- Archie Griffin is the only player to ever win two Heisman Trophies.
- Eddie George is in the top four in multiple rushing categories despite only two seasons of starting.
- Orlando Pace was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have been serious contenders for a national championship since betting became more mainstream. In all, the program has eight national titles with two coming since 2000 (2002 and 2014).
Just imagine what college football live betting could’ve been like during that time? Especially in 2002 when the Buckeyes beat the Miami Hurricanes, ending their 34-game winning streak.
Below, I’ve constructed a list of the top 10 Buckeyes of all time.
Check it out.
10 Best Ohio State Football Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | Ohio State Years |
| 1 | Archie Griffin | RB | 1972-1975 |
| 2 | Eddie George | RB | 1992-1995 |
| 3 | Orlando Pace | OT | 1994-1996 |
| 4 | Troy Smith | QB | 2003-2006 |
| 5 | Chris Spielman | LB | 1984-1987 |
| 6 | Jack Tatum | S | 1979-1980 |
| 7 | Ezekiel Elliott | RB | 2013-2015 |
| 8 | A.J. Hawk | LB | 2002-2005 |
| 9 | Chic Harley | HB | 1916-1919 |
| 10 | Joey Bosa | DE | 2013-2015 |
1. Archie Griffin
Not only is Griffin the best player in Ohio State history, but some could argue he’s the best college football player of all time.
During his time at Ohio State, he rushed for 5,177 yards and 25 touchdowns, but what sets him apart is he is the only player to ever win two Heisman Trophy awards. He won them in back-to-back years in 1974 and 1975.
Additionally, he was a two-time Walter Camp Award winner and a two-time unanimous All-American, among many other accolades.
His No. 45 was retired by the Buckeyes, and he’s in the College Football Hall of Fame.
2. Eddie George
Another running back on my list is George, who played for the Buckeyes and was a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
He ranks third all-time in rush attempts (683), fourth in rushing yards (3,768), and third in rushing touchdowns (44).
These records all came while having just 79 carries over his first two seasons at OSU.
From there, in 1995, he went on to win the Heisman Trophy after rushing 328 times for 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also caught 47 passes for 417 yards and a score.
Additionally, he won the Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, was a unanimous All-American, and more.
His No. 27 was retired by the program.
3. Orlando Pace
Third on my list is Pace.
While at Ohio State, Pace was a two-time Lombardi Award winner and a two-time unanimous All-American. Pace was also a Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and won the Outland Trophy.
He played his way into being the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams and went on to have a Pro Football Hall of Fame career.
Over his final two seasons at the school, Pace didn’t allow a single sack.
4. Troy Smith
When you look at all-time statistics, Smith isn’t at the top, but he did a lot for Ohio State during his time.
He ranks ninth in passing yards (5,720), seventh in passing touchdowns (54), seventh in total offence (6,888), and seventh in touchdowns responsible for (68). He also won the Heisman Trophy in 2006 and led the program to a national championship appearance.
During his Heisman season, Smith threw for 2,542 yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while rushing 62 times for 228 yards and a score.
5. Chris Spielman
Currently an executive for the Detroit Lions, Spielman had what some may consider the best career for a defensive player at Ohio State.
Spielman ranks third all-time in tackles (546). He won the Lombardi Award and Chic Harley Award, was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten member, and was also a first-team unanimous All-American.
He’s in the College Football Hall of Fame.
6. Jack Tatum
Playing safety for the Buckeyes, Tatum’s stats are hard to come by, but you don’t earn the nickname “The Assassin” for no reason. Tatum was a hard-hitting safety who was often used to cover the best wide receiver on the opposing team. This is unconventional, but Tatum’s style made it a long day on the field for any opponent.
He won two national championships while with Ohio State in 1968 and 1970, was a two-time unanimous All-American and received three first-team All-Big Ten nods.
He was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1970 and received Heisman Trophy votes.
Tatum is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
7. Ezekiel Elliott
Elliott played for the Buckeyes for three seasons, but really only saw any action in two of them.
He ranks third all-time in rushing yards (3,961) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (43).
In 2014, he was a key component in winning the national championship and was named the MVP of the game, rushing 36 times for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
In his final two seasons with the Buckeyes, he had no less than 1,821 rushing yards and 18 rushing scores in each season.
8. A.J. Hawk
Hawk ranks fifth all-time in tackles in Ohio State history with 394. He was part of the 2002 national championship team and came into his own in 2004 and 2005.
In those years, he won the Lombardi Award (2005) and Jack Lambert Trophy (2005), was a unanimous All-American (2005), a consensus All-American (2004), and was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2005).
9. Chic Harley
Spinning back the clock over 100 years, Harley was responsible for leading the Buckeyes to their first Big Ten championship.
On top of that, he was a three-time consensus All-American, a three-time first-team All-Big Ten and his No. 47 was retired by the team.
Across 24 games, Harley was responsible for 201 points.
10. Joey Bosa
A member of the 2014 national championship team, Bosa also ranks fourth all-time in sacks (26) with the Buckeyes.
Also, in 2024, Bosa won the Bill Willis Trophy and was a unanimous All-American.
Bosa fell just short of winning the Defensive Player of the Year but did manage to scoop up the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honour.
In 2014, Bosa played 15 games, had 55 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
