2013 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

2013 Ohio State Buckeyes football
Big Ten Leaders Division champion
Big Ten Championship Game, L 24–34 vs. Michigan State
Orange Bowl, L 35–40 vs. Clemson
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	Leaders Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 10
AP	No. 12
Record	12–2 (8–0 Big Ten)
Head coach	Urban Meyer (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Tom Herman (2nd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Ed Warinner (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Co-defensive coordinator	Luke Fickell (8th; 13th overall season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Everett Withers (2nd season)
Base defense	Multiple
Captain	8 Jack Mewhort C.J. Barnett Christian Bryant Kenny Guiton Braxton Miller Ryan Shazier Corey Linsley Corey Brown
Home stadium	Ohio Stadium
Seasons ← 2012 2014 →

2013 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Legends Division
No. 3 Michigan State x$		8	–	0					13	–	1
Iowa		5	–	3					8	–	5
Nebraska		5	–	3					9	–	4
Minnesota		4	–	4					8	–	5
Michigan		3	–	5					7	–	6
Northwestern		1	–	7					5	–	7
Leaders Division
No. 12 Ohio State x%		8	–	0					12	–	2
No. 22 Wisconsin		6	–	2					9	–	4
Penn State*		4	–	4					7	–	5
Indiana		3	–	5					5	–	7
Illinois		1	–	7					4	–	8
Purdue		0	–	8					1	–	11
Championship: Michigan State 34, Ohio State 24
$ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions Penn State ineligible for conference championship game and post-season bowl games due to NCAA sanctions Rankings from AP Poll

The 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Buckeye's 124th overall, the 101st as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the third as a member of the Big Ten Leaders Division. The team was led by Urban Meyer, in his second year as head coach, and played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes finished the regular season with an undefeated record for the second consecutive year, as well as Big Ten Leaders Division champions for the second consecutive year. They finished the season with a record of 12 wins and 2 losses (12–2 overall, 8–0 in the Big Ten), following losses to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game and to Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

After an undefeated season in 2012, Ohio State signed a highly ranked recruiting class and entered the 2013 season ranked No. 2 in all major college football polls, as well as being considered the favorite to win the Leaders Division, while also competing for the Big Ten championship and national championship. Ohio State opened the season defeating all of their non-conference opponents by a combined score of 210–61. The Buckeyes opened their conference schedule with victories over the Wisconsin Badgers and Northwestern Wildcats, both ranked at the time, and improved their record to 6–0. A 63–14 victory over Penn State and a 60–35 victory over Illinois kept the Buckeyes highly ranked throughout the season. A 42–41 victory over Michigan in The Game gave Ohio State a 12–0 regular season record for the second consecutive season. Following losses in the Big Ten Championship Game and the Orange Bowl, the Buckeyes finished the season ranked No. 10 in the Coaches' Poll and No. 12 in the AP Poll.

At the end of the season, several players were recognized with postseason awards for individual accomplishments. Braxton Miller was named the Big Ten offensive player of the year, as well as the Big Ten quarterback of the year for the second consecutive season, while Carlos Hyde was named the Big Ten running back of the year. Also, Ryan Shazier was named to the Associated Press All-American First Team, while Carlos Hyde and Jack Mewhort were named to the Associated Press All-American Second Team. The Buckeyes' also had six players taken in the NFL draft, including Shazier and Bradley Roby, who were both taken in the first round.

Urban Meyer, after being hired in November 2011, quickly brought in an entirely new staff to lead the team in 2012, featuring Tom Herman and Ed Warinner as co-offensive coordinators, with Everett Withers and former interim head coach Luke Fickell as co-defensive coordinators.^[1] Meyer also began to shape the team by bringing in a top ten recruiting class.^[2] Following an offseason of transition, Ohio State began the 2012 season against Miami (Ohio) on September 1, defeating the RedHawks 56–10. Ohio State entered Big Ten Conference play with a 4–0 record and in their first conference game, would defeat the Michigan State Spartans 17–16. A 63–38 victory over Nebraska on homecoming would give Ohio State a 6–0 record and put them in the top ten in the AP Poll. Overtime victories over Purdue and Wisconsin, along with many other close victories, would give the Buckeyes an 11–0 record heading into their annual matchup with the Michigan Wolverines. The Buckeyes defeated the Wolverines 26–21 and completed their undefeated season, the first for the program since 2002.^[3] Though Ohio State was ineligible to play in any bowl game or to be ranked in the BCS or Coaches' Poll, they were still eligible for the AP National Championship.^[4] Following the season, Ohio State was ranked third in the AP Poll behind the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide and the second ranked Oregon Ducks.^[5]

Spring Game

1 2 3 4 Total Gray 0 7 0 7 14 • Scarlet 7 7 10 7 31 Date: April 13 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Game start: 1:30 p.m. Elapsed time: 2:03 Game attendance: 37,643 Game weather: Mostly Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C), Wind S 17 mph (27 km/h) TV announcers (BTN): Eric Collins (play-by-play), Glen Mason (color) Sources:[6]

Scoring summary 1 9:08 Scarlet Devin Smith 20-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Scarlet 7–0 2 4:35 Gray Chris Field 5-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) 7–7 2 0:07 Scarlet Corey Brown 3-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Scarlet 14–7 3 6:25 Scarlet Braxton Miller 5-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Scarlet 21–7 3 4:13 Scarlet Drew Basil 25-yard field goal Scarlet 24–7 4 8:44 Gray Michael Thomas 4-yard pass from Cardale Jones (Drew Basil kick) Scarlet 24–14 4 4:41 Scarlet Chris Field 6-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Scarlet 31–14

Ohio State began their spring camp earlier than they had in previous seasons, starting it on March 5.^[7] The 2013 spring game was played on April 13 and was broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Ohio State played their spring game at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, while Ohio Stadium underwent renovations.^[8] In similar formats to previous seasons, the Buckeyes were divided up into Scarlet and Gray teams. Quarterback Braxton Miller, who played on the Scarlet team, opened up the game with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith and with no other scoring in the first quarter, the Scarlet team took their 7–0 lead to the second quarter.^[6] Kenny Guiton, who was the starting quarterback for the Gray team, tied the game up with a touchdown pass of his own to receiver Chris Fields. A Corey Brown touchdown reception with a few seconds remaining in the first half, would give the Scarlet team the 14–7 advantage heading into halftime. The third quarter would be dominated by the Scarlet team as Braxton Miller would drive the team to the endzone, capping off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. A Drew Basil field goal with about four minutes remaining in the quarter would give the Scarlet a 24–7 advantage. The Gray team would not score until the fourth quarter, off of a 4-yard touchdown pass from Cardale Jones to Michael Thomas. The game, scoring wise, was capped off with a Chris Field 6-yard touchdown run, with the final score being 31–14 in favor of the Scarlet team.^[6]

Quarterback Braxton Miller finished the game going 16 of 25 for a total of 217 yards and two touchdown passes, along with his touchdown run.^[9] Corey Brown led the receivers with five receptions for 25 yards and touchdown, while sophomore receiver Michael Thomas accounted for 79 yards, a touchdown and seven receptions.^[9] On defense, lineman Adolphus Washington accounted for four sacks, leading both teams.^[9] The game also featured many new players replacing starters last season, though playmakers Noah Spence and Washington on the defensive line still impressed the coaching staff.^[10] The line accounted for a total of 11 sacks during the game, with a four quarterbacks involved being sacked at some point.^[11] Though the defense, impressed, with the majority of the success coming from the passing game with both teams only accounting for 122 rushing yards collectively on 45 carries.^[9]

Twelve separate Ohio State players were on preseason award watch lists in sixteen different award categories. These include C.J. Barnett, Bradley Roby and Ryan Shazier for the Bednarik Award; Corey Brown and Devin Smith for the Biletnikoff Award; Christian Bryant, Roby and Shazier for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy; Shazier for the Butkus Award; Braxton Miller for the Davey O'Brien Award; Carlos Hyde for the Doak Walker Award; Barnett, Bryan and Roby for the Jim Thorpe Award; Jeff Heuerman for the Mackey Award; Hyde and Miller for the Maxwell Award; Jack Mewhort and Andrew Norwell for the Outland Trophy; Corey Linsly for the Rimington Trophy; Norwell and Shazier for the Lombardi Award; as well as Miller and Roby for the Walter Camp Award.^[12] Before the start of camp, Ohio State faced off the field issues with some players, including running back Carlos Hyde, who was suspended from the team following his arrest and involvement in an assault case against a female in Columbus, Ohio.^[13] Hyde was originally dismissed from the program when the news of the investigation first broke, however, when he was dropped as a person of interest, head coach Urban Meyer dropped his suspension to three games.^[14] Cornerback Bradley Roby was arrested on July 21 after an altercation at a bar in Bloomington, Indiana. The charges against Roby were reduced to misdemeanor on August 16.^[15] Ohio State opened their fall camp with all freshmen reporting on August 4, with other players reporting later in the week.

