Now a 44-year old man, I cut my Buckeye football teeth during the Earle Bruce era.
I've written before that my first true recollection of OSU football fanaticism came as Bruce's squad went up to Ann Arbor in 1981 and beat the Wolverines 14-9 keyed by a 6-yard Art Schlichter touchdown scramble made possible by a Vaughan Broadnax block with about two minutes left in the game.
Schlichter's clincher sent my dad and his watch party into a frenzy as I took it all in as a 7-year old tucked almost underneath the coffee table with space in the living room at a premium.
That year proved a bit of foreshadowing as the Buckeyes went 9-3, something his teams would do six of nine seasons and while if we're being honest that wasn't always palatable, Earle did attract some legendary talent to the program that turned out four Big Ten titles and a 5-4 record against Michigan.
And not only did he bring talent but he bred Buckeyes. Earle was as Buckeye as they come – it was his greatest strength – and he instilled it in his players.
In honor of his passing, here's my effort at ranking the 11 greatest Buckeyes to play for Earle Bruce. Rest easy, coach. You've earned it.
11. DOUG DONLEY - 1977-80
The 11th spot on my list was close to a toss up between receivers Gary Williams and Doug Donley.
Williams still stands fourth all-time in school history with 154 receptions and third in yards with 2,792.
Still, I went with Donley because he led the team in receptions three-straight seasons, something only three other Buckeyes have ever done and two of his seasons featured 800+ receiving yards.
Donley stands 17th in Buckeye lore with 106 catches but seventh in receiving yards with 2,252 because the dude was a big play machine averaging 21.2 yards per catch over his career, good for second place in school annals.
His 16 career touchdowns grabs rank 11th which is icing on the cake.
10. JOHN FRANK - 1980-83
John Frank was a hell of a tight end for the Buckeyes and still holds the school record for career catches (121) and yards (1,481) at the position.
His nine career touchdown grabs are third-most all-time by a Buckeye tight end and maybe his most memorable performance came when it mattered most as he hauled in 10 passes for 123 yards in a 24-21 loss to Michigan in 1983 after a failed trick play sealed Ohio State's fate.
9. JOE LUKENS - 1979-82
Joe Lukens may not be a name some of you young bucks are familiar with since right guards don't dominate the headlines but the dude was a player.
Lukens earned All-Big Ten honors three straight seasons and served as a captain for the 1982 squad.
He was also an academic selection in 1980.
8. TIM SPENCER - 1979-82
Again, some of you young folk may remember Tim Spencer more for his time as the school's running backs coach from 1994-2003 but before that he was a beast of a ball carrier for Earle in the early 80s.
A two-time All-Big Ten performer, Spencer still ranks fourth in school history with 3,553 rushing yards and his 1,538 yards in 1982 still stand as the eighth-most prolific single-season effort by a Buckeye.
A team captain, team MVP and Holiday Bowl MVP during the 1982 season, Spencer ranks ninth all-time at Ohio State with 13 games of at least 100 yards rushing.
7. ART SCHLICHTER - 1978-81
A two-time All-Big Ten performer, Art Schlichter is remembered for his more dubious off-field exploits but he still has the second-most passing yards, 7,547, in school history including a school-record 458 against Florida State in a 1981 loss.
Schlichter's 50 touchdown passes stand sixth all-time in OSU history and his 46 interceptions rank first.
His 17 straight games of at least 100 yards passing are also a school record.
6. JIM LACHEY - 1981-84
Another stat that will shock many of you, Jim Lachey had just four starts under his belt heading into a senior season in which he dominated at left guard on the way to All-American honors and an eventual selection as the 12th pick in the 1985 NFL Draft.
I have him this high on my list which is based on contributions as a Buckeye – and pays no mind to NFL production – because he did earn the noted All-American nod.
5. PEPPER JOHNSON - 1982-85
Pepper Johnson was fun to watch. It's unfortunate he's not more widely celebrated in Buckeye lore but I guess that happens when much of your legit playing time overlaps with fellow linebacker Chris Spielman.
That said, Pepper was a ferocious linebacker who racked up 379 career stops, good for sixth in school history.
The 1985 All-American led the Buckeyes in tackles in both 1984 (140) and 1985 (141) while serving as a two-time captain.
4. MARCUS MAREK - 1979-82
Another underappreciated Buckeye linebacker, Marek was a tackling machine who still sits atop Ohio State's record book with 572 career stops.
A 1982 All-American and three-time All-Big Ten selection, Marek tallied 178 tackles in '82 including 21 stops in that season's Michigan game.
He was also an academic All-American in 1980.
3. CRIS CARTER - 1984-86
Ohio State's first All-American wide receiver, Cris Carter amassed 69 receptions (fourth-most in a single-season) and 1,127 yards (third-most) with 11 touchdowns in a magical 1986 campaign.
In the Rose Bowl the year prior, Carter set a game record with 172 receiving yards on nine grabs.
When Carter left Columbus he owned nine school receiving records and still stands third with 27 touchdown catches, second with 168 receptions and fourth with 2,725 receiving yards.
2. KEITH BYARS - 1982-85
In a breathtaking 1984 season in which he was robbed of the Heisman, Keith Byars led the nation in rushing, scoring and all-purpose yards on the way to All-American honors.
His 1,764 rushing yards that year still stand as the fourth-most in school history in a single-season and his career 3,200 rushing yards are good for seventh-most.
Byars' 46 career rushing touchdowns slot as the second-most in school history while his 22 rushing scores in '84 are the fourth-most in a single-season by a Buckeye.
1. CHRIS SPIELMAN - 1984-87
The only two-time All-American to play for Earle, it's no surprise Chris Spielman headlines my list.
The 1987 Lombardi Award winner, Spielman was also a three-time All-Big Ten performer and his 546 tackles rank third all-time in Buckeye history.
His 283 solo stops still serve as the gold standard for Ohio State linebackers as do his 29 tackles in the 1986 version of The Game.
