The Ohio State football team entered the 2002 season having won only 21 of its last 36 games, with a second-year-but highly successful in Division I-AA-coach, a quarterback who had one touchdown pass and one complete game-but had a win over Michigan-in his first two years, and a freshman running back. But, they had a potentially productive kicking game, a solid defense-led by a two-time All-American who had a mission to win a national championship-and a big-play receiver returning.
All of these meshed into a perfect 14-0 season, with seven of the 14 wins by seven points or less, including the dramatic 31-24 double-overtime win over Miami for the national championship, their first since 1968.