Big Ten focus #8: Ohio State

 Of all of the teams in the Big Ten conference, this one probably LEAST needs a focus column.  Due to their consistent recent success, I think everyone knows about this school and its program.  It certainly features half of one of the most heated and longest-running rivalries in college football, and the only one to earn the nickname "The Game" -- their annual season-ending contest against Michigan.

Ohio State was the third school to join the Western Conference, raising its membership to nine teams (my previously focussed seven teams plus the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago.  At the time they joined, Michigan was not a member).  It was the entrance of Ohio State that led to the conference being renamed the Big Ten.

Ohio State joined the conference in 1912.  They won their first conference title in 1916.  That achievement angered their rival Michigan, who had left the Western Conference in 1907.  They rejoined the next year and have remained a member since.  The conference was renamed the Big Ten conference in 1919.

Ohio State has been the second-most successful conference team, trailing only Michigan in the number of conference titles (40 to Michigan's 43).  The Buckeyes have more outright titles than any other school, winning the title outright 29 times.  The Buckeyes have also been the most successful team on the national stage (to the massive chagrin of Michigan), winning 15 national titles and generating 7 Heisman Trophy winners, including the only player to win two consecutive Heisman Trophies (Archie Griffin). Although recently awarded toi quarterbacks, six of Ohio State's Trophy winners were primarily running backs.

The truly astounding thing about Ohio State is their consistent level of success.  Since joining the conference, they have not had a full-time coach with a losing record (Luke Fickell, who coached in 2011 after the departure of Jim Tressel, was considered only an "interim coach").  The last coach with a losing record left the school in 1897 -- a streak of 125 years with winning coaches!  No other school, not even Alabama or Notre Dame, can make that claim.

And those coaches just seem to get better.  The team joined the Western Conference in the midst of the coaching tenure of John Wilce, who accuimulated a winning record of 68.8%.  He was followed for four years by Sam Willaman, who amassed a 69.5% winning record.  The 70.5% Francis Schmidt was next, then iconic Ohio coach Paul Brown, who achieved a 68.5% winning record in four years with the Buckeyes.

After short stints (all less than four years) by three coaches, the legendary coach Woody Hayes took over in 1951.  The team had already won the conference eight times and even won a national championship under Paul Brown, but Woody really boosted the program.  Hayes led the team to 13 conference titles and five more national championships during his 27 years.  He won an astounding 76% of his games and propelled the Buckeyes into national prominence.  The only thing Woody Hayes couldn't do well was win bowl games, losing more than he won.

Earl Bruce followed Woody Hayes. In his eight years as coach, he added four more conference titles.  He nearly matched the success of his predecessor, winning 75.5% of his games.  John Cooper was next, who coached the Buckeyes into the 21st Century.  He added three more conference championships, but was the worst of the post-1949 coaches with a record of 71%.

The three most success ocaches follow.  Jim Tressel won 81% of his games, amassing eight conference titles and another national championship.  Urban Meyer was next, winning over 90% of his games, three more conference titles, and their most recent national title.  His successor Ryan Day, the current coach, has won nearly 90$ of his games and gained two more conference titles.