The 2011 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 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by interim head coach Luke Fickell who took over after the resignation of Jim Tressel amid the Ohio State University football scandal. The Buckeyes compiled a 6âÂÂ7 record (3âÂÂ5 in conference games), finished in fourth place in the Big Ten's Leaders Division, and outscored opponents by a total of 318 to 273. Against ranked opponents, the Buckeyes defeated No. 16 Illinois and No. 12 Wisconsin and lost to No. 14 Nebraska, No. 21 Penn State, and No. 17 Michigan. They concluded the season with a 24âÂÂ17 loss to unranked Florida in the 2012 Gator Bowl. The Buckeyes were unranked in the final Coaches and AP polls. It was the first time Ohio State had finished the season with a losing record since 1988. As of 2025, this is the most recent season where Ohio State finished with a losing record.
The Buckeyes gained an average of 191.2 rushing yards and 127.0 passing yards per game. On defense, they gave up 141.5 rushing yards and 182.0 passing yards per game. Quarterback Braxton Miller led the team in both passing (1,159 passing yards, 54.1% completion percentage) and rushing (715 yards, 4.5 yards per carry). The team's other statistical leaders included wide receiver Devin Smith (14 catches for 294 yards), kicker Drew Basil (84 points scored, 36 of 37 extra points, 16 of 19 field goals), and defensive back C. J. Barnett (49 solo tackles, 75 total tackles). No Ohio State players won first-team All-America honors. John Simon received first-team honors as a defensive lineman on the 2011 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
The team played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
The 2010 Ohio State team posted a 12âÂÂ1 record, including a victory over No. 8 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. However, all 12 victories were vacated by the NCAA as part of its investigation into the Ohio State University football scandal. Also as a result of the scandal, Ohio State played the first five games of the season without five players: Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, Solomon Thomas, and Boom Herron. These players had sold memorabilia to the owner of a Columbus tattoo parlor. On March 8, 2011, it was reported that Tressel knew about it as early as April 2010 through an anonymous e-mail. As of result, Tressel received a two-game suspension for failing to notify authorities of the players' wrongdoings. Tressel later decided to sit out the first five games with the five players. On May 30, 2011, Tressel resigned as head coach. Assistant head coach Luke Fickell, who was to take over during Tressel's suspension, was named interim head coach. On June 8, returning starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor announced his intention to forgo his senior season, "in the best interest of [his] teammates," in light of his suspension and ongoing investigation by the NCAA.
Ohio State's first game under Luke Fickell began with an opening drive defensive stop and a touchdown run by starting quarterback Joe Bauserman. Both teams struggled on offense through the first quarter, with Ohio State leading, 7âÂÂ0. Midway through the second quarter, the Buckeyes put together a 12-play drive that concluded in a touchdown pass from Bauserman to Jake Stoneburner. Before the end of the half, Ohio State scored on another pass from Bauserman to Stoneburner. Ohio State led, 21âÂÂ0, at halftime. The heat, reaching almost , caused problems for the players, referees, band members, and fans. In the third quarter, Bauserman and Soneburner connected for their third touchdown, extending the Buckeyes' lead to 28âÂÂ0. Freshman quarterback Braxton Miller took most of the offensive snaps for the remainder of the game, passing for 130 yards and a touchdown. Ohio State won the game, 42âÂÂ0.
On September 10, Ohio State defeated Toledo, 27âÂÂ22. In the first quarter, Joe Bauserman threw a touchdown pass to Jake Stoneburnerthe year. Still in the first quarter, Toledo blocked a punt and scored a touchdown â the first points Toledo scored against Ohio State in three games.) At the end of the first quarter, Toledo receiver Eric Page had 66-yard touchdown reception, giving Toledo a 15âÂÂ7 lead. Toledo committed 14 penalties on the day for 109 yards. Heading into the second quarter, Ohio State scored on a 36 touchdown run from Carlos Hyde and a 45-yard punt return from Chris Fields. After a sloppy first half by both teams, Ohio State went into halftime with a 21âÂÂ15 lead. Ohio State again started off the second half slow, allowing the Rockets to score a touchdown on their opening drive of the half, and allowing them to retake the lead, 22âÂÂ21. The one-point Toledo lead held up for most of the third quarter, until another touchdown run by Hyde, and a subsequently missed two-point conversion, gave Ohio State a five-point, 27âÂÂ22 lead. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter. The game came down to a final play, with a Toledo fourth and six on the Ohio State 17. Terrance Owens was unable to complete the pass, coming five yards short and the Buckeyes were able to escape with a victory.
