1985 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

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	Game highlights

1985 Ohio State Buckeyes football
1985 Ohio State Buckeyes football
Florida Citrus Bowl champion
Florida Citrus Bowl, W 10–7 vs. BYU
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 11
AP	No. 14
Record	9–3 (5–3 Big Ten)
Head coach	Earle Bruce (7th season);
Offensive coordinator	Glen Mason (6th season)
Defensive coordinator	Gary Blackney (1st season)
MVP	Jim Karsatos
Captains	Keith Byars; Mike Lanese; Pepper Johnson;
Home stadium	Ohio Stadium
	Seasons ← 1984 1986 →

The 1985 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 1985 Big Ten season. In their seventh year under head coach Earle Bruce, the Buckeyes compiled a 9–3 record (5–3 in conference games), tied for fourth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 315 to 205. Against ranked opponents, they defeated No. 1 Iowa, lost to No. 6 Michigan, and defeated No. 9 BYU in the 1985 Florida Citrus Bowl. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 14 in the final AP poll.^[1]

1985 Big Ten Conference football standings
v t e	Conf.					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 10 Iowa $	7	–	1	–	0	10	–	2	–	0
No. 2 Michigan	6	–	1	–	1	10	–	1	–	1
Illinois	5	–	2	–	1	6	–	5	–	1
No. 14 Ohio State	5	–	3	–	0	9	–	3	–	0
Michigan State	5	–	3	–	0	7	–	5	–	0
Minnesota	4	–	4	–	0	7	–	5	–	0
Purdue	3	–	5	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Wisconsin	2	–	6	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Indiana	1	–	7	–	0	4	–	7	–	0
Northwestern	1	–	7	–	0	3	–	8	–	0

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The Buckeyes gained an average of 163.8 rushing yards and 184.1 passing yards per game. On defense, they held opponents to 147.2 rushing yards and 180.3 passing yards per game.^[2] The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Jim Karsatos (2,115 passing yards, 62.2% completion percentage), running back John Wooldridge (728 rushing yards, 4.9 yards per carry), and wide receiver Cris Carter (53 receptions for 879 yards).^[2] Linebackers Pepper Johnson and Chris Spielman received first-team All-America honors from the UPI and NEA, respectively.^[3]^[4] Six received first-team honors on the 1985 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Johnson (AP/UPI); Spielman (AP/UPI); Carter (AP/UPI); center Bob Maggs (AP/UPI); offensive tackle Rory Graves (UPI); and punter Tom Tupa (UPI).^[5]^[6]^[7]

The team played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 14	8:00 p.m.	Pittsburgh*	No. 9	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	WTBS	W 10–7	88,518	^[8]
September 21	3:30 p.m.	at Colorado*	No. 7	Folsom Field Boulder, CO		W 36–13	47,022	^[9]
September 28	1:30 p.m.	Washington State*	No. 5	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH		W 48–32	89,954	^[10]
October 5	2:00 p.m.	at Illinois	No. 5	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL (Illibuck)		L 28–31	76,343	^[11]
October 12	1:30 p.m.	Indiana	No. 15	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH		W 48–7	89,846	^[12]
October 19	12:00 p.m.	Purdue	No. 11	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	CBS	W 41–27	89,888	^[13]
October 26	3:30 p.m.	at No. 20 Minnesota	No. 9	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN	CBS	W 23–19	64,455	^[14]
November 2	2:30 p.m.	No. 1 Iowa	No. 8	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	CBS	W 22–13	90,467	^[15]
November 9	12:30 p.m.	at Northwestern	No. 4	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	WTBS	W 35–17	26,477	^[16]
November 16	1:30 p.m.	Wisconsin	No. 3	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH		L 7–12	89,873	^[17]
November 23	1:30 p.m.	at No. 6 Michigan	No. 12	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	CBS	L 17–27	106,102	^[18]^[19]
December 28	1:00 p.m.	vs. No. 9 BYU*	No. 17	Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL (Florida Citrus Bowl)	NBC	W 10–7	50,920	^[20]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

Pittsburgh

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Pittsburgh	0	0	0	7	7
• Ohio St	0	3	0	7	10

Date: September 14
Location: Ohio Stadium

Colorado

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Ohio St	7	15	0	14	36
Colorado	7	0	0	6	13

Date: September 21
Location: Folsom Field

Washington State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Washington St	14	3	3	12	32
• Ohio St	7	28	3	10	48

Date: September 28
Location: Ohio Stadium

Illinois

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Ohio St	0	14	14	0	28
• Illinois	14	0	7	10	31

Date: October 5
Location: Memorial Stadium

Indiana

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Indiana	0	7	0	0	7
• Ohio St	7	28	10	3	48

Date: October 12
Location: Ohio Stadium

Purdue

Purdue Boilermakers (3–2) at #11 Ohio State Buckeyes (4–1)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Purdue	0	10	10	7	27
Ohio St	14	3	7	17	41

at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

Date: October 19, 1985
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Overcast, 75 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 89,888
Referee: Otho Kortz
TV: CBS
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

OSU – George Cooper 4-yard pass from Jim Karsatos (Rich Spangler kick), 8:14. Ohio St 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 4:31.
OSU – Mike Lanese 12-yard pass from Jim Karsatos (Rich Spangler kick), 3:11. Ohio St 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 2:56.

