There are many ways to countdown to the upcoming college football season, though none may be more popular than naming the best player in school history by jersey number.
We've decided to do something a little different, though, and will be counting the days until Ohio State's season opener against Notre Dame on Sept. 3 by the number of points the Buckeyes scored in some of their greatest victories.
For example, Ohio State scored 48 points in its win over Utah in the Rose Bowl back in January. That game was highlighted when there was 48 days remaining in the offseason.
We understand that this approach won't allow us to do a daily countdown, especially with higher point totals, but we're hopeful that looking back at some of the more notable games in school history will build anticipation for the upcoming season.
With that said, let's continue the countdown...
Ohio State 42, Oregon 20 - Jan. 12, 2015
Running back Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns to help fourth-ranked Ohio State capture the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship with a 42-20 win over No. 2 Oregon.
The Buckeyes overcame a preseason injury to starting quarterback Braxton Miller, a 14-point loss to Virginia Tech in the home opener and a late-season injury to Miller’s replacement, J.T. Barrett, to reach the Big Ten Championship Game.
That’s when Elliott took over, rushing for a combined 696 yards and eight touchdowns in the final three games, including 220 yards and two touchdowns in a 59-0 win over Wisconsin and 230 yards and two scores in a 42-35 win over No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
"With all the stuff we went through to get here, it's just crazy," Elliott said after the win over the Ducks. "It doesn't feel real."
Third-string quarterback Cardale Jones, meanwhile, went toe-to-toe with with Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, as he threw for 242 yards and one touchdown and ran for another score in just his third-career start.
Jones had one interception and one fumble that led to 10 points, allowing Oregon to cut an 11-point halftime deficit to one midway through the third quarter. He responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive, capped off by Elliott’s second score, to push the lead back to eight at the start of the fourth quarter.
Elliott then added a pair of touchdown runs in the final frame to give Ohio State its eight national championship and first since the 2002 season. It also put head coach Urban Meyer in exclusive company with his third title, something only seven other coaches had accomplished.
“The chase is complete,” Meyer said. “It's done. It's over. They accepted their final mission, their final assignment and their final directive, and they did it ... This will go down as one of the great stories in college football history.”
Be sure to check out our new message boards, Buckeye Forums. We'd love to have you part of the conversation during the season.
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