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was in his second year as the Buckeye's head coach during the 2013 season. In his first season with Ohio State, he led the Buckeyes to an undefeated season with twelve wins (12–0), though the team was unable to participate in the Big Ten Championship Game or a bowl game due to sanctions.^[16] On February 8, 2013, it was announced the cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs was promoted to special teams coach for the upcoming season, while also retaining his role as cornerbacks coach.^[17]

Name	Position	Seasons at Ohio State	Alma mater
Urban Meyer	Head coach	2nd	Cincinnati (1986)
Tom Herman	Offensive coordinator, Quarterbacks	2nd	California Lutheran (1997)
Ed Warinner	Co-offensive coordinator, Offensive line	2nd	Mount Union (1984)
Luke Fickell	Co-defensive coordinator, Linebackers	12th	Ohio State (1997)
Everett Withers	Assistant head coach, Co-Defensive coordinator/safeties	2nd	Appalachian State (1985)
Kerry Coombs	Special teams coordinator, Cornerbacks	2nd	Dayton (1983)
Stan Drayton	Running backs	3rd	Allegheny College (1993)
Zach Smith	Wide receivers	2nd	Florida (2007)
Mike Vrabel	Defensive line	3rd	Ohio State (1996)
Tim Hinton	Tight ends, fullbacks	2nd	Wilmington (1982)
Parker Fleming	Graduate assistant	1st	Presbyterian (2010)
Mickey Marotti	Assistant athletic director for football sports performance	2nd	West Liberty (1987)
Reference:[18]

Ohio State returns 14 starters from the 2012 season, including nine on offense, four defense, as well as one on special teams. Quarterback Braxton Miller returns after starting all twelve games in 2012 and eight games in 2011. Along with Miller on offense, running back Carlos Hyde, offensive tackle Jack Mewhort and offensive guard Andrew Norwell all return on offense after being named to the Big Ten All-Conference team last season. On defense linebacker Ryan Shazier returns after being named to the All-Conference team in 2012, while cornerback Bradley Roby returns after being named to the AP All-American team last season. On offense, Ohio State lost tight end Jake Stoneburner and offensive tackle Reid Fragel, along with punter Ben Buchanan, all seniors. On defense, Ohio State lost defensive lineman John Simon, Garrett Goebel and Nathan Williams, linebackers Etienne Sabino and Zach Boren, along with cornerback Travis Howard, all to graduation. The only Buckeye junior eligible for the NFL draft that declared eligibility was defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins, who was selected in the second round by the New York Giants.

2013 Ohio State Buckeyes roster
Quarterbacks 5 Braxton Miller – Junior 11 Reid Worstell – Freshman 12 Cardale Jones – Freshman 13 Kenny Guiton – Senior 15 Luke Morgan – Freshman 16 J. T. Barrett – Freshman Running backs 1 Dontre Wilson – Freshman 7 Rod Smith – Junior 2 Jordan Hall – Senior 15 Ezekiel Elliott – Freshman 25 Bri'onte Dunn – Sophomore 28 Warren Ball – Freshman 34 Carlos Hyde – Senior 46 Devin Hill – Sophomore Wide receivers 6 Evan Spencer – Junior 8 Jeff Greene – Junior 9 Devin Smith – Junior 10 Corey Brown – Senior 17 Jalin Marshall – Freshman 18 Kato Mitchell – Sophomore 19 Joe Ramstetter – Freshman 21 Devlin McDaniel – Freshman 33 Frank Epitropoulos – Freshman 80 Chris Fields – Senior 82 James Clark – Freshman 83 Michael Thomas– Sophomore 84 Corey Smith – Junior 86 Khaleed Franklin – Freshman 87 Peter Gwilym – Sophomore 88 Brandon Ojikutu – Sophomore Tight ends 8 J.T. Moore – Junior 81 Nick Vannett – Sophomore 82 Ryan Carter – Sophomore 84 Charles Kinzig – Junior 85 Marcus Baugh – Freshman 86 Jeff Heuerman – Junior 89 Blake Thomas – Freshman		Offensive linemen 50 Jacoby Boren – Sophomore 54 Billy Price – Freshman 55 Tommy Brown – Sophomore 57 Chase Farris – Sophomore 61 Logan Gaskey – Freshman 62 Ben Moffitt – Freshman 64 Ivon Blackman – Senior 65 Pat Elflein – Freshman 66 Kyle Dodson – Freshman 67 Ben St. John – Junior 68 Taylor Decker – Sophomore 69 Eric Kramer – Junior 71 Corey Linsley – Senior 73 Antonio Underwood – Junior 74 Jack Mewhort – Senior 75 Evan Lisle – Freshman 76 Darryl Baldwin – Junior 78 Andrew Norwell – Senior 79 Marcus Hall – Senior Defensive linemen 8 Noah Spence – Sophomore 34 Jamal Marcus – Sophomore 51 Joel Hale – Junior 52 Donovan Munger – Freshman 59 Tyquan Lewis – Freshman 63 Michael Bennett – Junior 72 Chris Carter – Sophomore 77 Michael Hill – Freshman 88 Steve Miller – Junior 90 Tommy Schutt – Sophomore 91 Chris Rock – Sophomore 92 Adolphus Washington – Sophomore 93 Tracy Sprinkle – Freshman 94 Rashad Frazier – Sophomore 97 Joey Bosa – Freshman 98 John Holman – Junior		Linebackers 10 Ryan Shazier – Junior 14 Curtis Grant – Junior 36 Trey Johnson – Freshman 37 Joshua Perry – Sophomore 38 Craig Fada – Sophomore 41 Aaron Mawhirter – Freshman 43 Darron Lee – Freshman 44 Mike Mitchell – Freshman 46 Nick Snyder – Sophomore 48 Joe Burger – Sophomore 49 Craig Cataline – Junior 55 Camren Williams – Sophomore Defensive backs 1 Bradley Roby – Junior 2 Christian Bryant – Senior 3 Corey Brown – Senior 4 C.J. Barnett – Senior 6 Vonn Bell – Freshman 11 Adam Griffin – Junior 12 Doran Grant – Junior 13 Eli Apple – Freshman 16 Cam Burrows – Freshman 17 Devonte Butler – Freshman 19 Gareon Conley – Freshman 20 Ron Tanner – Sophomore 21 Jamie Wood – Senior 23 Tyvis Powell – Freshman 25 Kevin Niehoff – Sophomore 26 Armani Reeves – Sophomore 29 Jayme Thompson – Freshman 30 Devan Bogard – Sophomore 32 Russel Doup – Junior 33 Nik Sarac – Sophomore 35 Chris Worley – Freshman 42 Tyler McIntosh – Junior		Punters 14 Jake Russell – Sophomore 95 Cameron Johnston – Freshman Kickers 23 Tim Scott – Junior 24 Drew Basil – Senior 39 Kyle Clinton – Junior Long snappers 41 Bryce Haynes – Sophomore 56 George Makridis – Senior
Sources: 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes football roster

Starters and backups.^[19]

Prior to National Signing Day on February 6, 2013, six high school players that graduated early and one transfer of the 2013 recruiting class enrolled for the spring semester in order to participate in spring practice.^[20] These early enrollments included: cornerbacks Eli Apple and Cameron Burrows, quarterback J.T. Barrett, fullback William Houston, defensive ends Tyquan Lewis Tracy Sprinkle, and fullback Devin Hill, who transferred from Purdue University.^[20] On February 6, 2013, the Ohio State University athletic department confirmed that it had received the National Letter of Intent from seventeen additional players to play at Ohio State that completed the 2013 recruiting class.^[21]

Ohio State's recruiting class was highlighted by seventeen players from the "ESPN 300", including eight in the top 100: No. 11 Eli Apple (cornerback); No. 43 Gareon Conley (cornerback); No. 48 Trey Johnson (linebacker); No. 49 Jalin Marshall (wide receiver); No. 50 Vonn Bell (safety); No. 55 Dontre Wilson (athlete); No. 56 Joey Bosa (defensive tackle); and No. 62 Cam Burrows (cornerback).^[22] On signing day, Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer was quoted as calling it a great day.^[21] With Meyer going onto say, "I thought it would be a good day, but now I'll put it in the great category."^[21] The Buckeyes' signed the No. 2 recruiting class according to Rivals.com, the No. 1 recruiting class according to Scout.com, and the No. 3 recruiting class according to ESPN.^[23][24][25]

