The 1992 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team that represented the Ohio State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth year under head coach John Cooper, the Buckeyes compiled an 8–3–1 record (5–2–1 in conference games), finished in second place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 257 to 137. Against ranked opponents, they defeated No. 8 Syracuse and tied with No. 6 Michigan. They concluded the season with a loss to No. 8 Georgia in the 1993 Florida Citrus Bowl. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 18 in the final AP poll.[1]
The Buckeyes gained an average of 171.1 rushing yards and 154.3 passing yards per game. On defense, they held opponents to 111.7 rushing yards and 162.9 passing yards per game.[2] The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Kirk Herbstreit (1,904 passing yards, 58.7% completion percentage), running back Robert Smith (707 rushing yards, 5.8 yards per carry), and wide receiver Brian Stablein (51 receptions for 612 yards).[2] Linebacker Steve Tovar was selected by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as a first-team player on the 1992 All-America team.[3] Tovar, nose tackle Greg Smith, and safety Roger Harper received first-team honors on the 1992 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[4]
The team played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|
| September 5 | 12:30 p.m. | Louisville* | No. 17 | | ESPN | W 20–19 | 89,653 | |
| September 12 | 3:30 p.m. | Bowling Green* | No. 22 | | ABC | W 17–6 | 94,808 | |
| September 19 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 8 Syracuse* | No. 21 | | ESPN | W 35–12 | 49,629 | |
| October 3 | 12:30 p.m. | at Wisconsin | No. 12 | | ESPN | L 16–20 | 72,203 | |
| October 10 | 12:30 p.m. | Illinois | No. 21 | | ESPN | L 16–18 | 93,982 | |
| October 17 | 1:30 p.m. | Northwestern | | | | W 31–7 | 90,363 | |
| October 24 | 3:30 p.m. | at Michigan State | | | ABC | W 27–17 | 70,037 | |
| October 31 | 3:30 p.m. | at Iowa | | | ABC | W 38–15 | 70,397 | |
| November 7 | 1:30 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 22 | | | W 17–0 | 91,764 | |
| November 14 | 3:30 p.m. | at Indiana | No. 19 | | ABC | W 27–10 | 45,534 | |
| November 21 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 6 Michigan | No. 17 | | ABC | T 13–13 | 95,330 | |
| January 1, 1993 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. No. 8 Georgia* | No. 15 | | ABC | L 14–21 | 65,861 | [5] |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Eastern time
|
[6]
Roster
| 1992 Ohio State Buckeyes football team roster
|
| Players
|
Coaches
|
| Offense
|
Defense
|
Special teams
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| C/LS
|
50
|
Jim Borchers
|
Sr
|
| P
|
10
|
Joel Kessel
|
Sr
|
| LS
|
53
|
Jason Lynch
|
Jr
|
| K
|
23
|
Tim Williams
|
Jr
|
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
 Injured Redshirt
Roster
|
Awards and honors
1993 NFL draftees
[7]
References
- ^ "1992 Ohio State Buckeyes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ a b "1992 Ohio State Buckeyes Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ "Football Writers Association All-America football team". Quad City Times. December 16, 1992. p. 4S – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Michigan puts eight on All-Big Ten teams". The Argus-Press (AP story). November 25, 1992. p. A11.
- ^ "Georgia downs OSU, 21–14". Urbana Daily Citizen. January 2, 1993. Retrieved November 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Park, Jack (2003). The Official Ohio State Football Encyclopedia. Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1-58261-695-7.
- ^ "1993 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.
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National championship seasons in bold |
