1942 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

The 1942 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was led by WB Les Horvath and QB/Captain George Lynn. They were the first national title team in Ohio State football history. They were coached by Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown. Because the Big Ten Conference did not let its teams participate in any bowl game except for the Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes were given the title by the Associated Press. The Buckeyes outscored their opponents by an average score of 34-11 by scoring a total 337 and 114 for opponents.

The Buckeyes only loss was to the Wisconsin Badgers in what many now refer to as "The Bad Water Game" where half of the Buckeye players contracted an intestinal disorder after drinking from an unsanitary drinking fountain on the train to Madison. The Buckeyes were defeated by the Badgers who were led by Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch. However, the Badgers had a loss and a tie giving Ohio State the Big Ten Championship.

Horvath then led the Bucks to three scores through the air to upset Michigan and win their first league championship in three years and their sixth in thirty years since joining the Western Conference in 1913.

Top ranked Boston College lost its season ending game, giving Ohio State their first consensus football National Championship. Ohio State had been awarded a National Championship via the Dunkel System in 1933, with Michigan, Princeton and Southern California also being given titles by different ranking systems.

Coaching staff

 * Paul Brown - Head Coach - 2nd year

All-Americans

 * Charles Csuri, T (Team MVP)
 * Gene Fekete, FB
 * Lindell Houston, G
 * Paul Sarringhaus, HB
 * Bob Shaw, E

All-Big Ten

 * Lindell Houston, G
 * Paul Sarringhaus, HB
 * Bob Shaw, E

Big Ten Scholar/Athlete

 * Don Steinberg, WR