US college sports recruiting information for 2013 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Eli Apple DB	Voorhees, NJ	Eastern	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.4	Nov 23, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
J.T. Barrett QB	Wichita Falls, TX	Rider	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	–	Apr 18, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Marcus Baugh TE	Riverside, CA	John W. North	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	233 lb (106 kg)	–	Apr 10, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Vonn Bell S	Rossville, GA	Ridgeland	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	4.47	Feb 6, 2013
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Joey Bosa DE	Fort Lauderdale, FL	Thomas Aquinas	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	–	Apr 23, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Cameron Burrows DB	Trotwood, OH	Trotwood-Madison	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	203 lb (92 kg)	4.57	Jan 19, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
James Clark WR	New Smyrna Beach, FL	New Smyrna Beach	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	–	Feb 6, 2013
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Gareon Conley CB	Massillon, OH	Washington	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	–	Dec 7, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Ezekiel Elliott RB	St. Louis, MO	John Burroughs	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	198 lb (90 kg)	4.42	Apr 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Timothy Gardner OG	Indianapolis, IN	Lawrence Central	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	340 lb (150 kg)	–	Jul 28, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Michael Hill DT	Pendleton, SC	Pendleton	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	315 lb (143 kg)	–	Jun 27, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Trey Johnson MLB	Lawrenceville, GA	Central Gwinnett	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	–	Jan 4, 2013
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Darron Lee S	New Albany, OH	New Albany	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	4.5	Jun 26, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Tyquan Lewis DE	Tarboro, NC	Tarboro	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	4.77	Sep 20, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Evan Lisle OT	Centerville, OH	Centervile	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	265 lb (120 kg)	–	Feb 28, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Jalin Marshall WR	Middletown, OH	Middletown	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	4.66	Jan 30, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Mike Mitchell OLB	Plano, TX	Prestonwood Christian Academy	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	4.39	Jan 5, 2013
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Donovan Munger DT	Shaker Heights, OH	Shaker Heights	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	-	Dec 9, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Billy Price DT	Youngstown, OH	Austintown Fitch	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	–	Feb 13, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Corey Smith WR	Akron, OH	Buchtel (via East Mississippi JC)	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	4.5	Jan 11, 2013
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Tracy Sprinkle DE	Elyria, OH	Elyria	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	–	Apr 17, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Jayme Thompson S	Toledo, OH	Central Catholic	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	183 lb (83 kg)	4.54	Apr 1, 2012
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Dontre Wilson RB	DeSoto, TX	DeSoto	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	174 lb (79 kg)	4.51	Feb 4, 2013
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Christopher Worley OLB	Cleveland, OH	Glenville	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	–	Jan 11, 2013
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 1   Rivals: 2  ESPN: 3
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2013 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 6, 2013.

The Big Ten Conference released the schedules for the 2013 season on April 6, 2011.^[26] The Big Ten will continue the same scheduling alignment as they had during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. As a result, Ohio State will play all five Leaders Division opponents: Illinois, Indiana, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin.^[26] Ohio State will also face three Legends Division opponents: Iowa, Northwestern, and Michigan, the permanent cross-division opponent.^[26] Ohio State will play four non-conference games: Buffalo of the Mid-American Conference, San Diego State of the Mountain West Conference, California of the Pac-12 Conference, and Florida A&M of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Ohio State has two bye weeks during the season, the first between their games against Northwestern and Iowa and their second between their games against Purdue and Illinois. Following their second consecutive undefeated season, Ohio State won the Leaders Division Championship and qualified to play in the Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan State, who defeated the Buckeyes 34–24.^[27] On December 8, Ohio State was selected to play in the Orange Bowl against Clemson.

All games during the 2013 season were broadcast on the Ohio State Football Radio Network. Paul Keels was head of the crew with play-by-play, Jim Lachey with color commentary, Marty Bannister as sideline and locker room reporter, and Skip Mosic serving as the pre-game and halftime show host.^[28]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	12:00 p.m.	Buffalo*	No. 2	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	ESPN2	W 40–20	103,980
September 7	3:30 p.m.	San Diego State*	No. 3	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	ABC/ESPN2	W 42–7	104,984
September 14	7:00 p.m.	at California*	No. 4	California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA	FOX	W 52–34	62,467
September 21	12:00 p.m.	Florida A&M*	No. 4	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	BTN	W 76–0	103,595
September 28	8:00 p.m.	No. 23 Wisconsin	No. 4	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	ABC	W 31–24	105,826
October 5	8:00 p.m.	at No. 16 Northwestern	No. 4	Ryan Field Evanston, IL (College GameDay)	ABC	W 40–30	47,330
October 19	3:30 p.m.	Iowa	No. 4	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	ABC/ESPN2	W 34–24	105,264
October 26	8:00 p.m.	Penn State	No. 4	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH (rivalry)	ABC	W 63–14	105,889
November 2	12:00 p.m.	at Purdue	No. 4	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	BTN	W 56–0	51,423
November 16	12:00 p.m.	at Illinois	No. 3	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL (Illibuck)	ESPN	W 60–35	44,095
November 23	3:30 p.m.	Indiana	No. 4	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	ABC/ESPN2	W 42–14	104,990
November 30	12:00 p.m.	at Michigan	No. 3	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	ABC	W 42–41	113,511
December 7	8:17 p.m.	vs. No. 10 Michigan State	No. 2	Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN (Big Ten Championship Game, College GameDay)	FOX	L 24–34	66,002
January 3, 2014	8:30 p.m.	vs. No. 8 Clemson*	No. 7	Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, FL (Orange Bowl)	ESPN	L 35–40	72,080
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[29]

1 2 3 4 Total Buffalo 0 13 7 0 20 • #2 Ohio State 23 7 7 3 40 Location: Columbus, Ohio Game start: 12:03 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:18 Game attendance: 103,980 Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C) Referee: Shawn Smith TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Joey Galloway (color) Sources:[30][31]

Scoring summary 1 10:04 Ohio State Devin Smith 47-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Kenny Guiton rush) Ohio State 8–0 1 7:05 Ohio State Chris Fields 7-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Jordan Hall pass from Kenny Guiton) Ohio State 16–0 1 0:38 Ohio State Jordan Hall 49-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 23–0 2 9:18 Buffalo Matt Weiser 16-yard pass from Joe Licata (Patrick Clarke kick) Ohio State 23–7 2 7:10 Buffalo Khalil Mack 45-yard interception return (Joe Licata pass failed) Ohio State 23–13 2 6:53 Ohio State Jordan Hall 37-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 30–13 3 10:21 Buffalo Alex Neutz 10-yard pass from Joe Licata (Patrick Clarke kick) Ohio State 30–20 3 3:16 Ohio State Chris Fields 21-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 37–20 4 7:05 Ohio State Drew Basil 39-yard field goal Ohio State 40–20

The Buckeyes' opened the 2013 season against the Buffalo Bulls, who they defeated 40–20 in Columbus.^[30][32] A false start and delay of game penalty would force Buffalo to punt on their first possession.^[33] Following a 4-play drive, the Buckeyes' would score on a touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Devin Smith, and after a Kenny Guiton two-point conversion run, Ohio State took an 8–0 lead.^[32] Ohio State would score again on their second drive after a 7-yard touchdown pass from Miller to Chris Fields, and would convert another two-point conversion on a pass from Guiton to Jordan Hall.^[32] A 49-yard Hall touchdown run on the Buckeyes' next possession gave the Buckeyes' a 23–0 lead after the first quarter.^[33]

Ohio State would be unable to capitalize on a Ron Tanner interception of Bull's quarterback Joe Licata, with freshman Dontre Wilson fumbling the ball on the next play.^[33] Buffalo would score their first points of the game on a 3-play drive that ended in a touchdown pass from Licata to Matt Weiser.^[30] Khalil Mack returned a Braxton Miller interception for a touchdown on the Buckeyes' ensuing possession and cut the Ohio State lead to 23–13.^[34] A 37-yard touchdown run from Jordan Hall would give Ohio State a 30–13 lead at halftime.^[32] Ryan Shazier, along with other Buckeyes players were carried off in the second quarter due to cramps in the hot weather.^[35]

Buffalo would score on their first possession of the second half on a 10-yard pass from Joe Licata to Alex Neutz.^[31] The Buckeyes' responded with a 14-play drive, which ended in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Guiton to Chris Fields, giving Ohio State a 37–20 lead.^[30] A 39-yard Drew Basil field goal in the fourth quarter would be the final scoring play.^[30] With the victory, Ohio State extended their winning streak to 13 games, dating back to the previous season, the longest streak in the nation.^[36] The Bull's received $1 million to play the game in Ohio Stadium.^[37]

1 2 3 4 Total San Diego State 0 0 7 0 7 • #3 Ohio State 21 14 7 0 42 Location: Columbus, Ohio Game start: 3:36 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:11 Game attendance: 104,984 Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C), Wind SW 8 mph (13 km/h) Referee: Jerry McGinn TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Chris Spielman (color) Sources:[38][39]

Scoring summary 1 11:49 Ohio State Dontre Wilson 7-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 7–0 1 6:23 Ohio State Corey Brown 27-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 14–0 1 0:03 Ohio State Jorand Hall 4-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 21–0 2 5:33 Ohio State Kenny Guiton 44-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 28–0 2 3:15 Ohio State Rod Smith 1-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 35–0 3 4:34 Ohio State Corey Brown 24-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 42–0 4 7:05 San Diego State Chad Young 2-yard pass from Quinn Kaehler (Wes Feer kick) Ohio State 42–7

On November 2, 2012, Ohio State announced San Diego State would replace Vanderbilt on the 2013 schedule after the Commodores canceled the game.^[40] Ohio State defeated the Aztecs 42–7 in the second game of the season.^[38][41] The Buckeyes' scored on their first offensive possession on a 7-yard touchdown run from freshman Dontre Wilson.^[41] Starting quarterback Braxton Miller left the game after the first drive with a knee injury and was replaced by Kenny Guiton.^[41] The Buckeyes would be unable to capitalize following a Doran Grant interception on the Aztecs' ensuing possession.^[42] A touchdown pass from Guiton to Corey Brown and a 4-yard touchdown run from Jordan Hall gave Ohio State a 21–0 lead at the end of the first quarter.^[38]

