1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

The 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the 1970 college football season. The Buckeyes compiled a 9–0 regular season record to attain a #2 ranking. Ohio State won the Big Ten Conference title and a berth in the 1971 Rose Bowl in Pasadena against the Stanford Indians, ranked #12 and champions of the Pac-8.

Purdue
Woody Hayes received a congratulatory phone call from President Richard Nixon after the game and then asked to speak to Fred Schram, who made the game-winning field goal. Fullback John Brockington carried the ball 24 times for 138 yards and Leo Hayden added 64 yards on 16 carries.

New Year's Day
In the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, top-ranked and defending national champion Texas was upset 24-11 by #6 Notre Dame, ending the Longhorns' 30-game winning streak.

Heavily-favored Ohio State could claim their second national title in three years that afternoon with a Rose Bowl victory over Stanford in Pasadena. Stanford (8-3) was led by quarterback Jim Plunkett, the 1970 Heisman Trophy winner. The Indians had climbed to a 6-0 conference record and 8-1 overall, but lost their final two regular season games, to Sugar Bowl-bound Air Force and arch-rival California. Stanford lost earlier in the season at home to Purdue, a team OSU defeated on the road.

The Buckeyes led Stanford by four points after three quarters, but were outscored 14-0 in the fourth quarter and lost 27-17. Later that night, #3 Nebraska won the Orange Bowl 17-12 over #5 LSU in Miami to claim the top spot in the AP writers poll.

Coaching staff

 * Woody Hayes - Head Coach - 20th year