Ohio State has enjoyed its share of All-Americans and Hall of Famers, but it was team success that led to individual glory.

Here’s a closer look at 10 of the best teams the Buckeyes have produced:

2002

Jim Tressel’s second year at Ohio State evolved into the most exciting campaign in school history. The Buckeyes came from behind after trailing at the half or later an incredible eight times. Ohio State won six games by a touchdown or less and their final three contests were all decided on the final play. The week before that, OSU converted a 4th-and-1 with a 37-yard TD bomb at the 1:36 mark at Purdue to win that game 10-6. It would become the breather of the home stretch.

This Buckeye team was dominated by a stifling defense that allowed just 13.07 points per game. Ohio State featured All-Americans at safety (Mike Doss), linebacker (Matt Wilhelm), punter (Andy Groom) and kicker (Mike Nugent). OSU also unleashed running back Maurice Clarett, the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year.

On the first road trip to Cincinnati, the Buckeyes’ offense struggled mightily without an injured Clarett. Finally, QB Craig Krenzel twisted his way for a six-yard TD run with 3:44 remaining to lift the Bucks to a 23-19 comeback win. Still, victory wasn’t secured until Will Allen intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone with less than 30 seconds remaining.

That set the tone for the season. At Wisconsin, trailing 14-12 in the fourth quarter, Krenzel fired a desperation pass to Michael Jenkins who hauled the ball down around midfield, igniting the game-winning drive in a 19-14 win.

Against Penn State, receiver turned defensive back Chris Gamble returned an interception 40 yards for OSU’s only TD in a 13-7 win. Clarett missed all but the first series after suffering a stinger injury, which impacted his play the remainder of the season.

At Illinois, again playing without Clarett, the Illini tied the game on a 48-yard field goal at the gun. But Krenzel’s key scramble in OT led to a Maurice Hall touchdown run and the Buckeye defense denied the Illini on four downs inside the 10 to preserve a 23-16 win. The Michigan and Miami games are detailed elsewhere at this site.

This was the Bucks first national championship since 1968 and Tressel was annointed the consensus national coach of the year.

1968

The Super Sophomores delivered a national championship to Ohio State in an unexpected fashion.

With 12 sophomores starting the season opener, the Buckeyes rolled to a 10-0 record that included an upset of No.1-ranked Purdue (13-0) and a convincing beating of fourth-ranked Michigan (50-14).

The defining moment came in the Rose Bowl with a 27-16 pounding of No. 2 USC and O.J. Simpson, the Trojans’ Heisman Trophy winner.

Tackles Rufus Mayes and Dave Foley were All-Americans and linebacker Mark Stier was the MVP. But sophomores Rex Kern, Jim Stillwagon and Jack Tatum were key contributors as the Bucks outscored opponents 323-150.

Although the 1969 and 1970 teams may have had more talent, neither accomplished what this group did. The media later voted this squad college football’s team of the decade.

1954

Quarterback John Borton and senior Dick Brubaker were the captains who led OSU to the AP poll title (second to UCLA in UPI), but junior Howard Hopalong” Cassady was the star and team MVP.

Cassady’s highlight-reel, 88-yard interception return spearheaded a 31-14 upset win of No. 2 Wisconsin and fueled Ohio State’s unbeaten run into the regular-season finale against Michigan. The Buckeyes put together a dramatic goal-line stand to subdue the Wolverines and an ensuing 99-yard drive highlighted a 21-7 win.

That sequence completed OSU’s first Big Ten title under fourth-year coach Woody Hayes.

At the Rose Bowl, Ohio State dumped USC 20-7 in the rain to finish a 10-0 campaign. The Buckeyes outscored opponents 249-75, and Cassady set the stage for his run to the Heisman Trophy the following season.

1957

This national crown was a bit unexpected, with Jim Parker and Hopalong Cassady gone. But a strong line featuring team MVP Bill Jobko and All-American guard Aurealius Thomas enhanced Woody Hayes’ reputation for conservative football.

After a shocking, season-opening loss to TCU (18-14), Ohio State found its stride. Sophomore fullback Bob White’s 66 yards on a clutch, 68-yard drive was the key to a dramatic 17-13 victory over fifth-ranked Iowa. A 31-14 win at Michigan completed a perfect conference season and sent OSU to the Rose Bowl.

The Buckeyes barely held off Oregon 10-7 on Don Sutherin’s field goal early in the fourth quarter. That capped a 9-1 season in which OSU outscored opponents 267-92.

Ohio State claimed the UPI crown while finishing second to Auburn in the AP poll.

1942

Paul Brown was only in Columbus for three years, but this was one of them and it resulted in a national championship.

Captain George Lynn, All-American Robert Shaw and MVP tackle Charles Csuri were the ringleaders on a squad that outscored foes 337-114.

The Buckeyes’ only loss was a 17-7 decision at Wisconsin and included an odd side note. This was dubbed the “Bad Water Game” when nearly half the team fell ill after drinking foul water on the train ride to Camp Randall.

But the Buckeyes regrouped to handle Michigan 21-7 and made a national impression by hammering a strong Iowa Seahawks team 41-12. The Seahawks were a military squad made up of ex-college stars. That victory propelled OSU (9-1) past Wisconsin and back to No. 1.

