Football: Top 5 Ohio State-USC Regular Season Games – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
With seven all-time Rose Bowl meetings, Ohio State and USC share a storied postseason history. Those past matchups in the “Grand Daddy of them all” featured some of college football’s finest players, including Heisman Trophy winners Howard “Hopalong” Cassady and Archie Griffin from Ohio State and Trojans Anthony Davis and O.J. Simpson.
The Rose Bowl lore between the two programs definitely stands out, but the regular season past the Buckeyes and Trojans share also is quite impressive.
This week, OhioStateBuckeyes.com will reflect on five regular season meetings between Ohio State and USC, starting with a 17-0 blanking by the then No. 2-ranked Buckeyes in 1964.
No. 1
Buckeyes unable to converted chances in fourth quarter as game ends in 13-13 tie in 1949
Ohio State had a pair of opportunities to travel back from Los Angeles with a victory in 1949, but a missed field goal and a turnover on downs in the fourth quarter led to a 13-13 tie.
A first period interception by Ohio State’s William Newell led to the first score of the game. The Buckeyes converted the Trojan miscue into seven points as a lateral play between Fred Morrison and Gerald Krall counted off a 35-yard gain to the USC 8-yard line before a Krall forward pass found Ray Hamilton in the Trojan end zone.
USC answered with a forced turnover and score of its own to end the first frame. A mishandled Ohio State exchange was covered by the Trojans at the Ohio State 5-yard line. Three rush attempts later, USC found the end zone, but a failed PAT kick by Frank Gifford afforded the Buckeyes a 7-6 advantage that held through the first half.
The rest of the day’s scoring took place in the third quarter. Again, a lateral play led to an Ohio State score. This time, a James Clark pitch to Morrison went the distance, covering 57 yards past the USC goal line. The PAT failed, giving Ohio State the 13-6 lead midway through the third.
As they did in the first quarter, the Trojans answered the Ohio State score. Back-to-back pass plays of 23 and 19-yards moved USC to the Ohio State 22. A 9-yard scramble on fourth-and-1 from the Ohio State 13 put the Trojans at the Buckeye 4. Two plays later, USC pushed through for six points and this time Gifford connected on the PAT to knot the game at its eventual final score of 13-13.
The Buckeyes had their chances to win in the fourth. Ohio State missed a field goal try from the USC 18. On its next possession, The Buckeyes penetrated the USC 20-yard line, but were turned away on downs. Ohio State got the ball back one last time on its own 30, but the clock ran out after two plays.
No. 2
Buckeyes travel to USC, come away with 28-12 win en route to 1942 National Championship
Ohio State totaled nearly 450 yards of offense and forced six USC turnovers in a convincing 28-12 victory over the Trojans in the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Buckeyes were efficient on offense, topping 200 yards both passing and rushing.
All-American fullback Gene Fekete led all runners with 78 yards on 20 carries, while Paul Sarringhaus toted 10 times for 60 yards and was a perfect 3-of-3 through the air for 137 yards. Future Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath also contributed 33 yards rushing for the Buckeyes.
Defensively, Ohio State held USC to bookend 6-point quarters in the first and fourth frames and limited the Trojans to just nine total first downs. The Buckeyes also picked off three USC passes and recovered a trio of Trojan fumbles.
Led by head coach Paul Brown, Ohio State went on to finish season with a 9-1 mark and capture the program’s first of seven national championships.
No. 3
USC 35, Ohio State 26
Sept. 22, 1990
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio Stadium – Att. 89,422
Thunderstorms shortened Trojan victory in Horeshoe
Southern California racked up 331 yards on the ground, including a career-high 199 by tailback Ricky Ervins, to hand Ohio State a 35-26 defeat in Ohio Stadium Sept. 22, 1990.
An 8-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown midway through the first quarter set the tone for the day as Southern California jumped out to a 14-0 lead and was up by as many as 18.
Buckeye quarterback Greg Frey threw for 262 yards and flanked Jeff Graham caught five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.
The teams combined for nearly 800 total yeards before the contest was called by officials with 2:36 remaining because of heavy thunderstorms.
No. 4
USC 13, Ohio State 12
Oct. 9, 1937
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum- Att. 55,601
Buckeyes out gain Trojans in first meeting, but miscues lead to tight 13-12 defeat in Los Angeles
Missed extra points proved costly as Ohio State dropped a 13-12 decision to USC Oct. 9, 1938 in Los Angeles. The crowd of 55,601 saw a tight contest decided in the fourth quarter.
Ohio State out gained USC in total yards, 211- 163, but suffered from three interceptions as the Buckeyes combined to complete just 2-of-12 passes on the day.
USC also only connected on a pair of passes but outscored the Buckeyes 7-6 in the deciding fourth quarter to walk away with the first win of the series.
USC held a 6-0 lead at halftime, but the Buckeyes returned the favor with a 6-point third period.
Francis Schmidt coached the Buckeyes in their first tilt with USC in 1937.
No. 5
Ohio State 17, USC 0
Oct. 17, 1964
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio Stadium – Att. 84,315
Ohio State’s Willard Sander ran for 120 yards on 29 carries and scored one touchdown to lead No. 2 Ohio State past USC, 17-0, in Ohio Stadium Oct. 17, 1964.
Sander touched the ball four times on the Buckeyes’ opening drive, reaching the endzone on his final tote, a 3-yard scoring plunge. The extra point put Ohio State ahead, 7-0.
USC committed turnovers in three of four second-quarter possessions and Ohio State converted the second into seven points. Trojan tailback Mike Garrett, the 1965 Heisman winner and current USC director of athletics, lost a fumble to the Buckeyes on the Trojan 10-yard line. Two plays later, Ohio State quarterback Don Unverferth connected with Greg Lashutka in the endzone for a 10-yard scoring strike.
Greg Lashutka, with Woody Hayes and Ike Kelley, caught a TD pass vs. USC in 1964.
On the ensuing possession, USC crossed midfield but again was turned away by the Buckeyes via turnover. USC threatened to score again late in the third quarter, reaching the Ohio State 8-yard line. The Buckeyes held firm and forced the Trojans to give up possession on downs after consecutive incomplete passes on third and fourth downs.
Ohio State tacked on a field goal on its next possession. Sander accounted for eight carries and led the Buckeyes down to the USC 14, where Robert Funk converted the 3-point try.
Ohio State finished the 1964 season with a 7-2 overall record and was ranked No. 8 in the final polls. The Buckeyes placed second in the Big Ten.