Second quarter

OSU – Rich Spangler 39-yard field goal, 13:32. Ohio St 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 2:40.
PUR – Rodney Carter 15-yard pass from Jim Everett (Jonathan Briggs kick), 3:02. Ohio St 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 95 yards, 3:42.
PUR – Jonathan Briggs 22-yard field goal, 0:01. Ohio St 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 1:54.

Third quarter

OSU – Cris Carter 4-yard pass from Jim Karsatos (Rich Spangler kick), 9:37. Ohio St 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 32 yards, 4:34.
PUR – Ray Wallace 8-yard pass from Jim Everett (Jonathan Briggs kick), 8:12. Ohio St 24–17. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:21.
PUR – Jonathan Briggs 21-yard field goal, 2:25. Ohio St 24–20. Drive: 14 plays, 45 yards, 4:36.

Fourth quarter

OSU – Rich Spangler 30-yard field goal, 12:46. Ohio St 27–20. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:39.
PUR – James Medlock 2-yard run (Jonathan Briggs kick), 8:35. Tie 27–27. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:11.
OSU – Keith Byars 1-yard run (Rich Spangler kick), 4:41. Ohio St 34–27. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:50.
OSU – Keith Byars 9-yard run (Rich Spangler kick), 2:10. Ohio St 41–27. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 2:02.

Top passers

PUR – Jim Everett – 35/55, 497 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
OSU – Jim Karsatos – 14/26, 174 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

PUR – Ray Wallace – 3 rushes, 35 yards
OSU – Keith Byars – 23 rushes, 106 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

PUR – Rodney Carter – 15 receptions, 190 yards, TD
OSU – Cris Carter – 4 receptions, 96 yards, TD

at No. 20 Minnesota

#9 Ohio State Buckeyes (5–1) at #20 Minnesota Golden Gophers (5–1)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ohio St	0	10	0	13	23
Minnesota	3	9	7	0	19

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: October 26, 1985
Game time: 2:30 p.m.
Game weather: Indoors (dome)
Game attendance: 64,455
Referee: Jim Kemmerling
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

MINN – Chip Lohmiller 36-yard field goal, 8:34. Minnesota 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 4:51.

Second quarter

MINN – Chip Lohmiller 50-yard field goal, 14:56. Minnesota 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 5:41.
OSU – Keith Byars 2-yard run (Rich Spangler kick), 9:37. Ohio St 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:19.
OSU – Rich Spangler 38-yard field goal, 4:26. Ohio St 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 4:16.
MINN – Ricky Foggie 7-yard run (run failed), 0:05. Minnesota 12–10. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:15.

Third quarter

MINN – Ricky Foggie 1-yard run (Chip Lohmiller kick), 6:15. Minnesota 19–10. Drive: 18 plays, 88 yards, 8:45.

Fourth quarter

OSU – Ed Taggart 1-yard pass from Jim Karsatos (Rich Spangler kick), 14:31. Minnesota 19–17. Drive: 16 plays, 90 yards, 6:44.
OSU – Vince Workman 16-yard run (pass failed), 10:36. Ohio St 23–19. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 2:55.

Top passers

OSU – Jim Karsatos – 11/17, 115 yards, TD, INT
MINN – Ricky Foggie – 14/20, 147 yards, INT

Top rushers

OSU – Keith Byars – 18 rushes, 67 yards, TD
MINN – Ricky Foggie – 18 rushes, 57 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

OSU – Mike Lanese – 2 receptions, 36 yards
MINN – Melvin Anderson – 7 receptions, 74 yards

No. 1 Iowa

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Hawkeyes	0	7	0	6	13
• No. 8 Buckeyes	5	10	0	7	22

Date: November 2
Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
TV announcers (CBS): Brent Musburger

Source:

	Iowa	Ohio St
First downs	21	16
Rushing yards	186	233
Passing	17–34–4	10–17–2
Passing yards	169	151
Total Offense	345	370
Fumbles Lost	2–1	1–0
Punts-Average	4–32.5	4–45.3
Penalties	3–16	7–57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Iowa	Passing	Chuck Long	19–26, 169 yards, 4 INT
	Rushing	Ronnie Harmon	26 carries, 120 yards, TD
	Receiving	Ronnie Harmon	5 receptions, 19 yards
Ohio State	Passing	Jim Karsatos	10–17, 151 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	George Cooper	17 carries, 104 yards
	Receiving	Cris Carter	3 receptions, 65 yards

