| 1942 Ohio State Buckeyes football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| AP Poll national champion Big Ten champion | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Ranking | |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 9–1 (5–1 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive scheme | Heavy run |
| Base defense | Multiple |
| MVP | Jack Graf |
| Home stadium | Ohio Stadium |
| Seasons← 19411943 → | |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Ohio State $ | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Wisconsin | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Michigan | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 Minnesota | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 2 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1942 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team that represented Ohio State University in the Big Ten Conference during the 1942 season. In their second season under head coach Paul Brown, the Buckeyes compiled a 9–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 337 to 114, won the Big Ten championship, and was ranked No. 1 in the final AP poll, thus earning Ohio State their first ever national championship in program history.
The team was led by wingback Les Horvath, quarterback and team captain George Lynn, and halfback Gene Fekete. Fekete led the Big 10 with 910 rushing yards.
The Buckeyes' only loss was to No. 3 Wisconsin. Half of the Buckeye players contracted an intestinal disorder after drinking from an unsanitary drinking fountain on the train to Madison. Horvath then led the Buckeyes to three scores through the air to upset Michigan.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 26 | Fort Knox* | W 59–0 | 22,555 | |||
| October 3 | Indiana |
| W 32–21 | 48,227 | ||
| October 10 | USC* |
| W 28–12 | 56,436 | ||
| October 17 | Purdue | No. 1 |
| W 26–0 | 45,943 | |
| October 24 | at Northwestern | No. 1 | W 20–6 | 40,000 | ||
| October 31 | at No. 6 Wisconsin | No. 1 | L 7–17 | 45,000 | ||
| November 7 | Pittsburgh* | No. 6 |
| W 59–19 | 34,893 | |
| November 14 | vs. No. 13 Illinois | No. 10 | W 44–20 | 68,586 | ||
| November 21 | No. 4 Michigan | No. 5 |
| W 21–7 | 71,691 | |
| November 28 | Iowa Pre-Flight* | No. 3 |
| W 41–12 | 27,259 | |
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Rankings
See also: 1942 NCAA football rankings| Week | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Final |
| AP | 2 (12) | 1 (58) | 1 (80) | 6 | 10 (1) | 5 (1) | 3 (16) | 1 (84) |
Coaching staff
- Paul Brown, head coach, second year
Awards
All-Americans
- Charles Csuri, T (Team MVP)
- Gene Fekete, FB
- Lindell Houston, G
- Paul Sarringhaus, HB
- Bob Shaw, E
All-Big Ten
- Lindell Houston, G
- Paul Sarringhaus, HB
- Bob Shaw, E
Big Ten Scholar/Athlete
- Don Steinberg, WR
1943 NFL draftees
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Horvath | 6 | 45 | Halfback | Cleveland Rams |
| Bill Vickroy | 12 | 105 | Center | Cleveland Rams |
| Don McCafferty | 13 | 116 | End | New York Giants |
References
- Gutridge, Mike (June 21, 2016). "100 Teams in 100 Days: Brown, Buckeyes Capture Program's First National Championship In 1942". Eleven Warriors. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- "Scoring Spree Staged at Columbus". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 8, 1942. p. 33. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Ohio State Takes 41-12 Grid Contest: Buckeyes Score in Every Period To Outclass Iowas Seahawks". The Baltimore Sun (AP story). November 29, 1942. p. Sports 4.
- General
- Lindy's (2002), A Championship Season...and the Battle for #1, p. 74
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