Before every Ohio State football game, we’re taking a look back at the Buckeyes’ history of playing on that date.
Trivia Time
On Nov. 11, 1891, Ohio State played Western Reserve for the first time. How many consecutive games did Western Reserve defeat the Buckeyes to begin the 12-game series?
Scroll down to item #1 in Five Fun Facts for the answer.
The first game Ohio State played on Nov. 11 was the 1891 season opener. The Buckeyes hosted Western Reserve at Recreation Park and were smacked around in a 50-6 loss. This was the fifth game in Ohio State's young history and marked the fourth consecutive loss for the Buckeyes at the time.
A battle of AP top-15 teams took place in Ohio State’s most recent game on this date in 2017, which was against Michigan State just like tonight’s game. The 13th-ranked Spartans traveled to Columbus to take on No. 11 Ohio State.
Coming into this contest, the two schools had split the last six games played in the series, with the Spartans spoiling the Buckeyes' championship aspirations in 2013 and 2015, when Michigan State beat Ohio State at Ohio Stadium on a game-winning field goal as time expired. This time around, Urban Meyer's team took out some frustrations.
J.T. Barrett accounted for four touchdowns and Mike Weber rushed for 162 yards and two scores as the Buckeyes waxed the boys in green and white, 48-3.
Since dropping the heartbreaker in 2015, Ohio State has won seven consecutive games against Michigan State. The Buckeyes will look to make it eight in a row tonight.
| YEAR | MATCHUP | LOCATION | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #1 Ohio State vs. Michigan State | Columbus, Ohio | TBD |
| 2017 | #11 Ohio State vs. #13 Michigan State | Columbus, Ohio | 48–3 |
| 2006 | #1 Ohio State at Northwestern | Evanston, Illinois | 54–10 |
| 2000 | #13 Ohio State at Illinois | Champaign, Illinois | 24–21 |
| 1995 | #2 Ohio State vs. Illinois | Columbus, Ohio | 41–3 |
| 1989 | Ohio State vs. Iowa | Columbus, Ohio | 28–0 |
| 1978 | Ohio State vs. Illinois | Columbus, Ohio | 45–7 |
| 1972 | #5 Ohio State at Michigan State | East Lansing, Michigan | 12–19 |
| 1967 | Ohio State vs. Wisconsin | Columbus, Ohio | 17–15 |
| 1961 | #3 Ohio State at Indiana | Bloomington, Indiana | 16–7 |
| 1950 | #2 Ohio State vs. #15 Wisconsin | Columbus, Ohio | 19–14 |
| 1944 | #2 Ohio State vs. Pittsburgh | Columbus, Ohio | 54–19 |
| 1939 | #9 Ohio State at Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | 61–0 |
| 1933 | Ohio State at Penn | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 20–7 |
| 1922 | Ohio State vs. Chicago | Columbus Ohio | 9–14 |
| 1916 | Ohio State vs. Indiana | Columbus, Ohio | 46–7 |
| 1911 | Ohio State vs. Kenyon | Columbus, Ohio | 24–0 |
| 1905 | Ohio State at Michigan | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 0–40 |
| 1899 | Ohio State vs. Marietta | Columbus, Ohio | 17–0 |
| 1896 | Ohio State vs. Ohio Medical | Columbus, Ohio | 0–0 |
| 1893 | Ohio State vs. Akron | Columbus, Ohio | 32–18 |
| 1891 | Ohio State vs. Western Reserve | Columbus, Ohio | 6–50 |
| Overall Record on Nov. 11: 16-4-1 | |||
Games to remember
1950: Ohio State takes advantage of Wisconsin gamble
A 2 p.m. kickoff in front of bundled-up fans in Ohio Stadium set the stage for two teams vying for the Big Ten title. Wisconsin's quarterback, Johnny Coatta, was not bothered by the cold as he started the game by completing 10 straight passes. Behind Coatta's accurate arm, the Badgers led 7-6 as the teams left the field at halftime.
Late in the third quarter, Ohio State’s Tony Curcillo connected with Tom Watson for a 22-yard touchdown pass. Vic Janowicz was off the mark on the extra point, but for the first time in the game, Ohio State led 12-7.
The score remained the same in the fourth quarter when Ivy Williamson, Wisconsin's head coach, decided to gamble deep in his own territory. The Badgers faced fourth-and-inches near their own 20-yard line, and the Buckeyes' defensive line stuffed Coatta's sneak. Ohio State took advantage of the field position, and Janowicz's 3-yard touchdown run put the home team up 19-7. The Buckeyes held on for a 19-14 victory.
When asked about the fourth down play near his own 20-yard line, Willamson didn't hold back.
"We were playing to win. We weren't playing to keep down the score," said Williams, an Ohio native and Michigan alum. "What the heck, if we'd punted to that Janowicz, he'd been right down there on us again anyway."
1933: Ohio State wins its final game vs. Penn
Led by the hard-running of Dick Heekin and Jack Smith, along with the hard-hitting of Ted Rosequist, Ohio State left Franklin Field with a 20-6 victory over the Penn Quakers, who the Buckeyes have not played again in the 90 years since.
Smith accounted for two of the Buckeyes' touchdowns as he whirled around and through the Quakers' defensive stalwarts. Rosequist was a menace as he hunted down and tackled Penn ballcarriers throughout the day. Ohio State's defense allowed an opponent to score for only the second time in six games.
The legendary Pop Warner was among the 40,000 in attendance to watch the final game played between Ohio State and Penn. The Buckeyes ended the series with a 2-0 record against the Quakers.
Stat Superlatives
| Stat | Number | Game |
|---|---|---|
| Points Scored | 61 | Chicago, 1939 |
| Passing Yards | 251 | Illinois, 2000 |
| Completions | 23 | Illinois, 2000 |
| Rushing Yards | 409 | Illinois, 1995 |
| Total Yards | 527 | Illinois, 1995 |
| Fewest Yards Allowed | 114 | Chicago, 1939 |
| Fewest Points Allowed | 0 |
Iowa, 1989 Four other times |
| Stat | Player | Number | Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | Steve Bellisari | 251 | Illinois, 2000 |
| Passing Touchdowns | Troy Smith | 4 | Northwestern, 2006 |
| Rushing Yards | Eddie George | 314 | Illinois, 1995 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | Art Schlichter | 3 | Illinois, 1978 |
| Receptions | Jonathan Wells | 5 | Illinois, 2000 |
| Receiving Yards | Billy Anders | 93 | Wisconsin, 1967 |
| Receiving Touchdowns |
Brian Hartline Darnell Sanders |
2 |
Northwestern, 2006 Illinois, 2000 |
| Total Touchdowns | Troy Smith | 4 | Northwestern, 2006 |
| Touchdowns Scored | Art Schlichter | 3 | Illinois, 1978 |
| Yards from Scrimmage | Mike Weber | 162 | Michigan State, 2017 |
Five Fun Facts
- Western Reserve won the first five games in the series against Ohio State and is the only team from Ohio that holds a winning record against the Buckeyes (6-5-1).
- Ohio State played Chicago for the 14th and final time on this date in 1939.
- Ohio State's 61-0 victory over Chicago marked the most points scored and the largest margin of victory for the Buckeyes in the series' history.
- Chic Harley and his brother Bill were in attendance for the Wisconsin game in 1950.
- Today marks the 22nd time Ohio State has played on this date, making Nov. 11 the day the Buckeyes have played the most regular-season games.
