By the Numbers: Comparing this Ohio State team to recent Buckeyes teams

When you watch this Buckeyes team play, you can’t help but think they are going to repeat as national champions.

As the Buckeyes keep winning in dominant fashion, the expectations and pressure to win a second-straight tile will keep mounting. With all the chaos in college football, especially this season, you just hope the Buckeyes don’t come crashing back down to Earth at the worst time in the College Football Playoff.

The good news is, the likelihood of that happening isn’t high, given the way the Buckeyes are winning. With that, it’s worth taking a look at some other Ohio State teams since the start of the BCS era and comparing them to this stellar current roster.

We’ll do just that in this week’s edition of By the Numbers.

2025: 7-0 (4-0 B1G), No. 1 in AP Poll

Right now, the Buckeyes lead the country defensive, allowing just 5.9 points per game. Offensively, the Buckeyes are 23rd in the country, scoring 36.4 points per game.

Quarterback Julian Sayin has thrown for 1,872 yards while completing 80 percent of his passes. He has 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions, and he hasn’t thrown any picks through the Buckeyes’ last four games.

Bo Jackson leads the Buckeyes with 433 rushing yards, with no other Ohio State running back cracking 250 rushing yards.

Jeremiah Smith leads the Big Ten with 49 receptions, while leading the Buckeyes with 602 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Carnell Tate, despite having 15 fewer receptions, is close behind Smith with 587 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Defensively, the Buckeyes are led by Caden Curry’s seven sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, while Arvell Reese leads the team with 42 tackles.

2024: 14-2 (7-2 B1G), CFP National Champions

The 2024 Buckeyes are one of the greatest teams in program history, turning heartbreak and anger into ecstasy by winning four College Football Playoff games, culminating in a national championship.

Like this year’s Buckeyes, the 2024 team led the country in scoring defense, allowing just 12.9 points per game. Offensively, Ohio State was 14th in the country at 35.7 points per game. It’s more clustered at the top of the scoring average rankings this year than it was last year.

Will Howard threw for 4,010 yards with 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 16 games, while completing 73 percent of his passes.

TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins each had over 1,000 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

Jeremiah Smith led the Big Ten with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions, while Emeka Egbuka led the Buckeyes with 81 receptions in addition to having 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns.

J.T. Tuimoloau led the Big Ten with 12.5 sacks and had a team-leading 21.5 tackles for loss. Cody Simon and Sonny Styles each had 10+ tackles for loss, and they each also had over 100 total tackles.

2022: 11-2 (8-1 B1G), CFP Semifinalist

Even though this particular season didn’t end well for the Buckeyes, it’s still worth remembering how great this team was through 11 games.

Overall, Ohio State was second in the country with 44.2 points per game. The Buckeyes averaged 490.7 yards per game on offense, with a dynamic duo at wide receiver and a prolific quarterback leading the way.

Defensively, the Buckeyes allowed 21 points per game, ranking 24th in the country.

C.J. Stroud led the Big Ten with 3,688 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes, completing 66.3 percent of his passes and throwing just six interceptions.

Miyan Williams was the Buckeyes’ leading rusher at 825 yards and 14 touchdowns, with Dallan Hayden and TreVeyon Henderson each contributing 500+ rushing yards.

Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka each had over 70 receptions, 1,150 yards, and 11+ touchdowns.

On defense, Jack Sawyer and Michael Hall Jr. led the Buckeyes with 4.5 sacks, with Tommy Eichenberg leading the defense with 12 tackles for loss and 120 tackles.

2019: 13-1 (10-0 B1G), B1G Champs, CFP Semifinalist

This may be the best Buckeyes team to not win a national championship. The 2019 Buckeyes were ranked in the top five for both scoring offense and defense, and they had two Heisman Trophy finalists in Justin Fields and Chase Young.

The Buckeyes won every regular season game and the Big Ten Championship by 11+ points. They had nine games with 500+ yards of offense, and they held their first 11 opponents to less than 300 yards of offense.

