GOAT of the OSU Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes have some of the best players in college sports, but who really is the best in football? What makes them the best players in OSU sports? 

Chris Harley

Let’s start way back with one of OSU’s first leading players on their team. Chris Harley played during 1916,1917, and 1919 as a halfback, punter, safety, and kicker. During his time playing football at OSU, he had a total of 24 games totaling 201 points; however, his college football career was disrupted when he became a pilot during World War I. This did not stop him from becoming an inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

Jack Tatum 

During Jack Tatum’s time as an OSU football player during 1968-1979, he played as a safety. He was named one of college football’s best defensive backs in the midst of his college career. In 1968, he aided OSU in winning the national championship. In 1970, he won college football’s national Defensive Player of the Year award and was named All-American twice. 

Tom Cousineau 

Cousineau’s OSU football career was during 1975-1978 as a linebacker. In 1978, he had 211 tackles, which was the most any OSU football player had in a single season. Cousineau also had the most tackles in a single game, breaking the school’s record during a Penn State game with 29 tackles. To top it all off, he was named All-American twice, was a part of three Big Ten championship winning teams, and in OSU history is ranked second of all time with his 569 tackles. 

Ezekiel Elliot 

Ezekiel Elliot played on OSU’s team during 2013-2015 as a running back. He played 35 games for the team, had 43 touchdowns, and rushed 3,961 yards. In the 2014 championship game against Oregon, Elliot scored four touchdown passes and rushed 246 yards, winning the game 42-20. This earned him the title of MVP honors, which really put him on the map for college football. 

Chase Young 

One of the most recent OSU players to earn the GOAT title is Chase Young. He played for OSU during 2017-2019 as a defensive end. During his time on the team, had the most sacks in a one season in 2019 with 16 ½ sacks. Overall, he has had the second most sacks at OSU with 30 ½ sacks. In his college career, he was a Heisman finalist and became an All-American. To end his time at OSU, he was picked in the 2020 NFL Draft as number 2 overall pick.