1979 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1979 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1979-1980. The Buckeyes compiled an 11–1 record, including the 1980 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where they lost 17–16 to the Southern California Trojans.
Schedule
| Date |
Time |
Opponent# |
Rank# |
Site |
TV |
Result |
Attendance |
|---|
| September 8 |
1:30 PM |
Syracuse* |
|
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH |
|
W 31–8 |
86,205 |
| September 15 |
2:30 PM |
at Minnesota |
#15 |
Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN |
|
W 21–17 |
43,926 |
| September 22 |
1:30 PM |
Washington State* |
#16 |
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH |
|
W 45–29 |
87,495 |
| September 29 |
4:00 PM |
at #17 UCLA* |
#14 |
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA |
ABC |
W 17–13 |
47,228 |
| October 6 |
1:30 PM |
Northwestern |
#8 |
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH |
|
W 16–7 |
87,406 |
| October 13 |
1:30 PM |
Indiana |
#8 |
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH |
|
W 47–6 |
87,521 |
| October 20 |
1:30 PM |
Wisconsin |
#6 |
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH |
|
W 59–0 |
87,585 |
| October 27 |
1:30 PM |
Michigan State |
#4 |
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH |
|
W 42–0 |
87,747 |
| November 3 |
2:00 PM |
at Illinois |
#5 |
Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL (Illibuck Trophy) |
|
W 44–7 |
41,870 |
| November 10 |
1:00 PM |
Iowa |
#3 |
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH |
|
W 34–7 |
87,835 |
| November 17 |
12:30 PM |
at #13 Michigan |
#2 |
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI (The Game) |
ABC |
W 18–15 |
106,255 |
| January 1 |
5:00 PM |
vs. #3 USC* |
#1 |
Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl) |
NBC |
L 16–17 |
105,526 |
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. |
[1]
Depth Chart
| Defense
|
| FS
|
|---|
| Vince Skillings
|
| Bob Murphy
|
| ⋅
| |
|
|
| CB
|
|---|
| Mike Guess
|
| Doyle Lewis
|
| ⋅
| |
|
| DE
| NT
| DE
|
|---|
| Jerome Foster
| Tim Sawicki
| Luther Henson
|
| Reggie Echols
| Mark Sullivan
| Gary Dulin
|
| ⋅
| ⋅
| ⋅
| |
|
|
| Offense
|
| SE
|
|---|
| Gary Williams
|
| Chuck Hunter
|
| ⋅
| |
|
| LT
| LG
| C
| RG
| RT
|
| Tim Burke
| Ernie Andria
| Tom Waugh
| Ken Fritz
| Joe Lukens
|
| ⋅
| Scott Burris
| Jim DeLeone
| Joe Smith
| Tim Brown
|
| ⋅
| ⋅
| ⋅
| ⋅
| ⋅
| |
| TE
|
|---|
| Brad Dwelle
|
| Bill Jaco
|
| Ron Barwig
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FB
|
|---|
| Ricardo Volley
|
| Paul Campbell
|
| Cliff Belmer
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
[2]
Coaching staff
- Earle Bruce - Head Coach (1st year)
- Pete Carroll - Defensive Backs (1st year)
- Dennis Fryzel - Defensive Coordinator (1st year)
- Glen Mason - Offensive Line / Defensive Inside Linebackers (2nd year)
- Bill Myles - Offensive Line (3rd year)
- Wayne Stanley - Running Backs (1st year)
- Steve Szabo - Defensive Line (1st year)
- Bob Tucker - Defensive Outside Linebackers (1st year)
- Fred Zechman - Quarterbacks/Receivers (1st year)
1980 NFL draftees
[3]
Game notes
Washington State
The longest pass in school history to date, an 86-yard bomb from Art Schlichter to Calvin Murray, helped propel Ohio State to a 45-29 win over Washington State. The previous record was an 80-yard pass from Joe Sparma to Bob Klein in 1961 versus Michigan.[4]
Northwestern
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|
| Northwestern |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
7 |
| • Ohio State |
10 |
3 | 0 | 3 |
16 |
- Date: Saturday, October 6
- Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
- Game attendance: 87,406
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|---|
|
| 1 |
| Ohio St | Janakievski 26-yard field goal | Ohio St 3-0 |
|
| 1 |
| Ohio St | Dwelle 4-yard pass from Schlichter (Janakievski kick) | Ohio St 10-0 |
|
| 2 |
| Ohio St | Janakievski 26-yard field goal | Ohio St 13-0 |
|
| 4 |
| Northwestern | Mishler 1-yard run (Poulos kick) | Ohio St 13-7 |
|
| 4 |
| Ohio St | Atha 50-yard field goal | Ohio St 16-7 |
|
[5]
Michigan
#2 Ohio State at #13 Michigan
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|
| • Ohio State |
0 |
6 | 6 | 6 |
18 |
| Michigan |
0 |
7 | 8 | 0 |
15 |
- Date: November 17
- Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
- Game attendance: 106,255
- Game weather: Sunny, 55 F
- Television network: ABC
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|---|
|
| 2 |
| OSU | Vlade Janakievski 23-yard field goal | OSU 3-0 |
|
| 2 |
| MICH | Anthony Carter 59-yard pass from John Wangler (Bryan Virgil kick) | MICH 7-3 |
|
| 2 |
| OSU | Vlade Janakievski 25-yard field goal | MICH 7-6 |
|
| 3 |
| OSU | Charles Hunter 18-yard pass from Art Schlichter (pass failed) | OSU 12-7 |
|
| 3 |
| MICH | Roosevelt Smith 1-yard run (Roosevelt Smith run) | MICH 15-12 |
|
| 4 |
11:21 | OSU | Todd Bell 18-yard blocked punt return (kick failed) | OSU 18-15 |
|
Ohio State clinched the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl with an 18-15 victory over their archrivals. The Buckeyes had not beaten nor scored a touchdown against Michigan since 1975, the last time they had gone to Pasadena.[6]
Rose Bowl
1980 Rose Bowl
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|
| • USC |
3 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
17 |
| Ohio State |
0 |
10 | 3 | 3 |
16 |
- Date: January 1, 1980
- Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
- Game attendance: 105,526
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen, O.J. Simpson
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|---|
|
| 1 |
| USC | Eric Hipp 41-yard field goal | USC 3-0 |
|
| 2 |
| USC | Kevin Williams 53-yard pass from Paul McDonald (Eric Hipp kick) | USC 10-0 |
|
| 2 |
| OSU | Vlade Janakievski 35-yard field goal | USC 10-3 |
|
| 2 |
| OSU | Calvin Murray 67-yard pass from Art Schlichter (Vlade Jankievski kick) | Tied 10-10 |
|
| 3 |
| OSU | Vlade Janakievski 37-yard field goal | OSU 13-10 |
|
| 4 |
| OSU | Vlade Janakievski 24-yard field goal | OSU 16-10 |
|
| 4 |
| USC | Charles White 1-yard run (Eric Hipp kick) | USC 17-16 |
|
[7]
References
- Win/Loss statistics
- Draft data
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| National championship seasons in bold |
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