Ohio State's first road game of the season took them to south Florida for a rematch against the Miami Hurricanes who they faced in the 2010 season, as well as the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, beating them both times. The game did not start well for the Buckeyes, with a bad opening offensive drive, giving Miami good field position. The Hurricanes quickly drove down the field 63 yards and scored their first points of the game on a Jacory Harris touchdown pass. Later in the quarter, Miami again drove down the field for another Harris touchdown pass, giving the Hurricanes a 14âÂÂ0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw the momentum swing in favor of Ohio State, with two drives heading deep into Miami territory, however, once in the red zone, the Buckeyes were unable to capitalize and had to settle for two short range field goals by Drew Basil, bringing them closer in the games and giving Miami only a 14âÂÂ6 lead. However a field goal at the end of the first half gave Miami a two-possession lead heading into halftime. The second half of the game saw little offense, with both the Buckeyes' defense dominating the Hurricanes and keeping them out of Ohio State territory, as well at the Buckeye offense continuing to struggle to get any kind of rhythm. Miami was able to score a touchdown with 0:33 remaining in the game, giving them a 24âÂÂ6 leadâÂÂthe final score of the game. The game was the first non-conference loss since the September 12, 2009 loss against the University of Southern California.
Ohio State came off their previous week's loss to Miami with a home game against the Colorado Buffaloes. For the first time during the season, freshman quarterback Braxton Miller received the start, only the third time Ohio State started a freshman at that position. The second offensive drive of the first quarter saw the Buckeyes move the ball 43 yards down the field and score on a Jordan Hall touchdown run. A Drew Basil field goal later on in the quarter gave Ohio State a 10âÂÂ0 lead early on in the game. Colorado's special teams, as well as the number of penalties which they drew, allowed Ohio State to have relatively good field position throughout the game, averaging a start around their 50-yard line. Ohio State took advantage of the field position with a touchdown pass from Miller to Devin Smith, giving Ohio State a 17âÂÂ0 lead. Colorado eventually drove down the field on their next possession and scored on an 11-yard touchdown reception, narrowing the score to 17âÂÂ7. A field goal before the end of the half allowed Ohio State to go into the locker room with a 20âÂÂ7 lead. The third quarter saw a back and forth between the two teams, with Ohio State still dominating. Another Miller to Smith touchdown reception put Ohio State up 27âÂÂ7, while Colorado continued to stay in the game with an Oliver field goal. Basil would kick a field goal to end the third quarter, as well as starting the fourth, and gave Ohio State a 37âÂÂ10 lead late in the game. A late Colorado touchdown was the last score of the game, as the favored Buckeyes beat Colorado 37âÂÂ17, rebounding after their previous week's loss to Miami, as Ohio State moved to 3âÂÂ1 on the season.