Northwestern

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Ohio St	14	14	7	0	35
Northwestern	0	0	7	10	17

Date: November 9
Location: Dyche Stadium

Wisconsin

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Wisconsin	3	3	6	0	12
Ohio St	0	7	0	0	7

Date: November 16
Location: Ohio Stadium

at No. 6 Michigan

#12 Ohio State Buckeyes at #6 Michigan Wolverines

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ohio State	0	10	0	7	17
Michigan	3	7	10	7	27

at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Date: November 23
Game weather: Overcast, 40 °F (4 °C)
Game attendance: 106,102
TV: CBS
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

MICH – Pat Moons 34-yard field goal, 1:59. Michigan 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards.

Second quarter

OSU – Rich Spangler 48-yard field goal, 11:40. Tie 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards.
OSU – Keith Byars 2-yard run (Rich Spangler kick), 8:41. Ohio St 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards.
MICH – Gerald White 4-yard pass from Jim Harbaugh (Pat Moons kick), 2:20. Tie 10–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards.

Third quarter

MICH – Pat Moons 38-yard field goal, 10:28. Michigan 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards.
MICH – Eric Kattus 5-yard pass from Jim Harbaugh (Pat Moons kick), 2:56. Michigan 20–10. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards.

Fourth quarter

OSU – Cris Carter 36-yard pass from Jim Karsatos (Rich Spangler kick), 10:10. Michigan 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards.
MICH – John Kolesar 77-yard pass from Jim Harbaugh (Pat Moons kick), 9:19. Michigan 27–17. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards.

Top passers

OSU – Jim Karsatos – 17/31, 179 yards, TD, INT
MICH – Jim Harbaugh – 16/19, 230 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

OSU – Keith Byars – 12 rushes, 35 yards, TD
MICH – Gerald White – 29 rushes, 110 yards

Top receivers

OSU – Cris Carter – 5 receptions, 90 yards, TD
MICH – John Kolesar – 4 receptions, 109 yards

vs No. 9 BYU (Citrus Bowl)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 17 Buckeyes	0	3	7	0	10
No. 9 Cougars	0	7	0	0	7

Date: December 28
Location: Citrus Bowl

Personnel

Roster

1985 Ohio State Buckeyes football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
DB		Sean Bell
DL		Henry Brown
DB	`7`	Sonny Gordon
DB		Steve Hill
DL		Ray Holliman
LB		Pepper Johnson	Sr
LB		Larry Kolic
LB		Eric Kumerow
LB		Scott Leach
LB		Byron Lee
DL	`95`	Daryll Lee
DL		Fred Ridder
DB	`29`	Greg Rogan
LB	`36`	Chris Spielman	So
DB	`12`	Terry White
DB		William White

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
K	`10`	Rich Spangler
P, QB	`19`	Tom Tupa	So

Head coach

Earle Bruce

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Gary Blackney (DC)
Bill Conley (ILB)
Steve Devine (OL)
Randy Hart (DL)
Chuck Heater (DB)
Glen Mason (OC)
Fred Pagac (LB)
Jim Tressel (QB)
Leonard Willis

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Depth chart

Defense

FS
12 Terry White
20 Dwight Smith

OLB	ILB	ILB	SLB
14 Eric Kumerow	36 Chris Spielman	98 Pepper Johnson	82 Byron Lee
57 John Sullivan	61 Derek Isaman	30 Mike Kee	8 Scott Leach

ROV
8 Sonny Gordon
24 Mike Wood

CB
37 William White
47 Ray Jackson

DE	NT	DE
90 Fred Ridder	33 Larry Kolic (LB/NG)	95 Darryl Lee
55 Ray Holliman	67 Mike Sullivan	94 Henry Brown

CB
29 Greg Rogan
11 Steve Hill

Offense

SE
2 Cris Carter
49 Doug Smith

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
75 Rory Graves	97 Jeff Uhlenhake	71 Bob Maggs	56 Jim Gilmore	72 Larry Kotterman
77 Ron Paulsen	65 Tom Glancey	50 Tim Odom	51 Greg Zackeroff	69 Jay Shaffer

TE
80 Ed Taggart
81 John Hutchison

FL
1 Mike Lanese
26 Nate Harris

QB
16 Jim Karsatos
19 Tom Tupa

Key reserves
41 Keith Byars (foot injury)

FB
44 George Cooper
43 Barry Walker

Special teams
PK 10 Rich Spangler
P 19 Tom Tupa

RB
25 John Wooldridge
42 Vince Workman

^[21]

