Ohio Stadium
On a cool and breezy 43-degree Saturday afternoon, 105,286 were in Ohio Stadium to watch No. 10 Purdue take on the fourth-ranked Buckeyes in the home finale.
The teams combined for four field goals in the first half as Ben Jones and Nugent went back and forth. Special teams and defense proved to again be the winning combination for Tressel's team.
B.J. Sander consistently pinned Boilermakers inside the 20. In fact, five of his 10 punts were downed at, or inside the 5-yard line. The pressure finally got to Purdue near the start of the fourth quarter. On 3rd-and-7 from his own 8, Kyle Orton dropped back to pass and Will Smith rushed in and sacked him at the 1. Smith forced a fumble during the play and Mike Kudla recovered for the Buckeyes' only touchdown of the game.
Purdue kept its cool and tied the game nearly seven minutes later. Jerod Void capped off an 8-play, 92-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run. Ohio State had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Purdue blocked Nugent's 41-yard attempt as time expired.
The Boilermakers won the toss and decided to play defense first. Krenzel and company gained six yards on three plays and again called upon Nugent to get three points on the board. This time, his 36-yard attempt split the uprights and gave the Buckeyes a 16-13 lead.
Purdue picked up a first down and reached the 14-yard line. From that point, Ohio State's defense did not allow Orton to complete three consecutive passes. On fourth down Jones missed his field goal attempt wide left and Tressel ball came through again. The Buckeyes were now 4–0 in overtime games.
Jenkins had 123 yards receiving on six receptions and Dustin Fox tallied 10 tackles.
Go here for video of the Purdue game.
| OPPONENT | STREAK | RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| WASHINGTON | W2 | 7–3 |
| SAN DIEGO STATE | W2 | 2–0 |
| NC STATE | W1 | 1–0 |
| BOWLING GREEN | W3 | 3–0 |
| NORTHWESTERN | W24 | 55–13–1 |
| WISCONSIN | L1 | 50–16–5 |
| IOWA | W8 | 42–13–3 |
| INDIANA | W11 | 62–12–5 |
| PENN STATE | W2 | 9–10 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | W2 | 22–12 |
| PURDUE | W3 | 35–11–2 |
| MICHIGAN | L1 | 37–57–6 |
| KANSAS STATE | W1 | 1–0 |
November 22nd • #5 Michigan • Michigan Stadium
The Wolverines jumped out to a 21-0 lead that Ohio State never could overcome in the 100th overall meeting between the two schools.
Playing from behind, Krenzel and McMullen combined for 329 passing yards and Jenkins and Holmes teamed up for 253 yards and two touchdown receptions. However, it was not enough in the 35-21 loss.
"We did not do the things necessary to be a champion, so we tip our hats to Michigan," said Tressel, after his first loss in three tilts against the Wolverines.
Excerpts of the game from USA TODAY:
Chris Perry ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns and John Navarre threw a pair of touchdown passes to Braylon Edwards as fifth-ranked Michigan clinched the Big Ten Conference title with a 35-21 victory over the fourth-ranked Buckeyes in the 100th meeting between the storied rivals.
[...]
The game attracted 112,118, the largest crowd in college football history, and Perry made the most of the spotlight as he shredded a defense ranked first in the nation against the run. He scored on a 30-yard touchdown run on the opening possession of the first half to make it 28-7. After the Buckeyes cut the lead to 28-21 early in the fourth quarter, Perry went around the left side for a 15-yard score that gave the Wolverines some valuable breathing room.
Ohio State's chances of repeating as national champion were gone, but a BCS bowl invitation sat on the horizon.
January 1st • #8 Kansas State • Fiesta Bowl
"We did not want to be a senior class that contributed to a national championship and went out losing their last two games," Krenzel said after the final game of his college career. "We went out and played for pride tonight, to show the country that we belonged in a BCS bowl.
The seventh-ranked Buckeyes proved their worth in a 35-28 victory over No. 10 Kansas State that was not as close as the final score indicated.
