Photo by Don Speck | The Lima News OHIO STATE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Dynasty days Buckeyes’ greatest Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021 era is now All content © 2021 AIM Media Midwest. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. 2 Thursday, August 26, 2021 OSU FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2021 Greene County Dailies Current era the gold standard for OSU By Jim Naveau has won 11 of its last 12 games [email protected] against Wisconsin, including three times in the Big Ten COLUMBUS — This might championship game. be the golden age of Ohio State Day is a different coach and a football. different personality type than When Urban Meyer took Meyer. But he has kept some of control of Ohio State’s football the key elements of what Meyer team in January 2012 one of the built, like strength and condi- first things he did was schedule tioning guru Mickey Marotti early-morning team workouts and an incredible recruiting outside in the snow. It was an program. effort at team building by group With the Big Ten’s highest- misery. ranked recruiting class nine Whether they realized it of the last 10 years and seven or not at the time, the rest of 5-star recruits in the 2021 class the Big Ten football programs it appears Ohio State will con- would soon also be shivering in tinue doing what it has done a state of shared misery. And so since 2012 for a while. would much of the rest of the 2. Late Career Woody Hayes college football world. Don Speck | The Lima News Era (1968-1978) To politely paraphrase what Ohio State defensive tackle Haskell Garrett (92) holds up the championship trophy after Ohio State defeated Ohio State football and Northwestern to win its fourth consecutive Big Ten title last December. one columnist wrote at the Hayes’ career were both time, the message the hiring trending downward when his of Meyer sent to the rest of the Big Ten games in nine seasons. Football Playoff national cham- (2012-present) recruiting class of 1967, which Big Ten was that it was in trou- They’ve been Big Ten champion pionship game and a College Ohio State’s 106-11 record wasn’t allowed to play until ble. And after two seasons of the last four years, have been Football Playoff semifinal game. over the last nine seasons looks 1968 under the rules of the Ryan Day as OSU’s head coach, selected for the College Football So, what are the top eras in even more impressive when you day, arrived. Over that group’s maybe the message is you’re Playoff four times, advanced to Ohio State football? It’s tough consider who it has beaten. three varsity seasons Ohio State still in trouble. Maybe even big- the championship game twice to compare eras. But here’s a It has beaten Michigan eight went 27-2 and was consensus ger trouble than before. and won it in 2014. ranking of them: times in a row and 15 of the national champion in 1968. In the Day/Meyer Era, the Ryan Day’s teams haven’t lost last 16. It has beaten Penn State That began an 11-year stretch Buckeyes have a 106-11 overall a Big Ten game and his only Gold Medal Eras eight of the last nine times the where OSU won or shared nine record and have lost only five losses have been in a College 1. Ryan Day/Urban Meyer two teams have played and it Big Ten championships and had Go Bucks.... Celebrating 64 Years Serving Greene and Surrounding Counties Flatter Insurance Agency | Joe Flatter Auction Company 407 N. Broad Street, Fairborn, Ohio • (937)878-3444 OH-70247902 Greene County Dailies OSU FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2021 Thursday, August 26, 2021 3 OHIO STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 2021 Date Opponent Time Thursday, Sept. 2 at Minnesota 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11 Oregon Noon Saturday, Sept. 18 Tulsa 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 Akron TBA Saturday, Oct. 2 at Rutgers TBA Saturday, Oct. 9 Maryland Noon Saturday, Oct. 16 Bye week Saturday, Oct. 23 at Indiana TBA Saturday, Oct. 30 Penn State TBA Saturday, Nov. 6 at Nebraska TBA Saturday, Nov. 13 Purdue TBA Saturday, Nov. 20 Michigan State Saturday, Nov. 27 at Michigan Noon Don Speck | The Lima News Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and his team celebrate a victory over Wisconsin after winning a third consecutive Big Ten title in 2019. Saturday, Dec. 4 Big Ten Championship Game 8 p.m. a 98-24-2 record. 