On a cold rainy day in Columbus, Ohio, the Ohio State Buckeyes opened their 2011 Big Ten Conference campaign against the Michigan State Spartans. Both teams were unable to score on their opening possessions of the ballgame. Michigan State opened the scoring with a 33-yard pass from Kirk Cousins to B.J. Cunningham, giving the Spartans a 7âÂÂ0 lead. Throughout the first quarter both teams would trade field position as both defenses stepped up to the occasion to stop the opposing team. Michigan State found themselves deep in Ohio State territory late in the second quarter, however, an interception by Cousins, one of three Michigan State turnovers on the day, would allow Ohio State to enter halftime only down by a score of 7âÂÂ0. The rain and windy conditions made the game much more of a defensive battle than expected. Throughout the third quarter and the rest of the second half, both teams continued to trade field position and come up with stops on defense. A missed 51-yard field goal by Dan Conroy allowed the Buckeyes and their struggling offense to have a shot at tying the game, however, with Joe Bauserman replacing Braxton Miller at QB, Ohio State was unable to move the ball. Michigan State extended their lead by 3 with a 50-yard field goal from Conroy, giving the Spartans a 10âÂÂ0 advantage. A late touchdown by the Buckeyes would do little to help their effort as Ohio State went on to lose the game 10âÂÂ7. This was Ohio State's first 0âÂÂ1 start in Big Ten play since 2004, as well as their first loss to Michigan State since 1999.
In the first match up between the Buckeyes and Cornhuskers since the 1950s, Ohio State went into Lincoln hoping to win and rebound after their previous week's loss to Michigan State. Ohio State struggling offense came out with some fire, driving down the field on their first drive for a Drew Basil field goal, giving Ohio State an early 3âÂÂ0. With Nebraska kicking a field goal a few minutes later, the game was tied midway through the first quarter at 3âÂÂ3. A Braxton Miller to Jake Stoneburner touchdown at the end of the quarter gave Ohio State a 10âÂÂ3 lead and the momentum. The second quarter continued the Ohio State dominance with a 63-yard touchdown run from Carlos Hyde and an exchange of field goals between the two teams, allowing the Buckeyes to go into halftime with a 20âÂÂ6 lead. The second half of the game began very well for the Buckeyes with another Hyde touchdown, giving Ohio State their largest lead at 27âÂÂ6. However, a Braxton Miller fumble, which allowed Nebraska to score their first touchdown of the game in the third quarter, as well as an ankle injury by Miller, eventually gave the Cornhuskers the momentum back down the stretch of the game. Another Nebraska touchdown at the end of the third quarter allowed the Cornhuskers to cut it to a 7-point game, 27âÂÂ20, going into the fourth quarter. Two fourth-quarter touchdowns, both by Rex Burkhead, allowed Nebraska to receive their first lead of the night, pushing them to their first-ever Big Ten victory, and the largest comeback in school history. With the loss, Ohio State dropped to 3âÂÂ3 and 0âÂÂ2 in the Big Ten for the first time since the 1988 season.
Ohio State came into the season match up with the undefeated Illinois Fighting Illini coming off two consecutive losses for the first time since the 2004 season. As with the last game against Nebraska, Ohio State opened the game with a primarily running attack on their first drive, with the return of star running back Dan Herron from suspension. Ohio State began the game with a Drew Basil 43-yard field goal, giving them a 3âÂÂ0 lead. Throughout the rest of the first half, both teams would exchange field position and punts with no more scoring or offensive production coming from either team. Going into halftime, Ohio State still held a 3âÂÂ0 lead, with Illinois receiving the ball first in the second half. An interception by Ohio State early on in the third quarter, set up Ohio State inside the Illinois red-zone, and the eventual Herron touchdown. After no more scoring throughout the third quarter, Ohio State went into the fourth quarter with only a 10âÂÂ0 lead. An early touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to Jake Stoneburner gave Ohio State their largest lead at 17âÂÂ0. Following the touchdown, a very long, 16 play drive by Illinois, which resulted in a touchdown, ended the Ohio State shutout thus far, and put Illinois back in the game. A few defensive stops, coupled with the offense running down the clock, clinched the victory for the Buckeyes. With the victory, Ohio State moved to 4âÂÂ3 on the season and 1âÂÂ2 in the Big Ten, their first Big Ten victory of the season.
