In honor of the College Football Playoff, Sports Illustrated is naming the all-time team for three of the sport’s historic programs. Before Ohio State clashes with Georgia in Saturday’s semifinal, SI chooses the best from among the Buckeyes greats who have defined gridiron excellence during their years in Columbus.
MORE: Michigan’s All-Time Team
QB Troy Smith (2003 to ’06)RB Ezekiel Elliott (2013 to ’15)RB Eddie George (1992 to ’95)RB Archie Griffin (1972 to ’75)WR Cris Carter (1984 to ’86)WR Terry Glenn (1992 to ’95)OL Orlando Pace (1994 to ’96)OL Bill Willis (1942 to ’44)OL John Hicks (1970, ’72 and ’73)OL Jim Parker (1954 to 56)OL LeCharles Bentley (1998 to 2001)
DL Joey Bosa (2013 to ’15)DL Jim Stillwagon (1968 to ’70)DL Mike Vrabel (1993 to ’96)DL Chase Young (2017 to ’19)LB Tom Cousineau (1975 to ’78)LB James Laurinaitis (2005 to ’08)LB Chris Spielman (1984 to ’87)DB Mike Doss (1999 to 2002)DB Malcolm Jenkins (2005 to ’08)DB Jack Tatum (1968 to ’70)DB Antoine Winfield (1995 to ’98)
K Mike Nugent (2001 to ’04)P Tom Tupa (1984 to ’87)KR-PR Tedd Ginn Jr. (2004 to ’06)
Woody Hayes (1951 to ’78)
A landslide winner of the Heisman Trophy after leading Ohio State through an undefeated 2006 regular season, Smith also went 3–0 against Michigan, topping 300 yards in the last two of those starts.
The only player ever to win the Heisman Trophy twice (1974 and ’75), Griffin ran for more than 100 yards in 31 consecutive games and still holds the Ohio State career rushing record with 5,589 yards.
Elliott has two of the top four rushing seasons in Buckeyes history, and in 2015 he helped them win the College Football Playoff with 230 yards against Alabama in the semifinal and 246 against Oregon in the final.
The first Buckeye receiver to be named an All-American could make acrobatic, highlight-reel plays as well as keep the chains moving. In 1986 he had 69 receptions for 1,127 yards.
In 2019, Young, despite missing two games, had 16 1/2 sacks, including a record-tying four in one game against Wisconsin, and won the Nagurski and Bednarik awards for top defensive player.
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The first in a string of terrifying pass rushers that would include his brother Nick (2016 to ’18) and Young, Bosa was a two-time All-American and had 26 sacks over three seasons.
The model middle linebacker, Laurinaitis racked up the accolades in Columbus. He was a three-time All-American, two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year and was the 2006 Nagurski Award winner, given to the nation’s top defensive player.
Named the nation’s defensive player of the year in 1970, the physical cornerback set the tone with his fierce tackles on teams that went 27–2 when he was in the starting lineup.
