Man, 2017 was weird. If you ask any Buckeye fan about that year, they won’t start with the Big Ten Championship or the beatdown of USC in the Cotton Bowl. No, they’ll probably just stare into the distance and whisper one word: Iowa. It was a year where Urban Meyer had one of the most talented rosters in the country, yet the 2017 Ohio State Buckeyes football schedule felt like a high-speed chase that kept hitting random, inexplicable potholes.
You had J.T. Barrett in his final year, a defensive line nicknamed the "Rushmen" that featured about four future NFL first-rounders, and a young running back named J.K. Dobbins who was basically shot out of a cannon the moment he touched the turf in Bloomington. On paper, this team should’ve played for a national title. But as we know, college football doesn't care about your paper roster.
How the 2017 Ohio State Buckeyes Football Schedule Kicked Off
It started on a Thursday night. Aug. 31, 2017. Indiana wasn't supposed to be a problem, but they were. Richard Lagow turned into Dan Marino for a half, and the Buckeyes looked sluggish. Honestly, it was Dobbins—fresh out of La Grange, Texas—who saved the day with 181 yards. Ohio State won 49-21, but the vibes were already a little off.
Then came Oklahoma.
This was the "Baker Mayfield Planted the Flag" game. September 9th. A packed Horseshoe. It was supposed to be revenge for what the Buckeyes did in Norman the year before. Instead, Mayfield carved up the secondary, and Lincoln Riley outcoached the Buckeyes' staff. That 31-16 loss felt like a gut punch. It dropped Ohio State out of the top five and forced a massive identity crisis. People were calling for Barrett to be benched. The local radio shows were a nightmare.
What followed was a stretch of "get right" games that, looking back, might have made the team a little too comfortable. They dismantled Army (38-7), crushed UNLV (54-21), and then went on a road trip to Rutgers where they won 56-0. Maryland didn't fare much better, losing 62-14. By the time Nebraska rolled around, the Buckeyes were clicking. They hung 56 on the Huskers in Lincoln. J.T. Barrett was suddenly back in the Heisman conversation, and everything looked like it was heading toward a collision course with Penn State.
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The Greatest Comeback and the Iowa Meltdown
If you want to talk about the peak of the 2017 Ohio State Buckeyes football schedule, you have to talk about October 28th. No. 2 Penn State came to Columbus. Saquon Barkley took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. It felt over before it started. The Buckeyes trailed by 11 with five minutes left in the game.
Then J.T. Barrett went unconscious.
He went 13-of-13 in the fourth quarter. It was the best football he ever played. The Buckeyes won 39-38 in a game that literally shook the stadium. At that moment, Ohio State was back at No. 3 in the polls. They had the inside track to the playoff. They were the "it" team again.
And then Iowa happened.
I still don't think anyone has a logical explanation for what occurred at Kinnick Stadium on November 4, 2017. Iowa wasn't some juggernaut. They were a gritty, unranked team with a tight-end-heavy offense. But the Buckeyes walked into a buzzsaw. Barrett threw four interceptions. The defense couldn't stop a nosebleed. Final score: 55-24. It wasn't just a loss; it was a demolition. It remains one of the most baffling results in the history of the program. One week you beat Saquon Barkley, the next you get run out of the building by Nathan Stanley and the Hawkeyes.
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Ending on a High Note (Sorta)
The beauty of college football is that the schedule doesn't stop because you're embarrassed. Ohio State had to get up off the mat. They handled Michigan State 48-3. They survived a weirdly close game against Illinois.
Then came The Game.
Michigan wasn't great in 2017, but they had the Buckeyes on the ropes in Ann Arbor. Barrett went down with a weird knee injury (rumored to be caused by a cameraman on the sideline). Enter Dwayne Haskins. The world got its first real look at the future of Ohio State football as Haskins led a comeback to win 31-20. It was the sixth straight win over Michigan, keeping the streak alive and punching a ticket to Indy.
In the Big Ten Championship, they faced an undefeated Wisconsin team. It was a classic "immovable object vs. unstoppable force" game. The Buckeyes won 27-21, securing the conference title. Usually, a 12-1 or 11-2 Big Ten champ makes the playoff. But that 31-point loss to Iowa stayed on their resume like a giant ink blot. The committee chose Alabama instead.
The season wrapped up in the Cotton Bowl against No. 8 USC. It was Sam Darnold vs. the Buckeye defensive line. It wasn't even fair. Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis, and Sam Hubbard lived in the backfield. Ohio State won 24-7, ending the year 12-2. They finished No. 5 in the AP Poll. A great season, sure. But for many, it will always be the year of "What If?"
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2017 Ohio State Game Results
- Aug 31: at Indiana (W 49-21)
- Sep 9: Oklahoma (L 31-16)
- Sep 16: Army (W 38-7)
- Sep 23: UNLV (W 54-21)
- Sep 30: at Rutgers (W 56-0)
- Oct 7: Maryland (W 62-14)
- Oct 14: at Nebraska (W 56-14)
- Oct 28: Penn State (W 39-38)
- Nov 4: at Iowa (L 55-24)
- Nov 11: Michigan State (W 48-3)
- Nov 18: Illinois (W 52-14)
- Nov 25: at Michigan (W 31-20)
- Dec 2: vs Wisconsin (W 27-21)
- Dec 29: vs USC (W 24-7)
Lessons from the 2017 Campaign
The 2017 season taught us a lot about the College Football Playoff era. It proved that a conference title isn't a golden ticket if you have a "non-competitive" loss on your record. The Iowa game changed how the committee looked at blowouts.
If you're looking back at this season for research or just to settle a bar bet, remember that this was the bridge between the J.T. Barrett era and the modern, high-flying passing attack of Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields. It was a transition year disguised as a championship run.
For modern fans, the takeaway is clear:
- Style points matter. The Iowa loss was so ugly it nullified a win over an undefeated Wisconsin.
- Depth wins titles. Without Dwayne Haskins coming off the bench in Ann Arbor, the season ends in disaster.
- The "Kinnick at Night" curse is real. Never, ever overlook a road game in November in the Midwest.
If you’re digging into the history of the Buckeyes, pay attention to the 2017 defensive line stats. That group was arguably the best to ever play in Columbus. Watching them dismantle USC in the bowl game is a masterclass in defensive line play. Look up the highlights of the Penn State comeback too. It’s some of the best theater you’ll ever see in the Horseshoe.