Ohio State On This Date: The Buckeyes Beat Top-Ranked Purdue and Limited Wisconsin's Ron Dayne on Oct. 12

The first game Ohio State played on Oct. 12 was in 1895. The Buckeyes faced Otterbein in Westerville and lost 14-6. This was the second game in the series and the Buckeyes were 0–2 against the Cardinals. However, that was the last game Ohio State lost to Otterbein as the Buckeyes went 13–0–3 over the next 16 games against Otterbein through 1912, the final time OSU played its Central Ohio counterparts.

On this date 56 years ago, Purdue rolled into Ohio Stadium ranked as the No. 1 team in the country and a 13-point favorite. A then-record crowd of 84,712 fans packed Harley's House with tempered expectations on a warm, sunny afternoon as memories of the Buckeyes' 41-6 loss at the hands of the Boilermakers from the season before were still fresh.

Ohio State won the toss, elected to receive the opening kickoff, and drove 73 yards on 13 plays to the Purdue 4-yard line. On 4th-and-goal, Woody Hayes elected to try a field goal, but the attempt sailed wide right.

The remainder of the first half featured three more missed field goals. The Boilermakers missed one and the Buckeyes missed two as the teams went to the locker room scoreless. 

On the fourth play of the second half, Purdue quarterback Mike Phipps tried to connect with Leroy Keyes but Ohio State's Ted Provost jumped the route and raced 35 yards into the end zone. The place-kicking woes continued as the point after was missed to the right. 

Later in the third, the Buckeyes' defense struck again. Jim Stillwagon intercepted Phipps at the Boilermakers' 26-yard line. On the ensuing drive, Rex Kern was injured when he was sacked at the 14. Bill Long stepped in and, on 3rd-and-14, scrambled for a touchdown when he couldn't find an open receiver. The Buckeyes made the extra point this time and led 13-0.

In the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes gave Purdue a gift when Jim Otis – who rushed for a game-high 144 yards – fumbled at the Ohio State 33. The Boilermakers drove inside the 10, but held on downs and did not score. That was the last time Purdue threatened and the Buckeyes won 13-0.

In the locker room, Hayes told reporters "the big play of the game, without question, was Ted Provost's interception." 

Hayes continued: "Let me say this without equivocation, that's the greatest defensive effort I've ever seen. This must rank with the greatest victories we've ever had at Ohio State. To the four coaches and the starters (on defense). They did it. It was unbelievable what they did to a great football team ... I just can't believe the job our defense did."

Those words had to feel good to defensive coaches Lou Holtz, Bill Mallory and Lou McCullough. It should also be noted that Jack Tatum had two sacks, broke up three passes and locked down Keyes.

Games to remember

1996: Buckeyes rein in Dayne, beat battling Badgers

Wisconsin came to Columbus as a 27.5-point underdog. Barry Alvarez's team relished the role and his defense put his Badgers in a position to shock the second-ranked Buckeyes in front of 94,215 in Ohio Stadium.

The Badgers led 7-3 at halftime after they ended the first half with a 10-play, 56-yard touchdown drive that ended with a Cecil Martin 1-yard touchdown run with only 44 seconds left in the second quarter. 

The second half began as poorly as the first half ended for the home team. Dimitrious Stanley caught an 18-yard slant from Stanley Jackson, but Wisconsin's Jason Suttle forced a fumble and the Badgers recovered at the Ohio State 38.

Ohio State's defense held and forced Wisconsin to attempt a 40-yard field goal. The kick was blocked and the ensuing Buckeyes' 77-yard drive was capped off by Pepe Pearson' 1-yard touchdown run, giving Ohio State a 10-7 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin's defense shocked the stadium again when Suttle forced Buster Tillman to fumble at the Buckeyes' 36. The loose ball was picked up by Kevin Huntley who returned it for the scoop and score. Ohio State trailed by four for the second time in the game.

Late in the final stanza, David Boston returned a punt 34 yards to put the Buckeyes near midfield. John Cooper called on Joe Germaine for the first time in the game and on the fifth play of the series, the quarterback from Arizona found Stanley on a hitch. The speedy receiver raced 48 yards for the game-winning score on Germaine's only completion of the game. 

Stanley finished with 10 catches for 199 yards and Ohio State's defense held the great Dayne to 65 rushing yards and zero touchdowns on 21 carries in the 17-14 victory.

1935: The world is introduced to the scarlet scourge

The headline for the Columbus Dispatch's Oct. 13, 1935 sports' page read, "Scarlet Scourge Annihilates Drake". A more apt description of the ass-whooping could not be made. After the Bulldogs scored following a fumble recovery deep in Ohio State territory, Francis Schmidt's Buckeyes reeled off 78 unanswered points for an 85-7 trouncing. 

Did the tall Texan run it up on the visiting team from Iowa? From the Dispatch:

Schmidt, often giving credit for bearing down with all he had could hardly be accused of this Saturday. He used every man on his squad except the cripples.

Maybe Schmidt should have subbed in some of the fans, who might have been wiggling their thumbs.

Stat Superlatives

Five Fun Facts

1. Santonio Holmes has the Ohio Stadium receiving yards record. He caught 10 passes for 224 yards and 2 TDs against Marshall in 2004.
2. The 13-0 victory over Purdue was the first and only time Ohio State has shut out a No. 1-ranked team.
3. Cornelius Green's 146 rushing yards against Wisconsin in 1974 were the most rushing yards by an Ohio State quarterback in a game until Braxton Miller eclipsed that record in the opening game of the 2012 season. 
4. The Buckeyes scored 13 touchdowns and 85 points against Drake, the most in Ohio Stadium history.
5. Ohio State played San Jose State and Drake for the first and only time on this date.