Ohio State entered their 2011 homecoming game following a bye week, with their opponent being the Wisconsin Badgers, who were the only team to defeat the Buckeyes in the 2010 season. The game opened with neither team scoring on their opening possession. Wisconsin's high-powered run-and-pass attack struck first midway through the first quarter with a touchdown reception from Montee Ball giving Wisconsin an early 7âÂÂ0 lead. Led on many parts by the mistakes of the Badgers, the Buckeyes were able to penetrate Wisconsin's side of the field, especially late in the second quarter, where a Drew Basil field goal cut the Wisconsin lead to 7âÂÂ3 going into halftime. With the opening of the third quarter, Braxton Miller and the Ohio State offense were able to drive down the field, capped off with a 1-yard touchdown run from Miller, which gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the night at 10âÂÂ7. After a Wisconsin blocked punt on their next possession, Ohio State was able to drive the ball into the end zone again with a Jordan Hall two-yard run and gave Ohio State a 17âÂÂ7 lead. Wisconsin quickly responded with the next drive and the ensuing touchdown from Ball, his second on the day, cut the game back down to a 17âÂÂ14 affair. Ohio State held the lead going into the fourth quarter and quickly was able to increase their lead with another Basil field goal. As the quarter quickly ticked away, Miller was able to break away on a quarterback run and go in for the touchdown. With the failed two-point conversion, Ohio State firmly held a 26âÂÂ14 lead with a little under five minutes remaining in the game. Wisconsin quickly drove down the field to score a touchdown in only 0:58 cutting the Ohio State lead to 26âÂÂ21. With Ohio State unproductive on their ensuing possession, Wisconsin received the ball back and again drove down the field quickly to score, in only 1:18, with their two-point conversion good. Ohio State trailed 29âÂÂ26, and with a short field to work with, Miller and the offense took the field. With a little under forty seconds remaining in the game, Miller completed a 40-yard touchdown pass Devin Smith, and sealed the victory for Ohio State. With the win, the Buckeyes put themselves into position to earn a trip to the inaugural Big Ten championship game and moved to 2âÂÂ2 in the Big Ten, after starting 0âÂÂ2.
After the Buckeyes victory of Wisconsin, Ohio State remained at home to face an intra-divisional team in the Indiana Hoosiers. Ohio State began the game slowly, allowing an Indiana field goal, quickly followed by a five-yard touchdown run within the first ten minutes of the game, giving the Hoosiers a 10âÂÂ0 lead. On the next possession, Braxton Miller quickly cut down the Indiana lead with an 81-yard touchdown run, one of the longest by runs by a quarterback in Ohio State history. Heading into the second quarter Indiana still held a 10âÂÂ7, however two Drew Basil field goals allowed the Buckeyes to take their first lead of the day at 13âÂÂ10. With 4:30 remaining in the first half, Indiana was able to capitalize and kick a 25-yard field goal, tying the game at 13âÂÂ13 going into halftime. Dan Herron made his presence known again in the game quickly to start the third quarter with a 15-yard touchdown run, giving Ohio State the lead back at 20âÂÂ13. However, the back-and-forth match continued at Indiana drove down the field to score a touchdown in response on a Robertson to Hughes reception. Another Miller touchdown run would give Ohio State the 27âÂÂ20 lead going into the fourth quarter, as well as the momentum. Led by the defense, Ohio State was able to rally in the fourth quarter and allowed Ohio State the get the sealing touchdown with a little over two minutes remaining in the game, which gave the Buckeyes the 34âÂÂ20 lead and improved their record to 6âÂÂ3 on the season.