Kenny Guiton threw his first interception early in the second quarter to Damontae Kazee, though Guiton would score on the Buckeyes' next offensive possession on a 44-yard run.^[41] A fumble and sack by Noah Spence gave the Buckeyes the ball in Aztec territory, which would lead to a Rod Smith touchdown run, giving Ohio State a 35–0 lead at halftime.^[42] Ohio State would score on their second drive of the third quarter on a Guiton touchdown pass to Corey Brown.^[38] The Buckeye defense would give up their first points against midway through the third quarter, following a 6 play, 72-yard drive by San Diego State.^[41] The Aztecs' scored a touchdown on a pass from Quinn Kaehler to Chad Young.^[41] Ohio State would run out the clock in the fourth quarter, ensuring the 42–7 victory.^[42] With the victory, Ohio State extended their winning streak to 14 games, and improved their overall record against San Diego State to 4–0.^[43][44]

1 2 3 4 Total • #4 Ohio State 24 7 21 0 52 California 14 6 7 7 34 Location: Berkeley, California Game start: 7:05 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:32 Game attendance: 62,467 Game weather: Clear, 74 °F (23 °C), Wind SW 11 mph (18 km/h) Referee: Jay Stricherz TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Charles Davis (color) Sources:[45][46]

Scoring summary 1 13:07 Ohio State Devin Smith 90-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 7–0 1 11:27 Ohio State Devin Smith 47-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 14–0 1 9:00 Ohio State Chris Fields 1-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 21–0 1 8:01 California James Grisom 61-yard pass from Jared Goff (Vincen D'Amato kick) Ohio State 21–7 1 3:45 Ohio State Drew Basil 39-yard field goal Ohio State 24–7 1 0:55 California Chris Harper 42-yard pass from Jared Goff (Vincen D'Amato kick) Ohio State 24–14 2 8:20 Ohio State Jordan Hall 1-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 31–14 2 4:32 California Vincen D'Amato 27-yard field goal Ohio State 31–17 2 0:00 California Vincen D'Amato 43-yard field goal Ohio State 31–20 3 12:06 Ohio State Jordan Hall 1-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 38–20 3 5:26 Ohio State Corey Brown 6-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 45–20 3 4:37 California Bryce Treggs 14-yard pass from Jared Groff (Vincen D'Amato kick) Ohio State 45–27 3 2:02 Ohio State Jordan Hall 2-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 52–27 4 6:06 California Daniel Lasco 1-yard run (Vincen D'Amato kick) Ohio State 52–34

In their first road game of the 2013 season, Ohio State defeated the California Golden Bears of the Pac-12 Conference 52–34 in Berkeley.^[45][47] Kenny Guiton was named the starting quarterback prior to the game, replacing Braxton Miller, who was injured.^[48] Within the first five minutes of the game, the Buckeyes' jumped out to a 21–0 lead following 90 and 47-yard touchdown passes from Guiton to Devin Smith.^[47] A sack and forced fumble by Ryan Shazier on California's third drive of the game would help set up a 1-yard touchdown pass from Guiton to Chris Fields.^[49] The Golden Bears' first touchdown would come on their fourth drive, on a 61-yard reception thrown by Jared Goff to James Grisom.^[47] A Christian Bryant interception for the Buckeyes' would set up a 39-yard Drew Basil field goal.^[49] A 42-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Chris Harper would make the score 24–14, in favor of Ohio State, at the end of the first quarter.^[45] Following a 12 play, 74-yard drive, Ohio State extended their led to 31–14 following a 1-yard Jordan Hall touchdown run.^[46] Two field goals of 27 and 43-yards for California's Vincen D'Amato, would cut the Buckeye lead to 31–20 at halftime.^[47]

Ohio State would open the second half with possession of the ball, and scoring a touchdown on Jordan Hall's second touchdown run of the game.^[49] A 6-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Guiton to Corey Brown on their next possession, would make the score 45–20, in favor of the Buckeyes'.^[45] Jared Goff would throw his third touchdown pass of the day to Bryce Treggs midway through the third quarter.^[47] Hall's third touchdown run for the Buckeyes' would give Ohio State a 52–27 lead at the end of the third quarter.^[47] A 1-yard touchdown run for Daniel Lasco of the Golden Bears' would be the only scoring play of the fourth quarter, with the Buckeyes winning 52–34.^[49] Kenny Guiton was recognized as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his 276 passing yard and four touchdown passes, while Ryan Shazier was recognized as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his 12 tackles and forced fumble.^[50] With the victory, Ohio State's winning streak reached 15 games, and they improved their all-time record against California to 7–1.^[51][52]

1 2 3 4 Total Florida A&M 0 0 0 0 0 • No. 4 Ohio State 34 21 14 7 76 Location: Columbus, Ohio Game start: 12:02 p.m. Elapsed time: 2:59 Game attendance: 103,595 Game weather: Cloudy, 62 °F (17 °C), wind NNW 9 mph (14 km/h) Referee: Alex Kemp TV announcers (BTN): Matt Devlin (play-by-play), Glen Mason (color) Sources:[53][54]

Scoring summary 1 12:57 Ohio State Jordan Hall 3-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 7–0 1 11:50 Ohio State Jeff Heuerman 11-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Kenny Guiton pass failed) Ohio State 13–0 1 9:25 Ohio State Evan Spencer 8-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 20–0 1 0:32 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 1-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 27–0 1 0:13 Ohio State Devin Smith 5-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 34–0 2 11:35 Ohio State Jordan Hall 18-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 41–0 2 6:09 Ohio State Chris Fields 15-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 48–0 2 0:05 Ohio State Evan Spencer 15-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 55–0 3 9:53 Ohio State Ezekiel Elliott 16-yard run (Kyle Clinton kick) Ohio State 62–0 3 2:26 Ohio State Ezekiel Elliott 13-yard run (Kyle Clinton kick) Ohio State 69–0 4 1:15 Ohio State Cardale Jones 10-yard run (Kyle Clinton kick) Ohio State 76–0

In their final non-conference game of the 2013 season, Ohio State defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, 76–0, in Columbus.^[53][55] Kenny Guiton was named the Buckeyes' starting quarterback for the second consecutive game.^[56] The Buckeyes scored on all five of their drives in the first quarter for a 34–0 lead.^[57] Jordan Hall scored Ohio State's first touchdown on a 3-yard run, while Guiton threw four touchdown passes to four separate receivers.^[57] A blocked punt by Doran Grant and an interception by Bradley Roby set up good field positions for the Buckeyes and scoring drives.^[55] Ohio State continued to roll in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns on all of their drives, including an 18-yard run from Jordan Hall and two touchdown passes from Guiton.^[58] The six touchdown passes from Guiton in the first half were a new Ohio State single-game quarterback record.^[59]

The Buckeyes took out their starters in the third quarter and kept the ball on the ground for the remainder of the game.^[57] Freshman running back Ezekiel Elliott took advantage of the playing time, scoring two touchdown in the third quarter, on 16- and 13-yard runs, and gave Ohio State a 69–0 lead going into the fourth quarter.^[58] A 10-yard touchdown run from Cardale Jones in the fourth quarter was the final scoring play of the game.^[53] Kenny Guiton was recognized as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his six touchdown passes.^[60] With the victory, Ohio State's winning streak reached 16 games.^[61] The Rattlers received $900,000 to play the game in Ohio Stadium.^[37]

1 2 3 4 Total #23 Wisconsin 7 7 0 10 24 • #4 Ohio State 14 10 7 0 31 Location: Columbus, Ohio Game start: 8:13 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:20 Game attendance: 105,826 Game weather: Clear, 70 °F (21 °C), Wind SE 7 mph (11 km/h) Referee: Dan Capron TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color) Sources:[62][63]

Scoring summary 1 12:18 Ohio State Evan Spencer 25-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 7–0 1 3:52 Wisconsin Jared Abbrederis 36-yard pass from Joel Stave (Kyle French kick) 7–7 1 0:44 Ohio State Devin Smith 26-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 14–7 2 4:33 Ohio State Drew Basil 45-yard field goal Ohio State 17–7 2 1:30 Wisconsin Sam Arneson 11-yard run Joel Stave (Kyle French kick) Ohio State 17–14 2 0:01 Ohio State Corey Brown 40-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 24–14 3 2:18 Ohio State Corey Brown 1-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 31–14 4 13:47 Wisconsin James White 17-yard run (Kyle French kick) Ohio State 31–21 4 2:05 Wisconsin Kyle French 42-yard field goal Ohio State 31–24

In their first conference game of the 2013 season, Ohio State defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 31–24 in Columbus.^[62][64] Braxton Miller was named as the starting quarterback for the first time in two weeks and would throw a 21-yard touchdown pass on the Buckeyes' first offensive possession.^[64][65] Wisconsin would tie the game up on their second offensive possession with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Joel Stave to Jared Abbrederis.^[66] The Buckeyes' would respond with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Miller to Devin Smith, giving Ohio State a 14–7 lead at the end of the first quarter.^[64]

