Feb. 12, 2015

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2014 College Football Playoff national champion Ohio State Buckeyes rewrote their own school records book and altered a plethora of other records during their chase for the eighth national championship in school history this year.

When the clock hit 00:00 just past midnight eastern time the evening of Jan. 12, coach Urban Meyer’s team had not only realized its dream of a successful chase to a national crown, but did so in impressive, impressive fashion along the way by setting or tying 74 season or game records, including NCAA, Big Ten Conference, Big Ten championship game and bowl records.

From freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett’s Big Ten Conference record for total touchdowns with 45, to the team’s NCAA record wins total of 14 and its Big Ten record 24-game conference winning streak, to Michael Bennett, Doran Grant and Joey Bosa setting Big Ten title game records on defense, to Ezekiel Elliott’s three 200-yard rushing games, 2014 was full of chart-topping performances for the Buckeyes.

A total of 26 team records were set with the NCAA record for wins in a season most impressive, but the Big Ten mark for total offensive yards (7,674), the school records for passing yards (3,707) and touchdown passes (42) and the Big Ten championship game record for turnovers forced (four) will long be remembered.

Individually, Barrett’s 19 records, including two Big Ten marks, will be difficult to top by anyone anytime, and it’s crazy to think about the additional marks he could have achieved had he not gotten injured. As it was: his 11 victories as a rookie starting quarterback tied Todd Boeckman’s 2007 mark, and his 3,772 offensive yards are 462 yards more than the previous mark.

Barrett’s injury opened doors for Cardale Jones, and he burst through, setting three Big Ten championship game records – and earning MVP honors – in his first career start and becoming the first Ohio State quarterback to ever win three times in the post-season.

Some additional records set this season: Devin Smith topped the single season yards per catch average at 28.2 yards per catch; Ezekiel Elliott powered to bowl game records of 246 rushing yards and four touchdowns vs. Oregon; Bennett had a Big Ten championship game record four tackles-for-loss; and Sean Nuernberger’s 10 records included Big Ten records for kicking points in a season (128) and extra points made in a season (89).

Records Set or Tied in 2014 by Ohio State
NCAA, Big Ten and Ohio State
*Records Tied

Team (26)
NCAA Records
14 – *Wins, season
15 – *Games played, season

Big Ten Conference Records
24 – Consecutive Big Ten wins
45 – First downs, game
1,099 – Total offensive plays, season
7,674 – Total offensive yards, season
386 – First downs, season
4 – Turnovers forced in Big Ten championship game
3 – Interceptions in Big Ten championship game

Program Records
14 – *Wins, season
15 – Games played, season
24 – Consecutive Big Ten wins
4 – Consecutive games 50-plus points
4 – *Consecutive games 500-or-more yards total offense
260 – Passes completed, season
3,707 – Passing yards, season
42 – Passing touchdowns, season
1,099 – Total offensive plays, season
7,674 – Total offensive yards, season
672 – Points scored, season
90 – Touchdowns, season
386 – First downs, season
101 – Total offensive attempts, game (vs. Cincinnati)
45 – First downs, game (vs. Cincinnati)
28 – First downs in bowl game (vs. Oregon)

Misc.
0 – Points allowed in FBS/Power Five championship game

Individual (48)
Listed Alphabetically

QB J.T. Barrett
Big Ten
45 – Touchdowns responsible for, season
7 – Freshman of the week awards, season

Ohio State
45 – Touchdowns responsible for, season
34 – Touchdown passes, season
3,772 – Total yards, season
64.6 – Career completion pct.
6 – Touchdown passes, game (vs. Kent State)
6 – Touchdowns responsible for, game (vs. Kent State)
236.2 – Career passing yards per game
12 – Consecutive passes completed, season
169.8 – Passing efficiency, season
11 – *Most wins by first-year starting QB
314.3 – Average total offensive yards, season
314.3 – Average total offensive yards, career
11 – Games gaining 200 or more yards total offense, season
7 – Games gaining 300 or more yards total offense, season
1 – Games gaining 400 or more yards total offense, season
189 – Rushing yards by an Ohio State QB, game
86 – Longest rush by an Ohio State QB

DT Michael Bennett
2 – Fumbles forced in Big Ten championship game
4 – *TFLs in Big Ten championship game

DE Joey Bosa
1 – Fumble return TD in Big Ten championship game

RB Ezekiel Elliott
Big Ten
81 – Longest rush in Big Ten championship game
220 – Rushing yards in Big Ten championship game

Ohio State
3 – 200-yard rushing games, season
4 – TDs in a bowl game (vs. Oregon)
246 – Rushing yards in a bowl game (vs. Oregon)
85 – Longest rush in a bowl game (vs. Alabama)

CB Doran Grant
2 – Interceptions in Big Ten championship game

P Cameron Johnston
Big Ten
53.0 – Punt average in Big Ten championship game
73 – Longest punt in Big Ten championship game

QB Cardale Jones
Big Ten
3 – *TD passes in Big Ten championship game
255.8 – QB rating in Big Ten championship game
44 – Longest TD pass in Big Ten championship game

Ohio State
3 – Post-season wins as starting QB

K Sean Nuernberger
Big Ten
128 – Kicking points, season
89 – Extra points made, season
49 – Most PATs Big Ten games only, season

Ohio State
128 – Kicking points, season
89 – Extra points made, season
89 – Extra points attempted, season
89 – Consecutive extra points, season
1.000 – *Extra point percentage, season
1.000 – *Extra point percentage, career
6 – Extra points in bowl game (vs. Oregon)

WR Devin Smith
Big Ten
137 – Receiving yards in Big Ten championship game
3 – *Receiving TDs in Big Ten championship game

Ohio State
28.2 – Average yards per catch, season