Details of the game from the 2015 Ohio State Team Guide:
Craig Krenzel improved to an amazing 24-3 as a starter at Ohio State as the Buckeyes claimed a 35-28 victory over Kansas State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Krenzel overcame two first quarter interceptions to complete 11-of-24 passes for 189 yards and four touchdowns, finding both Michael Jenkins and Santonio Holmes for two scoring strikes each.
The Buckeyes stormed out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, scoring first on special teams before Krenzel hit Holmes and Jenkins to pad the lead, which slipped to 21-7 at the half. After intermission, the Wildcats pulled within seven, but Krenzel and Jenkins teamed up to again to reclaim a two-touchdown lead. Holmes caught his second TD pass from Krenzel and dragged two feet in the back of the end zone to make the score 35-14. Kansas State added two more scores.
Jenkins finished with five receptions for 96 yards, and ended his career with 2,898 career receiving yards. Kansas State out-gained Ohio State 378-337 in total yards, but the Buckeye defense held the Wildcats to 84 yards rushing. Ohio State ran for 148 yards to go with 189 passing yards. Defensively, Robert Reynolds and A.J. Hawk, the Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP, each had 10 tackles to pace the Buckeyes.
Jenkins became Ohio State's all-time leader in receiving yards in the win and Tressel improved to 2-0 in BCS bowl games.
2003 Recap
- Ohio State suspended Maurice Clarett for the season for falsifying a police report.
- Simon Fraser led Ohio State with seven tackles and had a sack in a 28-9 defeat of No. 17 Washington.
- In a 16-13 victory over San Diego State, Will Allen set the stadium record with his 100-yard interception return.
- Craig Krenzel threw for a career-high 273 yards in a triple-overtime victory over No. 24 NC State.
- No. 5 Ohio State beat Bowling Green 24-17, and Maurice Hall rushed for over 100 yards for the first time in his career. Nate Salley had eight tackles in the win.
- The Buckeyes blanked Northwestern 20-0 and earned their 24th straight win over the Wildcats.
- Lee Evans caught a 79-yard touchdown pass to give Wisconsin a 17-10 victory over No. 3 Ohio State. The loss snapped the Buckeyes' 19-game winning streak.
- Michael Jenkins scored a 54-yard touchdown on his first punt return of the season. No. 8 OSU defeated No. 9 Iowa 19-10.
- Lydell Ross rushed for a career-high 167 yards and scored three touchdowns and Santonio Holmes had 153 yards, six catches and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' won 35-6 over Indiana.
- Scott McMullen replaced an injured Craig Krenzel and threw two second-half touchdowns as Ohio State defeated Penn State 21-20. PSU lost five consecutive games for the first time with Joe Paterno as head coach.
- Mike Nugent made four field goals and the Buckeyes defeated No. 14 Michigan State 33-23 in Ohio Stadium.
- Mike Nugent and Mike Kudla were responsible for all of Ohio State's points in the 16-13 victory over No. 10 Purdue.
- Chris Perry rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns as Michigan defeated Tressel for the first time. In the 100th meeting between the schools, Santonio Holmes had 121 receiving yards and Will Allen tallied 14 tackles.
- The seventh-ranked Buckeyes played in Tempe for the second time in as many years and defeated No. 10 Kansas State to win the Fiesta Bowl.
- Will Allen and Will Smith earned All-American honors.
- Will Smith, Chris Gamble, Michael Jenkins, Ben Hartsock, Tim Anderson, B.J. Sander, Darrion Scott, Alex Stepanovich, Will Allen, Craig Krenzel, Drew Carter, Rob Reynolds, Shane Olivea and Adrien Clarke were selected in the NFL Draft.
- Ohio State started the season ranked No. 2, fell to eighth and finished No. 4.
The 2003 Buckeyes faced eight ranked opponents and defeated six of them. Although the team did not repeat as national champs and lost to Michigan for the first time under Jim Tressel's watch, the season ended on a high note with a Fiesta Bowl win against No. 10 Kansas State.
The season also marked the first time since 1913 that the Buckeyes and Illinois did not play.
Fourteen Buckeyes heard their names called In the 2004 NFL Draft, an Ohio State record and seven-round draft record that still stands today.