Ohio State would extend their lead early in the second quarter, with a 45-yard Drew Basil field goal.^[62] Joel Stave would throw his second touchdown pass the Same Arneson, bringing the Buckeye lead back to one possession.^[64] In the final minutes of the half, the Buckeye offense would drive down the field and score on a touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Corey Brown, giving the Ohio State a 24–14 at halftime.^[67] The Badgers' would commit their first turnover in the third quarter on a pass intercepted by Bradley Roby.^[67] Ohio State would score a touchdown reception by Corey Brown, giving Ohio State a 31–14 lead.^[67]

Wisconsin would put together a 9-play, 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter, which resulted in a touchdown run from James White.^[62] The Badgers' again received the ball with less than five minutes remaining and were able to drive down to the Buckeye 24 yard line and would ultimately settle for a 42-yard field goal.^[64] The Buckeyes' recovered the ensuing onside kick and would seal the 31–24 victory.^[66] Braxton Miller was recognized as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after completing 17 of 25 pass attempts for 198 yards, while Cameron Johnston was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.^[68] During the game senior safety Christian Bryant sustained an ankle injury during the game, which ultimately ended his season and career at Ohio State.^[69] With the victory, Ohio State's winning streak reached 17 games, and they improved their overall record against Wisconsin to 56–18–5.^[70][71]

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 4 Ohio State 10 3 7 20 40 No. 16 Northwestern 7 13 3 7 30 Location: Evanston, Illinois Game start: 8:13 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:24 Game attendance: 47,330 Game weather: Scattered showers, 68 °F (20 °C), wind E 3 mph (4.8 km/h) Referee: Mike Cannon TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color) Sources:[72][73]

Scoring summary 1 12:31 Ohio State Drew Basil 27-yard field goal Ohio State 3–0 1 8:00 Northwestern Kain Colter 9-yard pass from Trevor Siemian (Jeff Budzien kick) Northwestern 7–3 1 2:33 Ohio State Bradley Roby blocked punt return (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 10–7 2 13:19 Northwestern Kain Colter 2-yard run (Jeff Budzien kick) Northwestern 14–10 2 8:36 Ohio State Drew Basil 20-yard field goal Northwestern 14–13 2 5:00 Northwestern Jeff Budzien 23-yard field goal Northwestern 17–13 2 0:56 Northwestern Jeff Budzien 29-yard field goal Northwestern 20–13 3 10:40 Northwestern Jeff Budzien 32-yard field goal Northwestern 23–13 3 3:54 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 4-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Northwestern 23–20 4 11:29 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 2-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 27–23 4 9:10 Northwestern Cameron Dickerson 12-yard pass from Trevor Siemian (Jeff Budzien kick) Northwestern 30–27 4 5:22 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 7-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 34–30 4 0:00 Ohio State Joey Bosa fumble recovery Ohio State 40–30

For the first time since 2008, Ohio State played Northwestern in Evanston, and in the game Ohio State defeated the Wildcats 40–30.^[72][74] Ohio State received the opening kickoff and scored first on a Drew Basil 27-yard field goal. Tyler Scott forced a fumble on Ohio State's second possession, giving the Wildcats the ball deep in Ohio State territory. Northwestern took advantage of the turnover, scoring on a touchdown pass from Trevor Siemiah to Kain Colter, giving the Wildcats the 7–3 lead.^[75] A blocked punt in the shadow of Northwestern's endzone by Bradley Roby gave Ohio State their first touchdown and a 10–7 lead at the end of the first quarter.^[76]

Ohio State's first drive of the second quarter covered 72 yards, and resulted in a 20-yard field goal from Basil.^[72] Northwestern scored on all of their drives in the second quarter, including a Kain Colter touchdown run, along with Jeff Budzien field goals, giving the Wildcats a 20–13 lead at halftime.^[74] Northwestern extended their lead on the first possession of the second half, driving 60 yards and taking a ten-point lead following a 32-yard field goal from Budzien.^[76] Ohio State committed third turnover on their first possession of the half, after a Braxton Miller fumble.^[77] A touchdown run from Carlos Hyde on the Buckeyes' next offensive drive would cut the Wildcat lead down to one possession.^[74]

Doran Grant intercepted a Trevor Siemian pass early in the fourth quarter, setting up the Buckeyes deep within Northwestern territory.^[76] Hyde's second touchdown run gave Ohio State the lead again at 27–23.^[74] Northwestern responded with a Cameron Dickerson 12-yard touchdown reception from Siemian.^[72] Ohio State took the lead for good after a third touchdown run from Hyde, following an 81-yard drive.^[74] A Wildcat fumbled lateral recovered by Joey Bosa made the final score 40–30.^[76] Hyde was recognized as Big Ten co-Offensive Player of the Week for his three touchdown runs, Roby was recognized as the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, while Bosa was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.^[78] With the victory, Ohio State's winning streak reached 18 games, and they improved their overall record against Northwestern to 60–14–1.^[79][80]

1 2 3 4 Total Iowa 10 7 7 0 24 • #4 Ohio State 3 7 14 10 34 Location: Columbus, Ohio Game start: 3:37 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:11 Game attendance: 105,264 Game weather: Cloudy, 46 °F (8 °C), Wind N 13 mph (21 km/h) Referee: Bill LeMonnier TV announcers (ABC): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (color) Sources:[81][82]

Scoring summary 1 9:23 Iowa C.J. Fiedorowicz 2-yard pass from Jake Rudock (Mike Meyer kick) Iowa 7–0 1 4:00 Ohio State Drew Basil 27-yard field goal Iowa 7–3 1 0:07 Iowa Mike Meyer 28-yard field goal Iowa 10–3 2 13:58 Ohio State Corey Brown 58-yard pass Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) 10–10 2 7:21 Iowa Kevonte Martin-Manley 6-yard pass from Jake Rudock (Mike Meyer kick) Iowa 17–10 3 10:18 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 1-yard run (Drew Basil kick) 17–17 3 3:15 Ohio State Devin Smith 14-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 24–17 3 2:30 Iowa Jake Duzey 85-yard pass from Jake Rudock (Mike Meyer kick) 24–24 4 13:24 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 19-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 31–24 4 5:50 Ohio State Drew Basil 25-yard field goal Ohio State 34–24

In their seventh game of the 2013 season and their third conference game, Ohio State defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 34–24 in Columbus.^[81][83] Iowa received the opening kickoff and put together a 12-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in a 2-yard touchdown reception from Jake Rudock to C. J. Fiedorowicz, giving the Hawkeyes a 7–0 lead.^[81] Ohio State would respond on their first offensive drive by putting together a 12 play drive of their own that ended in a 27-yard Drew Basil field goal.^[82] Iowa again drove down the field on their second drive and would score on a Mike Meyer 28-yard field goal, giving the Hawkeyes a 10–3 lead at the end of the first quarter.^[81] Three plays into the second quarter Braxton Miller threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Corey Browing, which tied the game.^[84] Iowa took the lead on their next possession on a Jake Rudock touchdown pass to Kevonte Martin-Manley.

Ohio State would start the second half with a 1-yard touchdown run from Carlos Hyde.^[83] After a defensive stop, Braxton Miller touchdown pass to Devin Smith, which gave Ohio State a 24–17 lead.^[84] Iowa would respond on their next possession with one play, an 85-yard touchdown pass from Jake Rudock to Jake Duzey, tying the score again. In the fourth quarter, Ohio State would score on a second Hyde touchdown run, as well as a 25-yard field goal from Drew Basil.^[83] For the first time since the 2008 season, the Buckeyes' did not punt a single time in the game.^[85] With the victory, Ohio State's winning streak reached 19 games, and they improved their overall record against Iowa to 46–14–3 (47–14–3 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).^[85][86]

1 2 3 4 Total Penn State 0 7 0 7 14 • #4 Ohio State 14 28 14 7 63 Location: Columbus, Ohio Game start: 8:13 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:19 Game attendance: 105,889 Game weather: Mostly Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C), Wind SW 11 mph (18 km/h) Referee: Dave Witvoet TV announcers (ABC): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color) Sources:[87][88]

Scoring summary 1 12:43 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 2-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 7–0 1 1:10 Ohio State Braxton Miller 39-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 14–0 2 13:00 Ohio State Braxton Miller 6-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 21–0 2 8:24 Ohio State Chris Fields 3-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 28–0 2 4:12 Penn State Brandon Felder 12-yard pass from Christian Hackenberg (Sam Ficken kick) Ohio State 28–7 2 3:16 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 39-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 35–7 2 0:03 Ohio State Corey Brown 25-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 42–7 3 8:52 Ohio State Dontre Wilson 26-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 49–7 3 4:01 Ohio State Kenny Guiton 2-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 56–7 4 8:24 Ohio State Kenny Guiton 11-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 63–7 4 7:33 Penn State Allen Robinson 65-yard pass from Tyler Ferguson (Same Ficken kick) Ohio State 63–14