Awards and honors

Pepper Johnson, UPI First Team All-America, Football News First Team All-America

1986 NFL draftees

Player	Round	Pick	Position	NFL club
Keith Byars	1	10	Running back	Philadelphia Eagles
Pepper Johnson	2	51	Linebacker	New York Giants
Byron Lee	7	176	Linebacker	Philadelphia Eagles
Larry Kolic	7	193	Linebacker	Miami Dolphins

References

↑ "1985 Ohio State Buckeyes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
1 2 "1985 Ohio State Buckeyes Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
↑ "Bo Jackson, Sooner Casillas Head 60th UPI All-America Team". Tyrone Daily Herald. December 12, 1985. p. 7.
↑ "NEA 1985 All-America football team". Lead (SD) Daily Call. December 6, 1985. p. 7.
↑ "Soph White, Station, Unanimous Choices". Toledo Blade (AP story). December 3, 1985. p. 33.
↑ "Long nips Everett for UPI first team". The Indianapolis Star. November 26, 1985. p. 22.
↑ "Long Nips Everett For Spot On All-Big Ten First Team". Logansport Pharos-Tribune. November 26, 1985. p. 10.
↑ "Buckeyes nip Pitt". The Times Recorder. September 15, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "CU no match for Ohio State". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. September 22, 1985. p. 4B.
↑ "Bucks romp 48–32". The Times Recorder. September 29, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Late Illini FG tips Ohio St". The Miami Herald. October 6, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Woolridge making OSU forget Byars". The Ironton Tribune. October 13, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Byars leads OSU, 41–27". The Plain Dealer. October 20, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Backs' injuries make Ohio State's victory a costly one". The Akron Beacon Journal. October 27, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "No. 1 Hawkeyes stunned by inspired OSU, 22–13". The Daily Nonpareil. November 3, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Karsatos has big passing day as Bucks win 8th". The Tribune. November 10, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Wisconsin upsets Ohio State". Wisconsin State Journal. November 17, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Wolverines roll over Buckeyes". Minneapolis Star & Tribune. November 24, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search".
↑ "Ohio State defense peels Brigham Young in Citrus". The Charlotte Observer. December 29, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ 1986 Ohio State Football Media Guide

[1] "1985 Ohio State Buckeyes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 3, 2025.

[stat-2] 1 2 "1985 Ohio State Buckeyes Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 3, 2025.

[3] "Bo Jackson, Sooner Casillas Head 60th UPI All-America Team". Tyrone Daily Herald. December 12, 1985. p. 7.

[4] "NEA 1985 All-America football team". Lead (SD) Daily Call. December 6, 1985. p. 7.

[5] "Soph White, Station, Unanimous Choices". Toledo Blade (AP story). December 3, 1985. p. 33.

[6] "Long nips Everett for UPI first team". The Indianapolis Star. November 26, 1985. p. 22.

[7] "Long Nips Everett For Spot On All-Big Ten First Team". Logansport Pharos-Tribune. November 26, 1985. p. 10.

[8] "Buckeyes nip Pitt". The Times Recorder. September 15, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[nomtch-9] "CU no match for Ohio State". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. September 22, 1985. p. 4B.

[10] "Bucks romp 48–32". The Times Recorder. September 29, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[11] "Late Illini FG tips Ohio St". The Miami Herald. October 6, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[12] "Woolridge making OSU forget Byars". The Ironton Tribune. October 13, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[13] "Byars leads OSU, 41–27". The Plain Dealer. October 20, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[14] "Backs' injuries make Ohio State's victory a costly one". The Akron Beacon Journal. October 27, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[15] "No. 1 Hawkeyes stunned by inspired OSU, 22–13". The Daily Nonpareil. November 3, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[16] "Karsatos has big passing day as Bucks win 8th". The Tribune. November 10, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[17] "Wisconsin upsets Ohio State". Wisconsin State Journal. November 17, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[18] "Wolverines roll over Buckeyes". Minneapolis Star & Tribune. November 24, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[19] "Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search".

[20] "Ohio State defense peels Brigham Young in Citrus". The Charlotte Observer. December 29, 1985. Retrieved April 18, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

[RecordBook-21] 1986 Ohio State Football Media Guide

[1]


1	11:03	OSU	Rich Spangler 28-yard field goal	OSU 3-0

1	0:02	OSU	Safety, Sonny Gordan blocked punt out of end zone	OSU 5-0

2	9:06	OSU	John Woolridge 57-yard run (Spangler kick)	OSU 12-0

2	5:00	OSU	Rich Spangler 26-yard field goal	OSU 15-0

2	0:28	Iowa	Ronnie Harmon 3-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)	OSU 15-7

4	11:39	OSU	Vince Workman 4-yard run (Spangler kick)	OSU 22-7

4	8:19	Iowa	David Hudson 2-yard run (Kevin Harmon run failed)	OSU 22-13