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 45, Oklahoma 24 - Sept. 17, 2016
Wide receiver Noah Brown tied a school single-game record with four touchdown receptions as third-ranked Ohio State rolled past No. 14 Oklahoma, 45-24, in a game that started 90 minutes late because of a thunderstorm.
Brown, who entered the game with just five receptions and one score in his career, had three second-quarter touchdowns, including one with six seconds remaining before halftime where he pinned the ball on the back of cornerback Michiah Quick.
“Anytime J.T. (Barrett) puts the ball in the air, he’s putting his trust in me, and I try to come down with the ball for him,” Brown said afterward. “I have my quarterback’s back. It felt good to be able to make that play and put some points on the board.”
Barrett threw for 152 yards and the four touchdowns, while running back Mike Weber rushed for a game-high 123 yards. Brown, meanwhile, finished the game with five catches for 72 yards, including scores of 4, 37, 21 and 8 yards.
The Buckeyes also intercepted Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield twice, including a 68-yard pick-six by linebacker Jerome Baker in the first quarter that put the Buckeyes ahead 14-0.
“This was a coming-of-age game,” head coach Urban Meyer said. “I took a deep breath and as I just watched our guys get on the buses, I thought, ‘My gosh, this is a young team.’ This was – for a lot of them – their first road experience. I’m very proud of them.
“They’re no longer inexperienced. We went on the road and played at Oklahoma. It has to be one of the top-five hardest places to play.”
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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