In their annual rivalry game, Ohio State defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions in Columbus 63–14.^[87][89] Ohio State opened the game with a 7-play, 75-yard drive and scored on a two-yard run from Carlos Hyde.^[90] Corey Brown would force an interception on the Nittany Lions' first offensive drive, though the Buckeye offense was unable to capitalize.^[90] Ohio State would score the next three touchdowns unanswered, giving the Buckeyes' a 28–0 lead. Two touchdowns came on 39-yard and 6-yard runs from Braxton Miller, with the third coming on a 3-yard pass from Miller to Chris Fields.^[89] Penn State would get on the board midway through the second quarter, scoring on a 12-yard pass from Christian Hackenberg to Brandon Felder.^[91] A 39-yard run by Hyde, along with a 25-yard pass from Miller to Corey Brown would give Ohio State a 42–7 lead at halftime.^[92]

Curtis Grant would recover a fumble on Penn State's second drive of the third quarter and set up the Buckeye offense in Penn State territory. Ohio State would capitalize on the turnover, scoring on a 26-yard pass from Braxton Miller to Dontre Wilson. A 2-yard touchdown run from Kenny Guiton on the Buckeyes' next offensive drive would give Ohio State a 56–7 lead at the end of the third quarter.^[88] Guiton and the Buckeye offense would complete a 13-play, 79-yard drive early in the fourth quarter that would end with another Guiton touchdown run. A 65-yard pass from Tyler Ferguson to Allen Robinson would give Penn State their second touchdown of the game, making the final score 63–14.^[89] Braxton Miller was recognized at the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his five touchdowns, while Dontre Wilson was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for his touchdown reception and 96 all-purpose yards.^[93] With the victory, Ohio State's winning streak reached 20 games, and they improved their overall record against Penn State to 15–13 (16–13 without NCAA vacations and forfeits)(Penn States vacated wins were re-instated by the NCAA).^[94][95]

1 2 3 4 Total • #4 Ohio State 28 14 7 7 56 Purdue 0 0 0 0 0 Location: West Lafayette, Indiana Game start: 12:01 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:09 Game attendance: 51,423 Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C), Wind NW 10 mph (16 km/h) Referee: Jerry McGinn TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Glen Mason (color) Sources:[96][97]

Scoring summary 1 14:03 Ohio State Doran Grant 33-yard interception return (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 7–0 1 11:28 Ohio State Jeff Heuerman 40-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 14–0 1 2:37 Ohio State Nick Vannett 8-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 21–0 1 2:10 Ohio State Corey Brown 2-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 28–0 2 8:20 Ohio State Chris Fields 1-yard pass from Kenny Guiton (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 35–0 2 1:46 Ohio State Ezekiel Elliott 10-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 42–0 3 11:20 Ohio State Kenny Guiton 4-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 49–0 4 10:37 Ohio State Kenny Guiton 1-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 56–0

In their ninth game of the 2013 season, Ohio State shutout the Purdue Boilermakers 56–0 in West Lafayette.^[96][98] The Buckeyes' took a 14–0 lead within minutes of the kickoff, scoring on an interception by Doran Grant on the second play of the game, as well as a 40-yard pass from Braxton Miller to Jeff Heuerman.^[98] Later in the quarter, Ohio State would put together a 6-play, 62-yard drive that would end with a Braxton Miller pass to Nick Vannett and give the Buckeyes a three possession lead.^[99] Noah Spence would force a fumble, which would allow the Buckeyes' to score on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Miller to Corey Brown giving Ohio State a 28–0 lead.^[98]

In the second quarter Kenny Guiton would come in and throw a one-yard touchdown pass to Chris Fields.^[98] Ohio State's final drive of the half would end in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to freshman Ezekiel Elliott, with the Buckeyes' taking a 42–0 lead into halftime.^[100] Guiton would again lead the Buckeyes' into the endzone, this time on the first drive of the third quarter, this time running four yards for the touchdown.^[99]

The Buckeye defense would force their second shutout of the season, holding the Boilermakers out of Ohio State territory for most of the game.^[101] Kenny Guiton would score his second touchdown on the ground, this time running one yard for the score, and giving Ohio State a 56–0 lead.^[99] With the victory, Ohio State's winning streak reached 21 games, and they improved their overall record against Purdue to 39–14–2 (40–14–5 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).^[102][103]

Illibuck

1 2 3 4 Total • #3 Ohio State 21 14 9 16 60 Illinois 0 14 7 14 35 Location: Champaign, Illinois Game start: 12:01 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:50 Game attendance: 44,095 Game weather: Cloudy, 55 °F (13 °C), Wind S 18 mph (29 km/h) Referee: Todd Geerlings TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Brian Griese (color) Sources:[104][105]

Scoring summary 1 14:24 Ohio State Braxton Miller 70-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 7–0 1 4:55 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 18-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 14–0 1 3:30 Ohio State Bradley Roby 63-yard interception return (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 21–0 2 10:20 Ohio State Corey Brown 11-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 28–0 2 7:29 Illinois V'Angelo Bentley 67-yard punt return (Taylor Zalewski kick) Ohio State 28–7 2 5:47 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 8-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 35–7 2 2:25 Illinois Steve Hull 19-yard pass from Nate Scheelhaase (Taylor Zalewski kick) Ohio State 35–14 3 12:06 Illinois Evan Wilson 1-yard pass from Nate Scheelhaase (Taylor Zalewski kick) Ohio State 35–21 3 4:59 Ohio State Team safety Ohio State 37–21 3 4:01 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 1-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 44–21 4 14:22 Illinois Nate Scheelhaase 5-yard run (Miles Osei pass from Nate Scheelhaase) Ohio State 44–29 4 10:43 Ohio State Drew Basil 30-yard field goal Ohio State 47–29 4 8:49 Illinois Josh Ferguson 4-yard run (Nate Scheelhaase pass failed) Ohio State 47–35 4 4:03 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 51-yard run (Drew Basil kick failed) Ohio State 53–35 4 2:09 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 55-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 60–35

In their annual rivalry game, Ohio State defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini 60–35 in Champaign.^[104][106] Ohio State quickly jumped out to a 21–0 lead, scoring on 70-yard run by Braxton Miller, an 18-yard pass from Miller to Carlos Hyde, as well as an interception return by Bradley Roby.^[106][107] The Buckeyes' would extend the lead to 28–0 in the second quarter on a Corey Brown reception. Illinois would score their first points of the day on a 67-yard punt return from V'Angelo Bentley.^[107] The Buckeyes' responded with a six play drive, which concluded in a Hyde touchdown run.^[107] An Illinois drive towards the end of the first half would cover 75 yards and end on a touchdown pass from Nate Scheelhaase to Steve Hull, making the score 35–14 at halftime.^[108]

Illinois received the ball to open the third quarter and would score on a second touchdown pass from Scheelhaase, this time to Evan Wilson, making it a two possession game.^[108] Ohio State would fumble on their ensuing drive.^[108] The Buckeyes' defense would score again, this time by sacking Scheelhaase in the endzone for the safety, which would result in a Carlos Hyde touchdown and giving Ohio State the 44–21 lead.^[106]

The Illini and Nate Scheelhaase would respond, scoring a touchdown on the third play of the fourth quarter, and by converting the two point conversion, would make it a two possession game once again.^[108] A Drew Basil field goal on the next Buckeye drive would be answered by an Illinois touchdown, this time by Josh Ferguson.^[104] A third Carlos Hyde touchdown run late in the fourth quarter would put the game out of reach for the Illini, with Hyde's fourth touchdown on Ohio State's next offensive drive being the final scoring play of the game.^[107] For scoring four touchdowns in the game and rushing for 246 yards, fourth most in Buckeye history, Hyde was recognized as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Ryan Shazier, who had 16 tackles, was recognized as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.^[109] With the victory, Ohio State's winning streak reached 22 games, and they improved their overall record against Illinois to 65–30–4 (66–30–4 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).^[110]

1 2 3 4 Total Indiana 0 0 0 14 14 • #4 Ohio State 14 14 7 7 42 Location: Columbus, Ohio Game start: 3:34 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:07 Game attendance: 104,990 Game weather: Snow showers, 33 °F (1 °C), Wind NW 15 mph (24 km/h) Referee: Dave Witvoet TV announcers (ABC): Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Chris Spielman (color) Sources:[111][112]

Scoring summary 1 12:41 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 16-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 7–0 1 8:11 Ohio State Braxton Miller 37-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 14–0 2 8:36 Ohio State Braxton Miller 5-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 21–0 2 0:37 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 5-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 28–0 3 4:44 Ohio State Dontre Wilson 24-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 35–0 4 10:37 Ohio State Devin Smith 39-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 42–0 4 5:59 Indiana Shane Wynn 4-yard pass from Nate Sudfeld (Mitch Ewald kick) Ohio State 42–7 4 2:03 Indiana D'Angelo Roberts 25-yard pass from Nate Sudfeld (Mitch Ewald kick) Ohio State 42–14