Many felt the 1943 team would be one of the best ever assembled, but World War II robbed the talent chest. Instead, Ohio State went 3-6 that season and Brown enlisted in its aftermath.

1961

Not enough has been written about this team, or the circumstances that torpedoed it.

Talent was everywhere, especially on offense. Two-time All-American fullback Bob Ferguson was surrounded by impressive backfield company in sophomores Paul Warfield and Matt Snell.

Unfortunately, a couple of incidents kept the Buckeyes from going all the way. A disappointing 7-7 season-opening tie with TCU was the only blemish. Still, OSU rebounded to go 8-0-1 with a 221-83 scoring advantage.

The capper was a 50-20 beating of Michigan in Ann Arbor that featured a stirring, 69-yard TD bolt by Warfield. Most expected the Big Ten champs to go to the Rose Bowl and face UCLA (a 13-3 victim in the regular season) with a chance to vault past Alabama in the national polls.

In a scenario that would defy logic today, the Ohio State faculty council stunned the nation by voting 28-25 to reject the Rose Bowl bid — largely because it disliked the institution’s growing reputation as a football school. Students began a riot on campus when the news was announced.

Eventually, OSU finished No. 2 in the polls and was awarded the National Fooball Writer's Association national championship. Still, many fans believe this team was treated unfairly by its own school, and some have compared the effects of that vote to the mugging the basketball team absorbed at Minnesota in 1972.

Woody Hayes later claimed the faculty’s action wrecked recruiting classes for the next several seasons. The Bucks went 35-18-1 from 1962-1967, but did not capture a Big Ten title in that stretch — the longest stint in Hayes’ career.

1973

This was the best team of the Archie Griffin Era, largely because of the defense. All-American linebacker Randy Gradishar led a unit that allowed only 64 points, pitched four shutouts and limited eight teams to a touchdown or less.

Griffin and tackle John Hicks were All-Americans on offense, while Gradishar and defensive lineman Van DeCree earned that honor on defense. The Buckeyes’ only challenge came in a 10-10 tie against undefeated Michigan at Ann Arbor. Even in that game, quarterback Cornelius Greene’s thumb injury prevented OSU from completing a pass, yet the Buckeyes still earned a tie on the road against a Top 5 team.

Most figured Michigan would visit the Rose Bowl because Ohio State went the previous season. But in a controversial vote of Big Ten athletic directors, OSU got the nod.

The Bucks justified that decision by hammering USC 42-21. Greene was selected the game’s MVP and Griffin peeled off 149 yards. Ohio State scored 413 points and finished second in the AP poll to Notre Dame, and third in UPI behind Alabama and Oklahoma.

1969

Heading into the season finale, Ohio State was outscoring opponents 40.2 to 7.8 and no one had come within four touchdowns of the Buckeyes.

Woody Hayes’ reputation as a master recruiter was cemented by this squad, boasting Jim Otis, Jack Tatum, Jim Stillwagon, Rex Kern, John Brockington, Doug Adams and Mike Sensibaugh. Before their finale at Michigan, many considered this the best team in the first 100 years of college football.

That’s what made the 24-12 loss at Michigan so stunning.

Eight turnovers doomed OSU in Ann Arbor, ruining a second straight undisputed national championship. As it was, the Buckeyes shared their second of three straight Big Ten titles and finished No. 4.

Unfortunately, few remember the 8-0 start and the superiority this team displayed in all but one game.

1975

Much like the 1969 team, this squad seemed headed for a national title when everything crashed in the final game.

A dominating No. 1, Ohio State featured two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin in his final season. Big Ten MVP Cornelius Greene was the quarterback behind All-American lineman Ted Smith. The defense was solid, if unspectacular, with Tim Fox and Ken Kuhn.

The Buckeyes were 11-0 and favored to stay that way in the Rose Bowl against a UCLA team they had already handled 41-20 on the road. But a horrific defensive performance in the second half let everything get away as UCLA came up with a 23-10 upset.

This was Woody Hayes’ 25th year at Ohio State. After his death, it was reported that Hayes would have retired with a victory over UCLA. It would have been the perfect sendoff with his favorite player (Griffin) graduating and a national title to commemorate Hayes’ silver anniversary at the school.

Unfortunately, that Rose Bowl upset spurred him to stay on in search of a final national title. When Hayes’ exit did come three years later, it wouldn’t be nearly so graceful.

1998

This was probably the school’s most dominant team since 1975, yet heartache again cast a shadow.

The Buckeyes were No. 1 for 10 weeks before committing five turnovers and being stunned by unranked Michigan State 28-24 at home.

Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine, the Big Ten MVP, wideout David Boston and running back Michael Wiley turned the Bucks into an offensive force. Linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer and defensive backs Antoine Winfield and Damon Moore led a defense that thumped Penn State, Michigan and Texas A&M.

Those last two victories marked the first time OSU beat Michigan and won its bowl game in the same season since 1982. As a result, Ohio State finished No. 2 in the polls behind Tennessee.

But nearly everyone, including college football broadcaster Keith Jackson, believed the Buckeyes to be the best team in the nation.