It shouldn't have happened. Seriously. If you sat down a group of scriptwriters in Hollywood and asked them to pen a story about a team overcoming three different quarterbacks, a soul-crushing early loss to a mediocre Virginia Tech squad, and the tragic death of a teammate, they’d tell you it was too unrealistic. But that was Ohio State Buckeyes football 2014 in a nutshell. It was a season defined by "The Chase," a mantra Urban Meyer hammered into his players, yet it felt more like a frantic survival drill for the first two months.
Remember August? Braxton Miller, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and the dual-threat engine of the offense, goes down in practice. Torn labrum. Season over before it started. The air completely went out of Columbus. People were already looking toward 2015. Then came the Virginia Tech game in early September. J.T. Barrett, a redshirt freshman who looked like a deer in headlights, got sacked seven times. The Buckeyes lost 35-21 at home. The national media didn't just drop them in the rankings; they buried them.
The J.T. Barrett evolution and the "Silver Bullets" rebirth
Most folks forget how close this team came to irrelevance. After that loss to the Hokies, Ohio State had to be perfect. And they kinda were. Barrett didn't just get better; he became a statistical monster. He started distributing the ball to guys like Michael Thomas—who, let’s be honest, was underutilized early on—and Devin Smith, the deep-threat specialist who made tracking 50-yard bombs look like a casual jog in the park.
The defense was a different story early in the year. Chris Ash had just come over from Arkansas to fix a secondary that was, frankly, a sieve in 2013. He installed a press-quarters system that allowed guys like Vonn Bell and Eli Apple to actually play aggressively. It took time to click. You saw the struggle in the Indiana game where Tevin Coleman ripped off huge runs, making Buckeye fans sweat in a game that should’ve been a blowout. But by the time they rolled into East Lansing to face Michigan State, the "Silver Bullets" identity had returned. Joey Bosa was a terrifying human being on the edge, basically living in opposing backfields. That 49-37 win over the Spartans was the moment the rest of the country realized the Buckeyes weren't just a "good Big Ten team." They were a problem.
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Three quarterbacks and a miracle in Indianapolis
Then, disaster struck again. In the fourth quarter against Michigan—a game Ohio State was winning but struggling to put away—Barrett went down with a broken ankle. You could hear a pin drop in Ohio Stadium. Cardale Jones, a guy known more for a 2012 tweet about "playing school" than his actual passing ability, had to take the reins.
Heading into the Big Ten Championship against Wisconsin, the Buckeyes were double-digit underdogs in the eyes of many pundits. They needed a massive win to leapfrog TCU and Baylor for the final spot in the first-ever College Football Playoff. What followed was a 59-0 demolition. Cardale "12 Gauge" Jones didn't just manage the game; he launched missiles. Ezekiel Elliott, who had been solid all year, suddenly transformed into a locomotive. He ran for 220 yards. The defense held a Heisman finalist in Melvin Gordon to practically nothing. It was the most complete performance by an Ohio State team in decades, and it forced the CFP committee’s hand.
The Ezekiel Elliott postseason tear
If 2014 had a face, it was Zeke in a crop-top jersey. The run he went on in the postseason is statistically absurd. In the Sugar Bowl against #1 Alabama, he went for 230 yards. That "85 Yards Through the Heart of the South" touchdown run remains the most iconic play of the Urban Meyer era. It wasn't just that they beat Nick Saban; it's that they out-physically-ed Alabama. They beat the SEC at its own game.
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The National Championship against Oregon was almost an afterthought compared to the emotional high of beating Bama. Even with four turnovers, Ohio State won 42-20. Zeke had 246 yards. Cardale was jumping over defenders. The Buckeyes became the first-ever undisputed playoff champions.
What made the 2014 roster different?
It wasn't just talent. It was the specific blend of leadership. You had veteran guys like Joshua Perry and Curtis Grant holding the locker room together after the tragic loss of Kosta Karageorge late in the season. That kind of emotional weight would have broken a lesser team. Instead, it galvanized them.
- Coaching Chemistry: Urban Meyer, Tom Herman (OC), and Chris Ash (DC) were all at the absolute peak of their powers.
- The Slot Threat: Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson gave the offense a "H-Back" versatility that defenses couldn't sub for.
- The Slobs: The offensive line, led by Taylor Decker and Pat Elflein, went from a liability in week two to the best unit in the country by January.
The lasting legacy of 2014
When you look back at Ohio State Buckeyes football 2014, you realize it changed the trajectory of the program. It validated the Big Ten on a national stage after years of "SEC speed" narratives. It also created a quarterback controversy for 2015 that, ironically, might have been the team's undoing the following year, but that's a different story.
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People often argue about which Ohio State team was the "best." The 2019 team was arguably more talented top-to-bottom. The 2002 team was more resilient in close games. But 2014? That was the most dynamic. It was a team that evolved three different times within a four-month span.
Actionable insights for fans and historians
To truly appreciate this season, don't just watch the highlights. Do these three things:
- Watch the Virginia Tech condensed game: See how broken the offense looked. It makes the January transformation feel like a different sport.
- Analyze the "Point of Attack": Watch the film on the 2014 Sugar Bowl. Focus on the offensive line (The Slobs). Their ability to move Alabama's interior defensive line was the real reason they won.
- Read "The Chase": Eleven Warriors and other local outlets have deep-dive long-forms on the leadership meetings that happened after the Michigan State game. It’s a masterclass in sports psychology.
The 2014 Buckeyes proved that a loss isn't an ending; it’s a data point. They took the worst possible circumstances and turned them into the first trophy of the playoff era. They were young, they were fast, and by the end, they were completely untouchable.