School snapshot: Ohio State

Football Digest, April, 2003 by Chuck O'Donnell

* Coach Jim Tressel's Buckeyes beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl for the 2002 national title. Ironically, Tressel nearly ended up coaching the Hurricanes in 1995. He was under strong consideration for the head-coaching job before withdrawing his name because he was going through a divorce.

* Quarterback Craig Krenzel is majoring in molecular generics.

* Half of Ohio State's 14 wins this past season were by a touchdown or less.

* Ohio State lost in its first bowl appearance ever, 28-0 to California in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1921. The Buckeyes didn't play in another bowl for 29 years.

* Buckeyes players have won six Heisman Trophies, five Lombardi Awards (best lineman), and four Outland Trophies (best interior lineman).

* Archie Griffin, the only man ever to win the Heisman Trophy two times and the Buckeyes' all-time leading rusher, had almost twice as many rushing yards at Ohio State (5,177) as he did in his pro career (2,808).

* Tailback Maurice Clarett had 18 touchdowns this past season, the most by a freshman in school history. Clarett was the first true freshman since 1943 to start at tailback in an OSU season opener.

* A maximum of 88 Buckeye Leaves--decals awarded by coaches to deserving players for the past 35 seasons--can fit on a helmet.

* The Buckeyes won the first game they ever played, beating Ohio Wesleyan, 20-14, in 1890.

* The Tressel family has won six national championships. Father Lee won one at Baldwin-Wallace, and son Jim won four Division I-AA titles at Youngstown Slate before capturing the championship this year for OSU. Tressel recorded his 100th career victory against Indiana State in 1997. He is the third member of his family to reach that plateau, joining his father and his older brother Dick. As a family, the Tressels have won more than 400 games.

* Art Schlichter is the only Buckeyes quarterback ever to be chosen in the first round of the NFL draft.

* Tressel received a $100,000 bonus for leading OSU to the national title.

* The Buckeyes start off next season with five consecutive home games.

* Chris Gamble took part in 120 plays against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl: 77 on defense, 32 on offense, and 11 on special teams.

* Days after the Buckeyes won the national title, Nate Salley, a freshman safety, joined the school's basketball team as a guard.

* In 2002, Michael Jenkins became just the fourth OSU receiver to record a 1,000-yard season, joining Cris Carter, Terry Glenn, and David Boston.

* Ohio Stadium seats 101,568, has 194 concession stands, 24 family restrooms, and 81 suites.