In the final home game of the 2013 season, Ohio State defeated the Indiana Hoosiers 42–14 in Columbus.^[111][113] Ohio State shutout the Hoosiers through the first three quarter of the game, and would jump out to another fast start in the first quarter, going up 14–0. The Buckeyes' scored on their first possession of the game on a 16-yard Carlos Hyde run, and would score on their second possession with a 37-yard Braxton Miller run.^[114] A blocked punt by Bradley Roby would set up the Ohio State offense at the Hoosier 8 yard line.^[113] The Buckeyes' would score two plays later Braxton Miller would score his second rushing touchdown of the game.^[113] Following a sack by Michael Bennett on fourth down, Ohio State drove 69 yards and scored on a Carlos Hyde run in the closing seconds of the second quarter, giving the Buckeyes' a 28–0 lead a halftime.^[114]

Indiana would open up the second half with a 13 play drive, but would fail to score after Mitch Ewald missed a 41-yard field goal. Ohio State would score their fifth touchdown on a 24-yard pass from Braxton Miller to freshman Dontre Wilson. A fumble forced by Ryan Shazier at the end of the third quarter would keep the Hoosiers' out of the endzone.^[115] The Buckeyes' would score on a touchdown pass from Miller to Devin Smith at the start of the fourth quarter, giving them a 42–0 lead.^[116] Indiana would score on two Nate Sudfeld passes in the fourth quarter, the first to Shane Wynn, and the second to D'Angelo Roberts, making the final score 42–14.^[113] Ryan Shazier was recognized as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his 16 tackles.^[117] With the victory, Ohio State's winning streak reached 23 games, a school record.^[118] The Buckeyes' improved their overall record against Indiana to 69–12–5 (70–12–5 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).^[119]

The Game

1 2 3 4 Total • #3 Ohio State 14 7 14 7 42 Michigan 14 7 0 20 41 Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Game start: 12:06 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:32 Game attendance: 113,511 Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 37 °F (3 °C), Wind S 13 mph (21 km/h) Referee: Mike Cannon TV announcers (ABC): Brad Nessler (color), Todd Blackledge (play-by-play) Sources:[120][121]

Scoring summary 1 9:24 Michigan Devin Gardner 1-yard run (Matt Wile kick) Michigan 7–0 1 5:08 Ohio State Devin Smith 53-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) 7–7 1 2:11 Michigan Fitzgerald Toussaint 4-yard run (Matt Wile kick) Michigan 14–7 1 0:55 Ohio State Braxton Miller 53-yard run (Drew Basil kick) 14–14 2 14:28 Michigan Jeremy Gallon 17-yard pass from Devin Gardner (Matt Wile kick) Michigan 21–14 2 1:03 Ohio State Braxton Miller 21-yard run (Drew Basil kick) 21–21 3 6:59 Ohio State Braxton Miller 3-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 28–21 3 1:05 Ohio State Jeff Heuerman 22-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 35–21 4 11:15 Michigan Drew Dileo 11-yard pass from Devin Gardner (Matt Wile kick) Ohio State 35–28 4 5:01 Michigan Jake Butt 2-yard pass from Devin Gardner (Matt Wile kick) 35–35 4 2:20 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 1-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 42–35 4 0:32 Michigan Devin Funchess 2-yard pass from Devin Gardner (Devin Gardner pass intercepted) Ohio State 42–41

In the 2013 edition of The Game, Ohio State defeated the Michigan Wolverines 42–41 in Ann Arbor.^[120][122] After forcing a punt on the Buckeyes' first possession of the game, the Wolverines' would drive 99 yards in 5 plays, scoring on a 1-yard run from Devin Gardner.^[123] Ohio State responded with a 53-yard touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Devin Smith.^[120] A 4-yard touchdown run from Fitzgerald Toussaint on Michigan's next drive, along with a 53-yard touchdown run from Miller tied the game 14–14 at the end of the first quarter.^[122] Michigan, who would score on their first three drives of the game, took the lead on a touchdown pass from Gardner to Jeremy Gallon early in the second quarter.^[122] Ohio State would score their third touchdown of the day in the final minutes of the half on a 21-yard Miller run, tying the score 21–21 at halftime.^[120]

A fumble recovered by Tyvis Powell midway through the third quarter would set up the Buckeyes' 56-yard drive, culminating in a 3-yard touchdown run from Braxton Miller. A 22-yard touchdown pass from Miller to Jeff Heuerman on the ensuing Buckeye drive gave Ohio State the 35–21 lead at the end of the third quarter.^[124] A Devin Gardner touchdown pass to Drew Dileo early in the fourth quarter would cut the Buckeye lead down to one possession. A Carlos Hyde fumble on the following Buckeye drive set up the Wolverines in Ohio State territory, with Gardner throwing his third touchdown pass to Jake Butt and tying the score 35–35.^[125] Ohio State would drive 65 yard on their ensuing possession and take the lead on a Hyde touchdown run.^[125] The Wolverines' would put together an 11-play, 84-yard drive at the end of the game, scoring on a Gardner touchdown pass to Devin Funchess.^[122] The Wolverines attempted at two-point conversion for the victory, though it would fail after Tyvis Powell intercepted Gardner's pass attempt.^[122][124]

With the victory, Ohio State secured their second consecutive undefeated regular season, along with extending their winning streak to 24 games.^[126] The 83 points scored between both teams was the second most in the history of "The Game", with 86 points being scored in 1902.^[126] With their second consecutive victory over Michigan, Ohio State improved their overall record against Michigan to 45–58–6 (46–58–6 without NCAA vacations and forfeits).^[127]

Big Ten Championship Game

1 2 3 4 Total #2 Ohio State 0 10 14 0 24 • #10 Michigan State 3 14 3 14 34 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Game start: 8:19 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:38 Game attendance: 66,002 Game weather: Indoors Referee: Dan Capron TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Charles Davis (color) Sources:[128][129]

Scoring summary 1 8:31 Michigan State Michael Geiger 40-yard field goal Michigan State 3–0 2 14:50 Michigan State Keith Mumphrey 72-yard pass from Connor Cook (Michael Geiger kick) Michigan State 10–0 2 9:01 Michigan State Tony Lippett 33-yard pass from Connor Cook (Michael Geiger kick) Michigan State 17–0 2 6:26 Ohio State Corey Brown 20-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick) Michigan State 17–7 2 0:00 Ohio State Drew Basil 28-yard field goal Michigan State 17–10 3 12:21 Ohio State Braxton Miller 8-yard run (Drew Basil kick) 17–17 3 5:36 Ohio State Braxton Miller 6-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 24–17 3 2:29 Michigan State Michael Geiger 44-yard field goal Ohio State 24–20 4 11:41 Michigan State Josiah Price 9-yard pass from Connor Cook (Michael Geiger kick) Michigan State 27–24 4 2:16 Michigan State Jeremy Langford 26-yard run (Michael Geiger kick) Michigan State 34–24

In the program's first appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State was defeated by the Michigan State Spartans 34–24.^[128][130] The Spartans' would receive the ball first and put together a 14-play drive that would cover 47 yards and end in a Michael Geiger 40-yard field goal, giving Michigan State the 3–0 lead, which would be the only scoring drive of the first quarter.^[128] Michigan State would extend their lead early in the second quarter, with two touchdown passes from Connor Cook to Keith Mumphery and Tony Lippett, giving the Spartans' the 17–0 advantage.^[131] The Buckeyes' would score their first points on their fourth drive of the game, which would end in a touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Corey Brown. Ohio State would score the final points of the half on a 28-yard field goal from Drew Basil, and cutting the Spartan lead to 17–10 at halftime.^[130]

Ohio State, who received the ball to open the second half, would tie the game up following a Braxton Miller 8-yard run.^[131] Ohio State would fail to capitalize on an interception from C.J. Barnett on the ensuing Spartan possession.^[131] The Buckeyes would take their first lead of the game midway through the third quarter after a 6-yard touchdown run from Miller, and giving Ohio State the 24–17 advantage.^[129] A field goal by Michael Geiger would cut the Ohio State lead to 24–20 at the end of the third quarter.^[128]

Michigan State would take the lead once again early in the fourth quarter after a touchdown pass from Cook to Josiah Price.^[130] Ohio State would fail to convert a fourth down midway through the fourth quarter and give the ball back the Spartans, who would drive 61 yards in 6 plays, putting the Buckeyes away after a 26-yard Jeremy Langford touchdown run.^[129] The touchdown run would be the final scoring play of the game, with Michigan State defeated Ohio State 34–24. The loss ended Ohio State's 24-game win streak, the longest in school history and brought Ohio State's all-time record against the Spartans to 28–14.^[132][133]

Discover Orange Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total #7 Ohio State 9 13 7 6 35 • #12 Clemson 14 6 14 6 40 Location: Miami Gardens, Florida Game start: 8:32 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:45 Game attendance: 72,080 Game weather: Mostly Cloudy, 64 °F (18 °C), Wind N 10 mph (16 km/h) Referee: John McDaid TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Matt Millen (color) Sources:[134][135]

