The 2010 Ohio State football roster was, for lack of a better word, loaded. Honestly, if you look back at that depth chart now, it’s kind of ridiculous how much talent Jim Tressel had at his disposal in Columbus. You had a junior quarterback in Terrelle Pryor who was finally hitting his stride, a backfield that felt like a track team, and a defense anchored by guys who would spend the next decade playing on Sundays. It was a group that went 12-1, won the Big Ten, and capped it off with a Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas.
Then the NCAA stepped in.
Because of the "Tatoogate" scandal—where players traded memorabilia for ink—the entire season was vacated. Every win. Every stat. The record books say 0-0. But anyone who watched the Buckeyes that year knows the 2010 Ohio State football roster was one of the most physically imposing squads in the modern era of the program. They weren't just winning; they were bullying people.
The Offensive Engines: Terrelle Pryor and the Boom
At the heart of everything was Terrelle Pryor. By 2010, the "will he or won't he" conversation about his passing ability had mostly settled. He was efficient. He threw for 2,772 yards and 27 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. But it was his legs that kept defensive coordinators awake at night. At 6'6", he moved with a fluid grace that didn't make sense for someone that big. He was the prototype for the modern dual-threat QB before it became the industry standard.
The backfield was equally terrifying. Dan "Boom" Herron was the primary workhorse, a bowling ball of a runner who racked up 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns. He wasn't necessarily the fastest guy on the field, but he had this low center of gravity that made him almost impossible to bring down with a single tackler. Complementing him was Brandon Saine, who provided that lightning-fast edge. Between the two of them, the Buckeyes could beat you with power or speed, depending on what the defense gave them.
It’s easy to forget how good that offensive line was, too. You had Mike Brewster at center, a four-year starter who was the glue of the unit. Alongside him were guys like Justin Boren and Bryant Browning. They weren't just big; they were technically sound. They allowed the Buckeyes to dictate the tempo of almost every game they played. When Ohio State wanted to run the ball four straight times to kill the clock, nobody could really stop them.
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The Wide Receiver Room
The 2010 Ohio State football roster featured a receiving corps that was surprisingly deep. Dane Sanzenbacher was the undisputed star of that group. He caught 11 touchdowns that year. He was the ultimate "safety valve" for Pryor—a guy who always seemed to find the soft spot in a zone or beat his man on a crucial third down. He wasn't the biggest or the fastest, but his hands were like glue.
Then you had DeVier Posey. He was the deep threat. Posey finished the year with 848 yards and seven scores, often stretching the field so Sanzenbacher could work underneath. It was a perfect pairing. Behind them, younger guys like Corey "Philly" Brown were just starting to show flashes of the playmaking ability that would define the Urban Meyer era a few years later.
A Defense Built on NFL Talent
If the offense was the engine, the defense was the steel frame. Ohio State’s defense in 2010 was ranked among the best in the nation, and for good reason. They only allowed about 14 points per game. That’s absurd.
The defensive line was a nightmare. Cameron Heyward was the leader there. Looking at him now as a perennial Pro Bowler for the Steelers, it’s easy to see why he was so dominant in college. He was a man among boys. He had help from guys like Dexter Larimore and Nathan Williams, who provided a consistent pass rush that didn't require Tressel to blitz constantly.
Linebacker U was in full effect, too.
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- Brian Rolle: The undersized but incredibly fast middle linebacker who led the team in tackles (76).
- Ross Homan: A versatile defender who could drop into coverage or stop the run with equal effectiveness.
- Andrew Sweat: A tough, physical presence who filled gaps and made life miserable for opposing running backs.
The secondary was perhaps the most talented part of the entire roster. You had Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence at corner, both of whom were lockdown defenders. But the real star was safety Jermale Hines. He was a heavy hitter who could cover half the field. Behind them, a freshman named Bradley Roby was redshirting—a guy who would eventually become a first-round pick.
The Games That Defined the Season
The season started with a bang. A 45-7 demolition of Marshall, followed by a huge win over a ranked Miami (FL) team. That Miami game was significant because it felt like Ohio State was finally exorcising the demons of previous big-game struggles. They won 36-24, with the defense forcing Jacory Harris into four interceptions.
The only blemish on the field was a mid-October loss to Wisconsin in Madison. Camp Randall was electric that night, and David Gilreath took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. Ohio State never quite recovered. They lost 31-18. It was a humbling moment, but it also seemed to wake them up. They rattled off six straight wins after that, including a 37-7 blowout of Michigan in the "The Game."
The Sugar Bowl against Arkansas was the crescendo. Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks had a high-powered passing attack, but the Buckeyes’ front four harassed him all night. Pryor played one of the best games of his career, throwing for 221 yards and rushing for another 115. Ohio State won 31-26, and for a few months, it felt like the perfect ending to a great season.
The Fallout and the "Vacated" Tag
We can’t talk about the 2010 Ohio State football roster without talking about what happened afterward. In December 2010, news broke that five players—Pryor, Herron, Posey, Mike Adams, and Solomon Thomas—had traded championship rings, jerseys, and other awards for tattoos and cash at a local parlor.
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Initially, the NCAA allowed them to play in the Sugar Bowl, provided they served suspensions in 2011. But as the investigation deepened, it was revealed that Jim Tressel had known about the violations and failed to report them. This led to Tressel’s resignation in May 2011 and the eventual vacating of the entire 2010 season.
It’s a weird spot in history. If you go to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, you won’t see the 2010 Big Ten trophy. It’s gone. But for the fans and the players, those memories don't just disappear. You can't "vacate" the feeling of beating Michigan or the sight of Cameron Heyward bulldozing an offensive tackle.
Why This Roster Still Matters
The 2010 squad was essentially the end of an era. It was the last full year of "Tresselball"—that philosophy of elite defense, special teams, and field position. While it ended in controversy, it paved the way for the transformation of the program. Luke Fickell took over for a tumultuous 2011, which led directly to the hiring of Urban Meyer.
Many players from this roster went on to have significant professional careers.
- Cameron Heyward became a cornerstone for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- John Simon played nearly a decade in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots.
- Bradley Roby (who was on the roster but didn't play) became a reliable NFL starter.
- Terrelle Pryor eventually transitioned to wide receiver in the NFL and had a 1,000-yard season with the Browns.
The sheer volume of talent on that 2010 team was a testament to the recruiting machine Tressel had built. They were disciplined, physically dominant, and incredibly deep. Even if the NCAA says those wins don't exist, the 2010 Ohio State football roster remains one of the most talented collections of players to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this specific era of Buckeye football or want to understand the roster better, here are a few things you can actually do:
- Watch the 2011 Sugar Bowl Highlights: Despite the vacation of the win, the footage exists. Watch Terrelle Pryor’s performance—it’s perhaps the best individual showcase of his dual-threat capability against a high-level SEC defense.
- Compare the 2010 vs. 2014 Rosters: It’s an interesting exercise to see how the talent profile shifted from Tressel’s "power" focus to Meyer’s "speed" focus. The 2010 team was arguably more "NFL-ready" in the trenches.
- Research the "Tatoogate" Details: To get the full context, look into the actual NCAA reports from that time. It provides a fascinating (and frustrating) look at how the rules used to be enforced before the NIL era changed everything.
- Track the Pro Careers: Look at the longevity of the 2010 defensive starters. Many of them played 5-10 years in the NFL, which is a massive hit rate for any single college roster.