3. Jim Tressel Era Meyer and Day have added an Era (1951-1967) Football Writers Association. A case could be made (2001-2010) 8-0 record and one COVID-19 Ohio State claims three They were second in the AP this was the greatest era of OSU Tressel’s years in Columbus cancelation in the last nine sea- national championships from and UPI polls. football with more Big Ten were defined by two things — sons. Michigan’s last win in the this era when college football Hayes’ teams had some great championships and just the 2002 national championship series was in 2011 in the season championships were decided seasons early in his career but as many national champion- win over Miami and making between Tressel’s departure and by poll voters. A 10-0 season he also had at least three losses ships as the teams of the last Ohio State the dominant team Meyer’s arrival. in 1954 when it was voted No. in nine of his first 17 seasons nine seasons. But national in its rivalry with Michigan in a Tressel’s 2006 and 2007 1 by The Associated Press is at OSU, including two losing championships weren’t directly way that was beyond the wild- teams also played for national one and a 9-1 season in 1957 seasons. won on the field in the 1960s est dreams of most OSU fans. championships but fell short when it was No. 1 according 2. Earle Bruce Era (1979- and there were no Big Ten The 2001 win over Michi- against Florida and LSU. to United Press International 1987) championship games to get gan started OSU on its way to is another. The third, after Bruce was often derided through to win conference a 9-1 record against its rival Silver Medal Eras an 8-0-1 season in 1961, was championships. from 2001 to 2010, to which 1. Early Career Woody Hayes awarded to the Buckeyes by the See ERA | 8 #################### ############################### ##################################################################################################### OH-70249282 Heidi Menke GRI, CRS GO BUCKS! 937-266-3550 Selling Our Beautiful Ann Halder ABR Greene County 937- 231-3600 One House at a Time www.TeamMenke.com ############################### ################################################################################# 4 Thursday, August 26, 2021 OSU FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2021 Greene County Dailies Five Buckeyes to watch this season By Jim Naveau [email protected] COLUMBUS — There are many players who could be players to watch at Ohio State this football season. Here are five of the most interesting of the Buckeyes: 1. Chris Olave Olave was always going to be a player to watch this season. Most people thought they’d be watching him in the NFL but he sur- prised almost everyone by announcing he would return to Ohio State for his senior Offensive lineman Thayer Munford picks up Ohio State Photos by Don Speck | The Lima News season. wide receiver Chris Olave during a touchdown celebration Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson puts a stiff arm on Maryland’s defensive back Deonte Banks On the surface it looked like in a game against Maryland at Ohio Stadium in 2019. during a game in 2019 at Ohio Stadium. Olave had done everything he could do at Ohio State. But he receiver recruit and the third- touchdowns, and caught 50 sion Hills High School in San sion Hills’ coach told Day he saw it differently. lowest ranked member of passes, seven of them for Marcos, Calif., saying it was should look at Olave and he “There’s a lot of reasons I Ohio State’s 2018 recruiting TDs, last season when OSU done for athletic reasons, not sent Olave to be the receiver came back. I felt like I needed class. He flew under the radar was the runner-up in the Col- academic reasons. when Tuttle had a throwing to work on some things,” he until the Michigan game lege Football Playoff. Ohio State’s interest in him session for Day. said. “I came back to try to his freshman year when he Olave’s lack of recruiting grew after Ryan Day, then Day liked what he saw from get in the weight room more caught two touchdown passes attention in large part was the Buckeyes’ offensive coor- Olave and what he heard and get a lot stronger and and blocked a punt. because he missed his junior dinator/quarterbacks coach, about him from people at Mis- turn into a complete receiver Suddenly everyone knew season of high school football went to Mission Hills to try sion Hills. And the 26 touch- and try to be NFL ready his name. He was Ohio State’s after the California Interscho- to recruit Jack Tuttle, a 4-star down passes he caught as a Week 1.” No. 1 receiver in 2019 with lastic Federation refused to quarterback who is now senior in high school were a Olave was a 3-star wide 48 catches, 12 of them for approve his transfer to Mis- Indiana’s back-up QB.