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2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football
Gator Bowl vs. Florida, L 17–24
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionLeaders Division
2011 record6–7 (3–5 Big Ten)
Head coachLuke Fickell
Offensive coordinatorJim Bollman
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorJim Heacock
Base defense4–3
MVPDan Herron
CaptainMike Brewster
CaptainDan Herron
CaptainAndrew Sweat
CaptainJohn Simon
Home stadiumOhio Stadium
(c. 102,329, Field Turf)
Seasons
← 2010
2012 →
2011 Big Ten football standings
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
Legends
#11 Michigan State xy   7 1         11 3  
#12 Michigan   6 2         11 2  
#24 Nebraska   5 3         9 4  
Iowa   4 4         7 6  
Northwestern   3 5         6 7  
Minnesota   2 6         3 9  
Leaders
#10 Wisconsin xy   6 2         11 3  
Penn State   0* 2         0* 4  
Purdue   4 4         7 6  
Ohio State   3 5         6 7  
Illinois   2 6         7 6  
Indiana   0 8         1 11  
Championship: Wisconsin 42, Michigan State 39
† – BCS representative as champion
‡ – BCS at-large representative
x – Division champion/co-champions
y – Championship game participant

The 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented The Ohio State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Luke Fickell on an interim basis following the resignation of Jim Tressel as head coach. The Buckeyes played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and are members of the Big Ten Conference in the Leaders Division.

Amid significant adversity due to Tressel's abrupt departure and an NCAA investigation, the Buckeyes finished with their first non-winning season since 1999, at 6-7. They also finished 3-5 in the Big Ten, placing them fourth in the Leaders Division—only their sixth losing record in conference play since the end of World War II. They lost the 2012 Gator Bowl to Florida, 24-17.

Before the season[]

Previous season[]

Expectations were high in 2010 as Jim Tressel and Ohio State started the season ranked #2 and poised for another National Championship run. With #1 Alabama losing to South Carolina, Ohio State was voted #1 on October 10, 2010. However, the Buckeyes were defeated by #16 Wisconsin on October 16, effectively ending their hopes at a national championship bid. The OSU football season finished with the team posting a 12–1 record, which includes a 38–10 victory over Indiana that gave Tressel his 100th win at Ohio State and a 31–26 victory over #8 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. 2010 resulted in a sixth straight conference title as well as securing a #5 final ranking.

The first five games of the season were played without the participation of five players: Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, Solomon Thomas, and Boom Herron. These players were part of a scandal that involved selling memorabillia 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 in order to allow him to face the adversity with the five players. On May 30, 2011, Tressel tendered his resignation from the head coaching position. Assistant head coach Luke Fickell, who was to take over during Tressel's suspension, was named interim head coach.[1] 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.[2]

2011 NFL Draft[]

2011 NFL Draft Class[]

2011 NFL Draft selections
Round Pick # Team Player Position
1 31 Pittsburgh Steelers Cameron Heyward Defensive End
4 16 Oakland Raiders Chimdi Chekwa Cornerback
5 27 St. Louis Rams Jermale Hines Safety
6 28 Philadelphia Eagles Brian Rolle Linebacker
6 35 Minnesota Vikings Ross Homan Linebacker

Undrafted Seniors who signed with an NFL Team[]

Brandon Saine (Running Back) – Green Bay Packers

Dane Sanzenbacher (Wide Receiver) – Chicago Bears

Justin Boren (Offensive Lineman) – Baltimore Ravens

Bryant Browning (Offensive Lineman) – St. Louis Rams

Jake McQuaide (Long Snapper) – St. Louis Rams

Dexter Larimore (Defensive Tackle) – New Orleans Saints

Devon Torrence (Cornerback) – Minnesota Vikings

Unsigned Seniors[]

5 Taurian Washington (Wide Receiver)

8 Aaron Grant (Safety)

23 Devin Barclay (Kicker)

17 Grant Schwartz (Wide Receiver)

55 Andy Miller (Offensive Lineman)

57 Chris Malone (Offensive Lineman)

72 Scott Sika (Offensive Lineman)

73 Josh Kerr (Offensive Lineman)

77 Connor Smith (Offensive Lineman)

81 Ricky Crawford (Tight End)

89 Garrett Hummel (Tight End)

95 Don Matheney (Defensive Lineman)

NFL Draft early entries[]

Terrelle Pryor – Junior Quarterback (NFL Supplemental Draft – Third Round to the Oakland Raiders)

Transfers out[]

Sam Longo – Redshirt Sophomore Offensive Lineman (University of Cincinnati)

Dorian Bell – Redshirt Sophomore Linebacker (Duquesne University)

James Louis – Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver (Florida International University)

James Jackson – Redshirt Sophomore Wide Receiver (Grand Valley State University)

Transfers in[]

None

Recruiting class[]

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