Taking a Look At Ohio State’s Previous Seasons Defending A National Championship As 2025 Team Seeks Repeat
Taking a Look At Ohio State’s Previous Seasons Defending A National Championship As 2025 Team Seeks Repeat
Ohio State now claims nine national championships, seven of which are undisputed.
Some came within a few years of each other, but none ever happened back-to-back. For the first time since 2015, the Buckeyes get a chance to repeat and make school history in 2025. Their previous bids have been a mixed bag.
Years like 1969 and 2015 saw infamously close scrapes with another title run, but there have been forgettable campaigns to follow a college football crown in the illustrious history of Ohio State, too. Where did those previous repeat bids fall apart? Are there any lessons to learn for this year’s team? We’re taking a stroll back through the history books to see.
Ohio State’s first attempt at a repeat title collapsed the furthest of any from college football’s mountaintop, but there’s good reason for it.
The Buckeyes returned just five players from their 1942 championship squad under the guidance of legendary coach Paul Brown. Why? World War II was in full swing, and many of Ohio State’s potential players were in the ROTC program. Per wartime rules, ROTC members were prohibited from playing varsity sports.
Ohio State limped to a 3-6 record, though four of the losses came to ranked teams, including No. 4 Michigan, which finished as Big Ten co-champion. Star Les Horvath returned to the roster in 1944 and won the Heisman Trophy while leading the Buckeyes to a perfect 9-0 record, though Army would be crowned national champions.
