The 1982 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 1982 Big Ten season. In their fourth year under head coach Earle Bruce, the Buckeyes compiled a 9âÂÂ3 record (7âÂÂ1 in conference games), finished in second place the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 301 to 191. They lost three consecutive games to Stanford, Florida State, and Wisconsin to open the season with a 2âÂÂ3 record, then won seven consecutive games including victories over No. 15 Illinois, No. 13 Michigan, and unranked BYU in the 1982 Holiday Bowl. They were ranked No. 12 in the final AP poll.
The Buckeyes gained an average of 226.5 rushing yards and 159.8 passing yards per game. On defense, they held opponents to 125.8 rushing yards and 207.5 passing yards per game. The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Mike Tomczak (1,470 passing yards, 50.3% completion percentage), running back Tim Spencer (1,371 rushing yards, 5.4 yards per carry, 13 touchdowns), and wide receiver Gary Williams (35 receptions for 626 yards). Linebacker Marcus Marek was a consensus first-team All-American.
The team played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.