Twelve years later, and it still feels weird. Honestly, if you ask a die-hard fan about 2013 Ohio State football, they won't start by talking about the twenty-four straight wins. They won't lead with Carlos Hyde’s punishing style or Ryan Shazier flying across the field like a heat-seeking missile.
They’ll talk about the pizza.
Specifically, they'll talk about Urban Meyer sitting on a golf cart in the bowels of Lucas Oil Stadium, dejectedly eating a slice of Papa John’s while the Michigan State Spartans celebrated a Big Ten Championship. It’s an image burned into the collective memory of Columbus. That single moment basically defines the "what if" nature of a season that was inches away from a national title shot.
Urban Meyer’s second year was supposed to be the coronation. Coming off an undefeated 2012 season where a bowl ban kept them home, the Buckeyes were eligible, angry, and absolutely loaded with talent. They went 12-0 in the regular season. They broke school records. Yet, when people look back at 2013 Ohio State football, there’s this nagging sense of unfinished business.
The Braxon Miller and Carlos Hyde Connection
You have to remember how explosive this offense was. Braxton Miller wasn't just a quarterback; he was a human highlight reel who could make a defender’s ankles disappear with a single stutter-step. By 2013, he’d developed a real rapport with Kenny Guiton, the backup who famously saved the Northwestern game, but Braxton was the engine.
Then you had "El Guapo."
Carlos Hyde was a different breed of running back. He was the first player under Urban Meyer to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, finishing with 1,521 yards despite missing the first three games due to a suspension. He didn’t just run through holes. He created them by sheer force of will. Watching Hyde in 2013 was like watching a bowling ball made of muscle. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry. Think about that for a second. Every time he touched the ball, the chains were basically moving.
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The offense averaged 45.5 points per game. It was a juggernaut. They put up 76 on Florida A&M, 63 on Penn State, and 60 on Illinois. It felt like nobody could stop them.
That Scary Afternoon in Ann Arbor
Before we get to the heartbreak, we have to talk about The Game. 2013 featured one of the most insane iterations of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry ever played. Michigan was struggling that year. They were 7-4 coming in. On paper, Ohio State should have rolled.
Instead, Devin Gardner played the game of his life.
It was a shootout in the purest sense. 42-41. Michigan scored with 32 seconds left and, instead of kicking the extra point to go to overtime, Brady Hoke decided to go for two. He wanted the win right then and there. Tyvis Powell stepped in front of Gardner’s pass, intercepted it, and the Buckeyes escaped. It was exhilarating. It was terrifying. It was the kind of game that takes years off a fan's life, but it kept the dream of a BCS National Championship alive.
The Michigan State Wall and the End of the Streak
The 24-game winning streak crashed into a green and white wall in Indianapolis. The 2013 Big Ten Championship Game is still a sore spot.
Michigan State had the "No Fly Zone" defense. They were physical in a way that Ohio State hadn't seen all year. The Buckeyes actually fought back from an early 17-0 deficit to take a 24-17 lead in the third quarter. It felt like they had regained control. But then the wheels fell off.
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The most controversial moment? Fourth and one.
With the game on the line and a trip to the National Championship at stake, Meyer called a speed option for Braxton Miller. Miller was stuffed. Critics to this day argue that Carlos Hyde, the most dominant power runner in the country, should have gotten the ball. He had been punishing the Spartans all night. Instead, the ball went outside, the play failed, and the Buckeyes' 24-game win streak ended right there on the turf of Lucas Oil Stadium.
That loss bumped them out of the BCS title game against Florida State and sent them to the Orange Bowl to face Clemson.
Clemson, Sammy Watkins, and the Orange Bowl Aftermath
If the Michigan State loss was a punch to the gut, the Orange Bowl was a fever dream. Sammy Watkins basically ran circles around the Ohio State secondary, racking up 227 receiving yards. It was a glaring exposure of the Buckeyes' biggest weakness that year: the pass defense.
Ohio State lost 40-35.
Suddenly, a team that was 12-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country finished the season 12-2 with a pair of bitter losses. It changed the trajectory of the program, honestly. It forced Urban Meyer to look at his defensive staff and realize that "good enough" wasn't going to win titles in the modern era of college football. He brought in Chris Ash to overhaul the secondary, a move that directly led to the 2014 National Championship run.
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Why This Team Matters in the Record Books
Even with the disappointing finish, the 2013 squad was historically significant.
Look at the NFL talent. Bradley Roby, Ryan Shazier, Taylor Decker, Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, and Carlos Hyde all became significant pros. This wasn't just a good college team; it was a factory of Sunday-level talent. They set a school record for points in a season (637) and touchdowns (82).
They were the bridge.
They bridged the gap between the "just happy to be here" post-Tressel era and the "National Championship or bust" era that defines the current state of the program. They proved Meyer's system worked in the Big Ten. They showed that Ohio State could recruit at an SEC level and play a brand of football that was lightyears ahead of the "three yards and a cloud of dust" reputation the conference had.
Lessons from the 2013 Campaign
If you're looking to understand what made this team tick, or if you're a coach studying high-performance dynamics, there are some real-world takeaways here:
- Exploit your mismatch immediately. The 2013 offense was built on putting defenders in conflict. Whether it was the read-option or getting Philly Brown in space, they forced you to pick your poison.
- The danger of "The Streak." Winning 24 games in a row creates a massive amount of pressure. By the time they hit the postseason, the Buckeyes were playing with the weight of the world on their shoulders.
- Scheme over talent in the secondary. You can have athletes like Bradley Roby, but if the scheme is predictable, elite quarterbacks and receivers (like those at Clemson and MSU) will find the gaps.
Actionable Steps for the Dedicated Fan
If you want to relive this era or understand it better, don't just look at the box scores.
- Watch the 2013 "The Game" highlights. It is perhaps the best example of why records don't matter in a rivalry.
- Study the 4th and 1 play against MSU. Analyze the defensive alignment. You'll see exactly why the Spartans were ready for the option.
- Look at the 2014 NFL Draft. See where these guys went. It contextualizes just how much raw potential was on the field at once.
The 2013 Ohio State football season remains a paradox. It was one of the most successful runs in the history of the sport, yet it ended in a way that felt like a failure. It was the season that proved Ohio State was back, but also the season that proved they still had one more giant leap to take. Without the pain of 2013, the glory of 2014 likely never happens.