Scoring summary 1 12:50 Clemson Tajh Boyd 48-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick) Clemson 7–0 1 5:44 Ohio State Braxton Miller 33-yard run (Drew Basil kick) 7–7 1 4:56 Clemson Sammy Watkins 34-yard pass from Tajh Boyd (Chandler Catanzaro kick) Clemson 14–7 1 2:25 Ohio State Team safety Clemson 14–9 2 6:16 Clemson Martavis Bryant 3-yard pass from Tajh Boyd (Chandler Catanzaro kick failed) Clemson 20–9 2 3:39 Ohio State Jeff Heuerman 57-yard pass Braxton Miller (Drew Basil kick blocked) Clemson 20–15 2 0:12 Ohio State Braxton Miller 3-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 22–20 3 5:50 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 1-yard run (Drew Basil kick) Ohio State 29–20 3 2:47 Clemson Sammy Watkins 30-yard pass from Tajh Boyd (Chandler Catanzaro kick) Ohio State 29–27 3 0:32 Clemson Martavis Bryant 3-yard pass from Tajh Boyd (Chandler Catanzaro kick) Clemson 34–29 4 11:35 Ohio State Carlos Hyde 14-yard pass from Braxton Miller (Kenny Guiton pass failed) Ohio State 35–34 4 6:16 Clemson Stanton Seckinger 5-yard pass from Tajh Boyd (Sammy Watkins pass failed) Clemson 40–35

Ohio State was selected to play in the Orange Bowl on December 8 as a BCS at-large team.^[136] Ohio State faced the Clemson Tigers of the Atlantic Coast Conference, who defeated the Buckeyes 40–35.^[134][137] Clemson would open the game with a 6-play drive that resulted in a 48-yard touchdown run from Tajh Boyd.^[137] The Buckeyes' responded on their first offensive possession, driving 75 yards and tying the game on a Braxton Miller touchdown run.^[134] A 34-yard touchdown pass from Boyd to Sammy Watkins on Clemson's next possession gave the Tigers' a 14–7 lead.^[138] After the Buckeyes' special teams pinned Clemson within one yard of their endzone, the Ohio State defense forced an intentional grounding penalty in endzone, resulting in a safety, cutting the Clemson lead to 14–9 at the end of the first quarter.^[134]

The Tigers' would extend their lead midway through the second quarter on a touchdown pass from Tajh Boyd to Martavis Bryant, giving Clemson a 20–9 lead.^[134] Ohio State responded on their next possession, with a 5-play drive, resulting in a touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Jeff Heuerman.^[138] A Miller 3-yard touchdown run at the end of the half gave the Buckeyes' their first lead at 22–20 going into halftime.^[134] Carlos Hyde scored his first touchdown of the game early in the third quarter, extending the Ohio State lead to 29–20.^[137] Clemson's next offensive drive would be extended after a fumbled punt and would result in the Tigers' scoring on a touchdown pass from Boyd to Sammy Watkins.^[137] Clemson would retake the lead later on their next offensive possession on Bryant's second touchdown reception, giving the Tigers' a 34–29 lead at the end of the third quarter.^[134]

Ohio State's completed a 10-play, 75-yard drive early in the fourth quarter, which resulted in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Carlos Hyde.^[137] The touchdown gave the Buckeyes' the lead again at 35–34, following a failed two-point conversion pass from Kenny Guiton.^[138] Clemson would put together a 13-play drive on their next possession, and take the lead for the final time after a Stanton Seckinger touchdown reception, though they were unable to complete the two-point conversion.^[137] Miller would fumble the ball at midfield on the Buckeyes' next possession, though Ohio State would force a Boyd interception, with a Miller interception two plays later sealed the 40–35 Clemson victory.^[137] The loss brought Ohio State's all-time record against the Tigers to 0–2.^[139]

Entering the 2013 season, the Buckeyes' were ranked No. 2 in both the AP Preseason Poll and Coaches' Preseason Poll.^[140] Following their 40–20 victory over Buffalo in the first week, the Buckeyes' dropped to No. 3 in the AP Poll, being jumped by the Oregon Ducks.^[141] After defeated San Diego State 42–7 in the second week of the season, Ohio State would drop again, falling to No. 3 in the Coaches' Poll and No. 4 in the AP Poll, behind the Clemson Tigers.^[142] Ohio State was No. 4 when the first Harris Interactive Poll was released on October 13.^[143] The Buckeyes also debuted at No. 4 in first BCS standings of the season on October 20.^[144] The Buckeyes' would also drop to No. 4 in the Coaches' Poll on October 20, behind the Florida State Seminoles.^[145] Following the Oregon Ducks' loss to the Stanford Cardinal on November 7, Ohio State moved up to No. 3 in all four polls.^[146] The Buckeyes would drop to No. 4 in the AP Poll the following week, behind the Baylor Bears.^[147] Following losses by Baylor and the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State jumped to No. 2 in all four polls on December 1.^[148] After the Buckeyes' loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game, they fell to No. 7 in the AP Poll, Harris Interactive Poll, and the BCS standings, while falling to No. 6 in the Coaches' Poll.^[149] After their loss to Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Ohio State was ranked No. 10 in the final Coaches' Poll and No. 12 in the final AP Poll.^[150]

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	2 (1)	3 (1)	4 (1)	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	4	3	2	7	12
Coaches	2 (3)	2 (3)	3 (2)	3	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	3	3	3	2 (4)	6	10
Harris	Not released							4	4	4	4	3	3	3	2 (5)	7	Not released
BCS	Not released								4	4	4	3	3	3	2	7	Not released

• Sources:^[151]

Following their loss to Clemson, Ohio State's final team statistics were released. On the offensive side of the ball, Ohio State ranked seventh in total offense (511.9 yards per game), fifth in rushing offense (308.6 yards per game), 88th in passing offense (203.3 yards per game), and third in scoring offense (45.5 points per game).^[152] On the defensive side of the ball, Ohio State ranked 46th in total defense (377.4 yards per game), ninth in rushing defense (109.4 yards per game), 110th in passing defense (268 yards per game), and 28th in scoring defense (22.6 points per game).^[152] In conference, Ohio State ranked third in rushing defense and 11th in passing defense.^[153]

Individually, Carlos Hyde led the team in rushing with 1,521 total yards (138.27 yards per game), scoring 15 rushing touchdowns, and ranking fifth nationally in rushing yards per game.^[154] Braxton Miller finished the season completing 162 of 255 pass attempts, with 2,094 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.^[155] Miller also complied 1,068 rushing yards on 171 attempts, with 12 rushing touchdowns.^[154] Ryan Shazier led the team with 143 total tackles and 101 solo tackles.^[156] C.J. Barnett led the team with four interceptions.^[157]

After the Big Ten Championship Game, multiple Ohio State players were recognized for their on-field performance with a variety of awards and recognitions. The Big Ten recognized several players for their individual performances with various awards. On December 2, Braxton Miller was named the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, in addition to being named the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year for the second consecutive season.^[158][159] Carlos Hyde was named the Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year.^[159] Miller, Hyde, Corey Linsley, Ryan Shazier and Bradley Roby were named to the Coaches' All-Big Ten First Team.^[160] Corey Brown, Andrew Norwell, Jack Mewhort, Michael Bennett and Noah Spence were named to the Coaches' All-Big Ten Second Team.^[160] Miller, Hyde, Linsley, Norwell Mewhort, Spence, Shazier and Roby were named to the Media All-Big Ten First Team, while Bennett was named to the Media All-Big Ten Second Team.^[160]

In addition to the conference awards, several players were also named to various All-American Teams. Ryan Shazier was named to the Associated Press All-American First Team, while Carlos Hyde and Jack Mewhort were named to the Associated Press All-American Second Team.^[161] Mewhort and Shazier were also named to the ESPN All-American Team.^[162] Mewhort was also named a Walter Camp All-American and Shaizer was named as a USA Today All-American.^[163][164] Joey Bosa was named a Freshman All-American by The Sporting News and College Football News.^[165]

On December 21, co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers accepted the head coaching position at James Madison.^[166] On January 10, defensive line coach Mike Vrabel accepted a position as linebackers coach for the Houston Texans.^[167] On January 15, Larry Johnson was brought onto the Ohio State staff as the defensive line and assistant head coach.^[168] Johnson spent 18 years at Penn State prior to joining the Ohio State staff.^[168] On January 23, Ohio State announced the hiring of Chris Ash to replace Withers as co-defensive coordinator, along with being named the safeties coach.^[169]

Fourteen players from Ohio State entered into the NFL Draft, twelve seniors and two juniors.^[170] On defense, Bradley Roby, Christian Bryant and C.J. Barnett all entered.^[170] On offense, Carlos Hyde, Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, Andrew Norwell, Corey Brown, Kenny Guiton, Jordan Hall, Marcus Hall and Chris Fields entered, while George Makridis entered on special teams.^[170] Shazier, a junior, announced his intention to enter the draft on January 6, and is projected to go in the first round.^[170][171] Roby, a redshirt junior, announced his intention to enter the draft in November, and is expected to go in the second round.^[170][172] Shazier was selected with the fifteen pick in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Roby was selected with the thirty-first pick in the first round by the Denver Broncos.^[173] Mewhort was taken by the Indianapolis Colts and Hyde was taken by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round.^[173] Linsley was taken in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers and Bryant was taken in the seven round by the St. Louis Rams.^[173]

General

Specific