The 1978 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team that represented the Ohio State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1978 Big Ten season. In their 28th year under head coach Woody Hayes, the Buckeyes compiled a 7âÂÂ4âÂÂ1 record (6âÂÂ2 in conference games), finished in fourth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 324 to 199. In games against ranked opponents, they lost to No. 5 Penn State, No. 6 Michigan, and No. 7 Clemson in the 1978 Gator Bowl. This was Woody Hayes' last season as head coach at Ohio State, as he was fired following an incident in the Gator Bowl in which he punched Clemson defender Charlie Bauman.
The Buckeyes gained an average of 263.3 rushing yards and 94.1 passing yards per game. On defense, they held opponents to 134.5 rushing yards and 151.2 passing yards per game. The team's individual statistical leaders included quarterback Art Schlichter (1,045 passing yards, 45.8% completion percentage), running back Paul Campbell (565 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry), and wide receiver Doug Donley (21 receptions for 466 yards). Linebacker Tom Cousineau was a consensus first-team All-American.
The team played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Art Schlichter started the game at quarterback while Rod Gerald, the starter for the two previous seasons, opened the game at split end.