On Saturday, The Ohio State Buckeyes will play the Purdue Boilermakers for the 60th time since they started playing each other in 1919. Let's take a look at "What Happened Before."
- The Buckeyes lead the series 42-15-2 (41 wins if you take away the vacated win in 2010), with an average score of 26-14.
- The Buckeyes won the first six meetings, all by shutouts, and outscored Purdue 117-0. The Buckeyes have shut out the Boilermakers 13 times while scoring 350 points in those games, with the most recent being a 56-0 victory in 2013.
- OSU has a home record of 29-6-2 against Purdue and is 13-9 at West Lafayette.
- When OSU is ranked (*22-6-1). When Purdue is ranked (2-2). When both are ranked (4-2). When neither are ranked (beginning in 1936) (9-5-1). OSU top 5 (14-4). Purdue top 5 (0-2). Both top 5 (1-0, 1968).
- Most points scored OSU: 59 (59-31 in 2021). Largest margin of victory OSU: 56 (56-0 in 2013).
- Most points scored Purdue: 49 (49-20 in 2018) Largest margin of victory Purdue: 35 (41-6 in 1967).
- The years the Boilermakers were Spoilermakers: 1945, 1952, 1960, 1978, 1984, 2009, 2018.
Games of note:
1968: The year after the Buckeyes lost to the then #2 Boilermakes, 41-6, the Buckeyes returned the favor by upsetting #1 ranked Purdue, 13-0. After a scoreless first half, defensive back Ted Provost intercepted a Mike Phipps pass and returned it 34 yards for a Buckeye touchdown and a 6-0 lead. The Buckeyes added another 3rd quarter score and that was all she wrote. The Super Sophs went on to go 10-0 and win the national championship that year.
1984: The undefeated and #2 ranked Buckeyes traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face unranked Purdue. The Boilermakers scored with 10:03 to play to go up 28-17. But the Buckeyes weren't finished quite yet. They kept fighting and scored with 2:38 to play to pull within 5 after failing on the two point conversion. The Buckeyes hold Purdue on their next possession and get the ball back on the OSU 16. After several completions, Mike Tomczak is called for intentional grounding. But the Buckeyes are able to convert a 4th and 25 with a 27 yard pass from Tomczak to Cris Carter. After weird offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that gave the Buckeyes a first and 25 at the Purdue 47, and an incompletion, Tomczak completed two passes to Keith Byars for 20 yards, giving the Buckeyes 4th and 5 with 8 seconds to play at the Purdue 27. Tomczak hurried the Buckeyes to the line and quickly threw the ball out of bounds (Spiking the ball to stop the clock wasn't a thing yet). There was only one problem. It was 4th down. Tomczak lost track of downs and threw the ball out of bounds on 4th down! To his defense, I was at that game and the down marker said 3rd down. A little bit of home cooking? Hmmmmm. Buckeyes lost 28-23.
2002: Holy Buckeye! 'Nuff said.
2012: The Kenny Guiton game. Trailing 22-14, on their own 39 with 47 seconds to play, Smooth Jazz led the Buckeyes down the field culminating with a 2 yard diving touchdown reception by Chris Fields to pull the Buckeyes within 2 with 3 seconds to play. A beautifully executed pass to Jeff Heuerman for the 2 point conversion and the Buckeyes and Boilermakers were heading to overtime. The Buckeyes scored. Purdue didn't. 29-22. Game over!!
There have been some interesting games between these two teams over the years. What do you think will happen Saturday?
- The Buckeyes lead the series 42-15-2 (41 wins if you take away the vacated win in 2010), with an average score of 26-14.
- The Buckeyes won the first six meetings, all by shutouts, and outscored Purdue 117-0. The Buckeyes have shut out the Boilermakers 13 times while scoring 350 points in those games, with the most recent being a 56-0 victory in 2013.
- OSU has a home record of 29-6-2 against Purdue and is 13-9 at West Lafayette.
- When OSU is ranked (*22-6-1). When Purdue is ranked (2-2). When both are ranked (4-2). When neither are ranked (beginning in 1936) (9-5-1). OSU top 5 (14-4). Purdue top 5 (0-2). Both top 5 (1-0, 1968).
- Most points scored OSU: 59 (59-31 in 2021). Largest margin of victory OSU: 56 (56-0 in 2013).
- Most points scored Purdue: 49 (49-20 in 2018) Largest margin of victory Purdue: 35 (41-6 in 1967).
- The years the Boilermakers were Spoilermakers: 1945, 1952, 1960, 1978, 1984, 2009, 2018.
Games of note:
1968: The year after the Buckeyes lost to the then #2 Boilermakes, 41-6, the Buckeyes returned the favor by upsetting #1 ranked Purdue, 13-0. After a scoreless first half, defensive back Ted Provost intercepted a Mike Phipps pass and returned it 34 yards for a Buckeye touchdown and a 6-0 lead. The Buckeyes added another 3rd quarter score and that was all she wrote. The Super Sophs went on to go 10-0 and win the national championship that year.
1984: The undefeated and #2 ranked Buckeyes traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face unranked Purdue. The Boilermakers scored with 10:03 to play to go up 28-17. But the Buckeyes weren't finished quite yet. They kept fighting and scored with 2:38 to play to pull within 5 after failing on the two point conversion. The Buckeyes hold Purdue on their next possession and get the ball back on the OSU 16. After several completions, Mike Tomczak is called for intentional grounding. But the Buckeyes are able to convert a 4th and 25 with a 27 yard pass from Tomczak to Cris Carter. After weird offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that gave the Buckeyes a first and 25 at the Purdue 47, and an incompletion, Tomczak completed two passes to Keith Byars for 20 yards, giving the Buckeyes 4th and 5 with 8 seconds to play at the Purdue 27. Tomczak hurried the Buckeyes to the line and quickly threw the ball out of bounds (Spiking the ball to stop the clock wasn't a thing yet). There was only one problem. It was 4th down. Tomczak lost track of downs and threw the ball out of bounds on 4th down! To his defense, I was at that game and the down marker said 3rd down. A little bit of home cooking? Hmmmmm. Buckeyes lost 28-23.
2002: Holy Buckeye! 'Nuff said.
2012: The Kenny Guiton game. Trailing 22-14, on their own 39 with 47 seconds to play, Smooth Jazz led the Buckeyes down the field culminating with a 2 yard diving touchdown reception by Chris Fields to pull the Buckeyes within 2 with 3 seconds to play. A beautifully executed pass to Jeff Heuerman for the 2 point conversion and the Buckeyes and Boilermakers were heading to overtime. The Buckeyes scored. Purdue didn't. 29-22. Game over!!
There have been some interesting games between these two teams over the years. What do you think will happen Saturday?