Justin Fields threw for 41 touchdowns and just three interceptions, while adding 484 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing. J.K. Dobbins had 2,003 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns, while three wide receivers had over 500 receiving yards. Chris Olave (12) and K.J. Hill (10) led the Buckeyes in receiving touchdowns.

Chase Young led the country with 16.5 sacks and the Big Ten with 21 tackles for loss, while winning the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Awards.

2016: 11-2 (8-1 B1G), CFP Semifinalist

This Buckeyes team was ridiculously talented. Their secondary included Damon Arnette, Denzel Ward, Gareon Conley, and Marshon Lattimore. Other defensive players included Jonathan Cooper, Tyquan Lewis, Nick Bosa, Sam Hubbard, Dre’Mont Jones, Davon Hamilton, and Malik Harrison.

Offensively, it was J.T. Barrett, Mike Weber, and Curtis Samuel leading the way.

Ohio State won a thrilling double-overtime game against Michigan to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff. Offensively, the Buckeyes averaged 39.4 points per game to rank 13th in the country, while they ranked third in the country defensively, allowing 15.5 points per game.

2014: 14-1 (10-0 B1G), B1G Champs, CFP National Champions

It’s easy to forget that this season began with Braxton Miller being sidelined for the season with a shoulder injury. In his place came J.T. Barrett, who led the Big Ten with 34 touchdown passes and completed 64.6 percent of his passes. He also added 938 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.

Ezekiel Elliott was the star of this team, rushing for 1.878 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Joey Bosa was the star of the Buckeyes’ defense, leading Ohio State and the Big Ten with 13.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Other great players on that defense included Joshua Perry, who led the team with 124 tackles. Darron Lee, Raekwon McMillan, Eli Apple, and Adolphus Washington were also on that team.

Offensively, the Buckeyes averaged 44.8 points per game to rank fifth in the country.

2007: 11-1 (7-1 B1G), National Runners-Up

This team may not have been dominant, but they were really good and good enough to play for a national championship in one of the most chaotic seasons in college football.

The Buckeyes allowed the fewest points of any team in the country, yielding just 12.8 points per game. That defense included James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman, Kurt Coleman, Malcolm Jenkins, and Cameron Heyward.

Offensively, the Buckeyes were led by running back Chris Wells’s Big Ten-leading 274 carries for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns.

2006: 12-1 (8-0 B1G), B1G Champs, National Runners-Up

This Buckeyes’ team was so loaded. They had a talented offense, a terrific defense, and it seemed their destiny to run the table and win the national championship.

Troy Smith was the Heisman Trophy winner, throwing for 30 touchdowns and completing 65.3 percent of his passes to lead the Big Ten in both categories. Antonio Pittman led a strong two-man rushing attack, with Ted Ginn Jr. leading Ohio State with 59 receptions for 781 yards and nine touchdowns.

Ohio State had 21 interceptions on defense, with James Laurinaitis leading the team with five. Antonio Smith, Vernon Gholston, and Quinn Pitcock all had 10+ tackles for loss. Gholston led the team with 8.5 sacks, with Laurinaitis leading the way with 115 tackles.

The Buckeyes won 10 games by double-digit points.

2002: 14-0 (8-0 B1G), B1G Champs, BCS National Champions

Winners of one of the most dramatic national championship games in college football history, this Ohio State team was led by its defense and running game of Maurice Clarett.

Clarett has 16 rushing touchdowns and over 1,200 rushing yards, and the Buckeyes’ defense allowed 13.1 points per game to rank No. 2 in the country.

Conclusion

It’s evident that when the Buckeyes have a great defense, even as college football has evolved into an offensive era with elite talent at quarterback and wide receiver — two positions Ohio State knows a ton about — that’s when Ohio State is in a great position to win a national championship.

This year’s Buckeyes have a great defense, and with their ultra-talented offense, they look like a team that can absolutely win a national championship. Ohio State has evolved with college football, but they also have stayed true to their defensive prowess.

That’s why they are in the driver’s seat to repeat.

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