Places and people often have a funny way of finding paths back to each other over the course of time.
Former Ohio State running back Eddie George experienced this exact phenomenon just last weekend.
Roughly 15 years after his retirement from the NFL with a few media credits along the way ranging from Big Ten Network to Broadway, the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner finally got his football coaching career started in 2021 at Tennessee State. George earned the Big South-OVC Coach of the Year Award for his team's 9-4 effort during his fourth season. A few months later, he would make the jump to the FBS ranks after accepting a job once held by Urban Meyer in the form of the head coaching position at Bowling Green State University.
As one can imagine given the school finds itself only a two-hour drive away from Ohio State, the two football programs have no doubt shared some overlaps over the course of their existences. Fittingly enough, the Falcons actually conceded George's first collegiate touchdown when the Buckeyes hosted BGSU early in the 1992 season.
Although Ohio State's dominance over in-state opponents has persisted for beyond a century at this point, George's touchdown served as a pivotal moment in a game the Buckeyes unexpectedly trailed in for a large stretch of the first half. Neither team managed to score during the first quarter, but just five seconds into the second period, Bowling Green scored a rushing touchdown from nine yards out to go up 6-0 before missing the extra point.
Kirk Herbstreit had waited until his senior season to finally become the outright starter at quarterback for the Buckeyes, and his campaign had not gotten off to a strong start. A week earlier, he and Ohio State had survived a scare at home against Louisville in which he completed 16 of his 20 passing attempts and finished the game with over 200 total offensive yards, but two of his incompletions resulted in crucial interceptions. The Buckeyes only trailed for less than a minute total in the game, but escaped their season-opener by a 20-19 final score.
One week later, Herbstreit still had not found his groove and encountered additional adversity after limping off the field following OSU's first possession of the day. He would ultimately end the afternoon against the Falcons completing just seven of his 15 throws for 57 yards, lost 15 yards rushing on four carries and would not create his first score of the season until the following game against Syracuse.
Ohio State finally got some offensive momentum going midway through the second quarter, feeling the urgency to capture the lead prior to halftime. The Buckeyes drove to the one-yard line and then found themselves with a plethora of options for a pivotal plunge on third down and goal.
Head coach John Cooper had distributed carries fairly evenly the week prior among his running back room, and that trend continued into the next week's contest. Rob Smith, Jeff Cothran and Butler B'ynote' — whom the OSU media guides incorrectly referred to as "By'not'e" throughout his Buckeye career because he never bothered to correct them — all received at least eight carries against Louisville. None of them had a particularly outstanding performance in the opener, especially considering the best play on the ground that day was a 50-yard end-around touchdown scored by Joey Galloway. As for George, he received just one carry that went for three yards.
Thus, Cooper's running back committee persisted against Bowling Green. Smith was unavailable for the game, and so Ohio State had to lean on Cothran and B'ynote' in addition to Raymont Harris. Harris ended up finishing the game with the most carries out of that trio, but Smith's absence also opened up an opportunity for young George to see some additional work.
George answered the call from Cooper on that crucial third down. On just the second carry of his collegiate career, he received the hand-off from Herbstreit and leapt into the air for the first score in what would ultimately become one of the most acclaimed running back stories in Ohio State history.
Quite the full circle moment with Eddie George taking over as the Head Coach at Bowling Green.
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) March 9, 2025
In a career full of accolades and a Heisman trophy. It all started for George against the Falcons.
In 1992 Eddie George scored his first collegiate touchdown against.... BGSU: pic.twitter.com/DJ7m3Roc9M
The Buckeyes seized the lead following the extra point and never relinquished it. The 12-play, 60-yard drive gave Ohio State the jolt of confidence the team needed to overcome its in-state competitors, and the defense led by team captain Steve Tovar never allowed the Falcons to put any additional points on the board. The Buckeyes added a field goal and another touchdown in the third quarter before dedicating themselves to milking the clock to earn a 17-6 victory in the second win of the 1992 season.
Although George ultimately finished the afternoon as the leader among running backs in yards per carry, he caused a bit of a scare with just over three minutes left in the game when he fumbled the ball away on his first touch following his earlier score. Thankfully, OSU defensive back Marlon Kerner avenged the turnover just three plays later after picking off a pass from eventual two-time MAC Offensive Player of the Year Erik White.
While such an error may have caused an immediate benching under a coach such as Woody Hayes, Cooper forgave the mistake quickly and opted to give George the ball on five more plays prior to time expiring. That decision reflected the confidence Cooper would build with George in the coming seasons, as the eventual Heisman winner went on to handle over 600 carries across his upperclassmen years at Ohio State.
George ultimately finished 1992 with five touchdowns, two more than he would score in the following season. He would then post over 1,500 offensive yards and 12 touchdowns after ascending to his full-time workhorse role in 1994 before a Heisman Trophy campaign the next year that yielded over 2,300 offensive yards and a whopping 25 visits to the end zone.
At George's introductory press conference as Bowling Green's head coach last Monday, the very first question he received from the media asked about his "full-circle" moment with the university he scored his first touchdown against. George chuckled and admitted he had initially forgotten the coincidence before offering his complete response:
"That was the touchdown that started 'Touchdown Eddie.' The Stadium used to say, 'Edd-ie! Edd-ie! Edd-ie!' It was awesome. Only three weeks later, I fumbled twice against Illinois and it turned into boos," which elicited a laugh from the Falcons community in attendance.
George continued, "it just brought back a rush of memories. The sunsets are different here in Ohio, and the people just really embrace you. The community is so strong — they really rally around this university.... I'm glad to be back."
Another Eddie George Touchdown in the Great State of Ohio @EddieGeorge2727 x #AyZiggy pic.twitter.com/ndj7c11wpE
— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) March 10, 2025
Bowling Green will open its 2025 football season at home against the Lafayette Leopards on August 28th. Ohio State has not faced BGSU since the Buckeyes dismantled the Falcons in 2016 by a 77-10 final score. However, George will have an opportunity to face his alma mater if he sticks around until at least the 2027 season when the schools have next agreed to play one-another.
