Ranking the top 50 college football programs of all time

Ohio State had six national titles before the 2001 season when it hired Jim Tressel to lead the way. It didn’t take him very long to get acquainted with the program, winning the school’s seventh title in 2002. He had a great run with Ohio State until a scandal hit Columbus in 2011 with players selling Big Ten title rings and gear for tattoos.

The Buckeyes won seven Big Ten titles while Tressel was the head coach and appeared in eight BCS games. All of that was marred when he was essentially forced to step down.

After Luke Fickell led the Buckeyes to a mediocre 2012 season, Urban Meyer took over and brought the Buckeyes back from the dead in 2013 with a 12-0 run. However, they weren’t eligible for postseason play because of the NCAA’s punishment.

The next year, the Buckeyes went unbeaten yet again only to lose in the Big Ten title game to Michigan State and then in the Orange Bowl to Clemson. The following season, 2014, produced Meyer’s first national title and the school’s eighth.

Going 22-24 all-time in bowl games doesn’t seem impressive, but by making 46, the Buckeyes rank in the top 10 in college football history. They’ve made it back to the College Football Playoff in 2016 and will look at add national title No. 9 to the list.

Ohio State has seven Heisman winners including Archie Griffin (twice), Howard Cassady, Vic Janowicz, Les Horvath, Eddie George and Troy Smith. The Buckeyes have also won 37 conference titles.