1968 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an American football team that represented the Ohio State University in the 1968 Big Ten Conference football season. It is considered one of the strongest in OSU history, fielding 11 All-Americans and six first-round NFL draft picks. With quarterback Rex Kern and running back Jim Otis leading a powerful OSU offense and Jack Tatum on defense, Woody Hayes' Buckeyes capped an undefeated season with a dominating 50-14 victory over archrival Michigan and a come-from-behind 27-16 victory over Southern California in the 1969 Rose Bowl to secure the national title. This was also the first year the Buckeye players were awarded Buckeye pride stickers for their helmets, each one a reward for a good play. This would be Ohio State's last outright national championship until 2002. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the year for the Buckeyes was their upset of #1 Purdue in their third game.Schedule
Personnel
Game summaries
SMU
Oregon
Game Statistics
| Statistic | OSU | ORE |
| Total Yards | | |
| Passing Yards | | |
| Rushing Yards | | |
| Penalties | | |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of Possession | | |
Game LeadersPurdue
- Jim Otis 29 Rush, 144 Yds
Game Statistics
| Statistic | OSU | PUR |
| Total Yards | | |
| Passing Yards | | |
| Rushing Yards | | |
| Penalties | | |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of Possession | | |
Game Leaders
| Statistic | OSU | PUR |
| Passing | | |
| Rushing | Jim Otis | |
| Receiving | | |
Northwestern
- Rex Kern 20 Rush, 121 Yds
Game Statistics
| Statistic | OSU | NW |
| Total Yards | | |
| Passing Yards | | |
| Rushing Yards | | |
| Penalties | | |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of Possession | | |
Game Leaders
| Statistic | OSU | NW |
| Passing | | |
| Rushing | Rex Kern | |
| Receiving | | |
Illinois
Game Statistics
| Statistic | OSU | ILL |
| Total Yards | | |
| Passing Yards | | |
| Rushing Yards | | |
| Penalties | | |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of Possession | | |
Game LeadersMichigan State
Game Statistics
| Statistic | OSU | MSU |
| Total Yards | | |
| Passing Yards | | |
| Rushing Yards | | |
| Penalties | | |
| Turnovers | 2 | 6 |
| Time of Possession | | |
Game LeadersWisconsin
Game Statistics
| Statistic | OSU | WISC |
| Total Yards | | |
| Passing Yards | | |
| Rushing Yards | | |
| Penalties | | |
| Turnovers | 0 | 4 |
| Time of Possession | | |
Game LeadersIowa
Game Statistics
| Statistic | OSU | Iowa |
| Total Yards | | |
| Passing Yards | | |
| Rushing Yards | | |
| Penalties | | |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of Possession | | |
Game LeadersMichigan
Game Statistics
| Statistic | OSU | MICH |
| Total Yards | | |
| Passing Yards | | |
| Rushing Yards | | |
| Penalties | | |
| Turnovers | 3 | 4 |
| Time of Possession | | |
Game LeadersGame Statistics
| Statistic | OSU | USC |
| Total Yards | | |
| Passing Yards | | |
| Rushing Yards | | |
| Penalties | | |
| Turnovers | 0 | 5 |
| Time of Possession | | |
Game LeadersStatistical leaders
- Scoring-Jim Otis
- Rushing-Jim Otis
- Passing-Rex Kern
- Receiving-Bruce Jankowski
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL club |
| Rufus Mayes | 1 | 14 | Tackle | Chicago Bears |
| Dave Foley | 1 | 26 | Tackle | New York Jets |
| Steve Howell | 10 | 239 | Tight end | Cincinnati Bengals |