In their first visit to West Lafayette since their 2009 loss, the Buckeyes looked for their fourth straight win and first at RossâÂÂAde Stadium since 2007. The game started for the Buckeyes like the previous week's match up versus Indiana. A 19-yard field goal from Wiggs and four-yard touchdown run gave Purdue a 10âÂÂ0 lead which they held through the entirety of the first quarter. A 38-yard touchdown reception from Miller to Hall gave the Buckeyes some offensive spark as they cut the score down to 10âÂÂ7. However, another Purdue touchdown would give Purdue a commanding 17âÂÂ7 lead with 3:19 left in the second quarter, a lead which they would take into halftime. With the Ohio State defense making crucial stops in the second half, Ohio State was able to get the ball back and score on their first possession in the second half with a 6-yard Braxton Miller touchdown run, giving Purdue now only a 17âÂÂ14 lead. While both teams struggled with their offense, it would be Purdue who added to their lead with a 44-yard field goal, and extending their lead to 20âÂÂ14. Ohio State was not able to get close to a score for most of the fourth quarter, however a long drive at the end of the quarter saw a Miller pass to Hall for a touchdown, tying the game at 20âÂÂ20. However, with a Drew Basil blocked extra point, the game remained tied and headed into overtime. The Ohio State offense continued to struggle on their overtime possession only able to come up with a field goal, which gave them their first lead of the game at 23âÂÂ20. The Buckeyes defense, taking the field next was unable to stop the Purdue running attack and eventually allowed a touchdown from the one-yard line to end the game and give the Boilermakers the 26âÂÂ23 win. With the loss, Ohio State dropped to 6âÂÂ4, losing at least four games in a season for the first time since 2004, and making the road to the Big Ten Championship Game much harder if not impossible with a 3âÂÂ3 Big Ten record.
Ohio State entered their 2011 senior day with a 6âÂÂ4 record, facing a Penn State Nittany Lions team with aspirations of the Big Ten Championship Game. In the same fashion of the previous two games, Ohio State fell behind quickly in the game facing a 10âÂÂ0 deficit following an early Stephfon Green touchdown run and a 43-yard field goal from Anthony Fera. Heading into the second quarter, Ohio State put together their first extended drive of the game, ending in a Braxton Miller 24-yard touchdown run cutting the Penn State lead to a 10âÂÂ7 affair. Penn State returned the favor with a quick drive ending with another Green touchdown run, giving the Nittany Lions the 17âÂÂ7 advantage midway through the second quarter. Later in the quarter, Ohio State was able to put together their second scoring drive of the game which consisted of only five plays and ended in a Jake Stoneburner touchdown reception. Penn State, however, was able to use the rest of the second quarter clock on a drive which put them into field goal position, Fera's 46-yard field goal was good, and allowed them to go into halftime with a 20âÂÂ14, the eventual final score of the game. The second half was marred for Ohio State with the defense able to stop the Nittany Lions on the one-yard line four times for a goal line stand, but also of two costly fumbles which would end an hope of a comeback drive. The last two quarters of the game saw no scoring and allowed Penn State to exit Ohio Stadium with the 20âÂÂ14 win, their first win at Ohio State since 2008, bringing Ohio State's overall record to 6âÂÂ5 on the season, and 3âÂÂ4 in conference play.
Ohio State finished its conference slate with a loss to the Wolverines under first year head coach and Ohio native Brady Hoke. The loss saw the Buckeyes' 7-year winning streak against their arch-rivals come to an end.
The game featured Urban Meyer's former school (Florida) versus the school (Ohio State) he was about to take over as head coach.
Brandon Saine (running back) â Green Bay Packers
Dane Sanzenbacher (wide receiver) â Chicago Bears
Justin Boren (offensive lineman) â Baltimore Ravens
Bryant Browning (offensive lineman) â St. Louis Rams
Jake McQuaide (long snapper) â St. Louis Rams
Dexter Larimore (defensive tackle) â New Orleans Saints
Devon Torrence (cornerback) â Minnesota Vikings
Terrelle Pryor â junior quarterback (NFL Supplemental Draft â third round to the Oakland Raiders)
Sam Longo â redshirt sophomore offensive lineman (University of Cincinnati)
Dorian Bell â redshirt sophomore linebacker (Duquesne University)
James Louis â redshirt freshman wide receiver (Florida International University)
James Jackson â redshirt sophomore wide receiver (Grand Valley State University)
None
The following Ohio State players were selected in the 2012 NFL draft: