🏆 Undefeated, dominant season
OSU finished a perfect 10–0, sweeping the Big Ten and winning the Rose Bowl 27–16 over USC to clinch the national championship. This remains their last unanimous wire-service national title until 2002 .
They averaged 32 points and 440 yards per game offensively, while defensively allowing only 15 points and 292 yards .
The “Super Sophomores”
A generational core that included Rex Kern (QB), Jim Otis (RB), Jack Tatum (DB), and Jim Stillwagon (DL)—each future College Football Hall of Famers—gave the team exceptional talent and leadership .
Signature Victories
Upset over No. 1 Purdue (13–0): OSU shut down stars Mike Phipps and Leroy Keyes, announcing their arrival on the national scene .
Crushing rival Michigan (50–14) in Columbus to secure the Big Ten title and Rose Bowl bid .
In the Rose Bowl vs. No. 2 USC, they overcame a 10–0 deficit, with Rex Kern earning MVP honors, and held Heisman-winner O.J. Simpson to just 91 yards the rest of the game by forcing five turnovers .
Historic firsts & lasting legacy
1968 marked the debut of the iconic Buckeye helmet stickers, a tradition still celebrated .
The team also brought home the first MacArthur Bowl, awarded to college football’s national champion .
ESPN and other expert rankings consistently place the ’68 squad among the top college football teams ever—ESPN’s list ranked them No. 13 of the past 150 years .
🧠Why they remain at the top of Buckeye lore
1. Unmatched dominance against elite competition.
2. Clayborn core of elite talent that shaped OSU’s identity.
3. Game-changing style and swagger: fast-paced, innovative under Woody Hayes’ steady leadership.
4. Cultural impact: introduced traditions like helmet stickers and expanded recruiting beyond Ohio .
5. Legacy of excellence: their success launched a remarkable era—nine Big Ten titles and multiple national championships under Hayes into the mid-1970s .
In short, the 1968 Buckeyes combined perfection, star power, signature victories, and tradition-defining innovations. They set a standard in both performance and culture—a standard that still defines what it means to be a Buckeye. That’s why, even decades later, ESPN VERIFIED SPORTS rightly places them atop the Buckeyes pantheon.