It was a record-breaking and trend-bucking season for Ohio State. The Buckeyes, for the first time since at least 1950, threw the ball more than they ran it in 2021, leaning heavily on the trio of Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson to generate yardage. The Buckeye defense set some records too, though not those that Ohio State would like to honor or remember. Let’s take a look at the stats that defined the season in Columbus.
- Stroud’s 4,435 passing yards and 44 touchdowns are both good for second in a single season at Ohio State, trailing Dwayne Haskins in both categories. His yardage total is more than 1,000 yards greater than the No. 3 season on the list, which belongs to Joe Germaine, who passed for 3,330 yards in 1998.
- Smith-Njigba owns the single season and single game records for both receptions and yards. He hauled in 95 passes, edging out Parris Campbell’s 90, and pulled in 15 receptions in two separate games to beat out David Boston’s record of 14, set in 1997 against Penn State. Smith-Njigba edged out Boston as well for the single season yardage mark with 1,606 to Boston’s 1,435, while his 347 yards in the Rose Bowl easily earned him the single game record over Terry Glenn’s 253 against Pitt in 1995. Olave, meanwhile, now owns the career record for touchdowns with 35.
- Noah Ruggles’ 95.2 percent field goal percentage is the best in school history for a single season, and puts him easily atop the school’s career list as well.
- The Buckeye defense allowed at least 40 points in back to back games for the first time in program history to end the season, though it did manage to win one of them (Utah) for just the fifth time in 36 such games.
- Ohio State’s 20 rushes against Utah were the second fewest in a single game since 1965, when the Buckeyes ran only 17 times against Michigan State.
- Ronnie Hickman was the first Buckeye to record 100 tackles in a season since Raekwon McMillan in 2016.
- Stroud’s 54 passes against Oregon and Nebraska are tied for second-most in a single game in school history.
- His 37 completions against Utah is also tied for second-most in a single game.
- Ohio State’s 494 passing attempts is the second-most in school history for a season, again behind 2018.
- The Buckeyes averaged 380.9 passing yards per game, which is a new school record. The team’s 70.6 completion rate is tied for the best with 2018.
- The Buckeyes averaged 8.0 yards per play, easily beating out 2020’s 7.3 for the top spot in program history.
- At 561.5 yards per game, Ohio State owns the top spot there as well, edging out the 2018 squad’s 535.6, which was a Big Ten record.
- Ohio State’s defense allowed 3,200 passing yards on 61.6 percent completion rate, with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The closest player to those numbers in college football this season is Appalachian State’s Chase Brice.
