Three games removed from its 2003 national championship, Ohio State was still on cloud nine following its first national title since 1970 and seventh overall at the time.
To open the 2003 season, the Buckeyes beat then-No. 17 Washington and San Diego State. But now they had North Carolina State standing in the way of beginning their season 3-0 and keeping their 16-game winning streak intact.
The Wolfpack featured plenty of talent, including quarterback Philip Rivers, wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and defensive end Mario Williams. Rivers went on to be the No. 4 overall pick and Cotchery was a fourth-round selection in the 2004 NFL draft, while Williams was the first overall selection in the 2006 NFL draft.
Without star running back Maurice Clarrett, who was no longer with the team due to an academic scandal during the offseason, Ohio State leaned on its passing attack early and often. The Buckeyes combined to run for just 44 yards on 32 carries as Maurice Hall and Lydell Ross totaled just seven yards on 17 carries.
"Maurice is a great running back," senior wideout Drew Carter said of his teammate. "He would help our team if he was here, but we can't look at the past. We just have to strive forward and work hard every day, so we can do it without him."
With Craig Krenzel behind center, OSU leaned on quick-timing routes and play-action plays. Michael Jenkins, who had a game-high 124 receiving yards and two touchdowns on seven catches, made the first big play of the game, taking a short crossing route for 44 yards and giving Ohio State a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The Buckeyes scored again less than two minutes later after the Wolfpack muffed a punt at the 3-yard line, but OSU didn't score again until a 22-yard field goal by Mike Nugent as the third quarter clock expired following an interception by A.J. Hawk.
Because N.C. State star running back T.A. McLendon – who totaled eight carries for 32 yards – was nursing a strained patella and mainly used as a decoy in the first half, Ohio State's defense consistently dropped seven into coverage to make things tough for Rivers and company while leaning on the front four – Tim Anderson, Simon Fraser, Darrion Scott, and Will Smith – to apply pressure on NC State's backfield.
After Ohio State took a commanding 24-7 lead with 11:25 remaining, N.C. State woke up. Following a fumble on a punt return by Santonio Holmes, the Wolfpack scored 17 unanswered points in the final 8:26 of regulation to force overtime, the first overtime game in Ohio Stadium's storied history dating back 81 years.
After both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, NC State took its first lead of the game on a 2-yard touchdown run by McLendon. The Buckeyes answered with a 2-yard touchdown of their own when Krenzel connected with Ryan Hamby to knot things at 38-38.
Krenzel then found Jenkins for a 7-yard touchdown a few plays later, giving Ohio State the lead once again.
"We do a pretty darn good job of putting the ball in the end zone," Krenzel said following the game, "especially when we're in the red zone."
After Ohio State failed to convert the mandatory two-point conversion, NC State took over trailing by only six points. With three completions by Rivers paired with multiple penalties by the Buckeye defense, the Wolfpack had a 1st-and-goal just four yards away from the end zone. While NC State tried some trickery with plenty of motions, OSU stood tall, forcing the Wolfpack to try and convert a 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line. McLendon took the toss from Rivers and seemed like he had a shot at the end zone until Will Allen came out of nowhere, stopping the NC State running back right before he reached over the goal line to secure the 44-38 win, OSU's second win against a ranked opponent in the first three games of the 2003 season.
"(I knew) he wasn't in," said Allen after the game, a senior who would earn All-America honors that fall. "I just got him low and came up."
Jim Tressel was proud of the way his team performed in the triple-overtime thriller that Saturday afternoon.
"What a great football game we witnessed today," he said after the game. "Two teams went after it, played their hearts out and it ends on the half-yard line. What a fitting end for the effort given by both teams."
While dueling with a future first-round pick, Krenzel completed 26-of-36 passes for 273 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions and ran for 37 yards and a touchdown as well. Rivers, on the other hand, completed 36-of-52 passes for 315 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.
Ohio State vs. NC State 2003 was one of the craziest games played in the shoe!!
— Buckeye Talk (@TalkingBuckeyes) July 12, 2024
Ohio State finished the 2003 season 11-2, with losses to Wisconsin and Michigan – Tressel's only loss to the Wolverines – but beat Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl to conclude the season.
