2010 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 2010 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented The Ohio State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus , Ohio . They were members of the Big Ten Conference . They finished the season 13 – 1 and 7 – 1 in Big Ten play , and as co - conference champions with Michigan State and Wisconsin . The Buckeyes earned a BCS berth for the sixth consecutive year . They were invited to the Sugar Bowl where they defeated Arkansas , 31 – 26 . It would have been the school ' s first win in a bowl game against a team from the Southeastern Conference , having lost its previous nine such contests . On July 8 , 2011 , in the wake of NCAA violations , Ohio State vacated all of its victories , as well as the conference and Sugar Bowl championships , from the 2010 season as self - imposed sanctions . Before the season . Previous season . The Buckeyes entered the 2010 football season coming off of an 11 – 2 season and going 7 – 1 in the Big Ten . Ohio State lost to USC and Purdue in the 2009 football season , preventing them from going to the BCS National Championship Game . However with a late season run , the Buckeyes finished as the outright Big Ten champions and won the 2010 Rose Bowl over the Oregon Ducks 26 – 17 . Ohio State entered the 2010 season ranked # 2 in the coaches poll . 2010 NFL Draft . Unsigned seniors . 13 Amos , Andre CB 6 - 1 183 Sr . Middletown , Ohio ( Middletown ) 86 Ballard , Jake TE 6 - 6 256 Sr . Springboro , Ohio ( Springboro ) - UDFA : New York Giants 64 Cordle , Jim C 6 - 4 297 Sr . Lancaster , Ohio ( Lancaster ) - UDFA : New York Giants 92 Denlinger , Todd DL 6 - 2 292 Sr . Troy , Ohio ( Troy ) 33 Gantz , Joe RB 6 - 0 199 Sr . Wooster , Ohio ( Wooster ) 57 Ingham , Tom DE 6 - 1 243 Sr . Centerville , Ohio ( Centerville ) 66 Moses , Andrew OL 6 - 3 280 Sr . Dublin , Ohio ( Bishop Watterson ) 20 Pettrey , Aaron K 6 - 2 199 Sr . Raceland , Ky . ( Raceland - Worthington ) 83 Potokar , Dan WR 6 - 0 180 Sr . Grove City , Ohio ( Grove City ) 9 Rose , Robert DL 6 - 5 285 Sr . Cleveland , Ohio ( Glenville ) - UDFA : Miami Dolphins 21 Russell , Anderson DB 6 - 0 205 Sr . Atlanta , Ga . ( Marist ) - UDFA : Washington Redskins 82 Small , Ray WR 5 - 11 180 Sr . Cleveland , Ohio ( Glenville ) - UDFA : Indianapolis Colts via Minnesota Vikings 48 Thoma , Jon P 6 - 2 201 Sr . Louisville , Ohio ( St . Thomas Aquinas ) 24 Williams , Marcus RB 5 - 10 202 Sr . Ironton , Ohio ( Ironton ) 87 Wilson , Lawrence DL 6 - 4 274 Sr . Akron , Ohio ( St . Vincent - St . Mary High School ) NFL Draft early entries . Thaddeus Gibson - Junior Redshirt Defensive End - Round : 4 / Pick : 116 - Pittsburgh Steelers Transfers out . Lamaar Thomas - Sophomore Wide Receiver ( New Mexico ) Rocco Pentello - Redshirt Sophomore Safety ( Ashland ) Duron Carter - Sophomore Wide Receiver ( Coffeyville Community College ) Transfers in . None Regular season . Marshall . In their first night game season opener since 2003 , the Ohio State Buckeyes began the 2010 season playing the Marshall Thundering Herd . Ohio State worked early , recovering a fumble by Marshall on the opening kickoff and eventually scoring on a 6 yard pass from Terrelle Pryor less than two minutes into the game . After a Marshall three and out , the Buckeyes again worked quickly scoring another touchdown , and within the first five minutes of the game , Ohio State led Marshall 14 – 0 . Marshall came back late in the first quarter with a field goal block and return by Ahmed Shakoor , closing the gap to one touchdown . However , after that touchdown , Ohio State took control heading into halftime . A 65 yard touchdown pass to Dane Sanzenbacher , a 45 yard run by Brandon Saine and an interception return with 2 : 58 to go in the second quarter , allowed the Buckeyes to go into halftime with 35 - 7 lead . With the start of the third quarter , Ohio State scored their final touchdown , an 11 yard pass to DeVier Posey . Pryor left the game in the middle of the fourth quarter along with many other starters . Devin Barclay hit a 34 yard field goal and ended the scoring of the Buckeyes . Ohio State won the game 45 – 7 ( victory vacated ) , beginning their 2010 season with a record of 1 – 0 . Miami ( FL ) . Ohio State entered their 2010 game against Miami ( FL ) with memories of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl in which Ohio State won their last national championship . The game began with good defense by both teams , with no points scored in the beginning of the 1st quarter . However , Devin Barclay broke the scoreless tie with a field goal late in the first quarter . Miami then ran back the kickoff following the field goal to give them the lead , which they would later add to with a field goal in the second quarter , giving them a 10 – 3 lead . Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes drove down the field and within three plays , scored a touchdown to tie the game . The second quarter saw plentiful scoring by both teams . After the Ohio State touchdown , the Buckeyes added a field goal and a touchdown by Dan Herron . Miami , after falling behind 20 – 10 , returned a punt for a touchdown which brought them within three points . After two more field goals by Ohio State , the Buckeyes went into halftime with a 26 – 17 lead . Through interceptions by Jacory Harris the Buckeyes would score a touchdown and eventually get a field goal and head into the fourth quarter with a 36 – 17 lead . An early touchdown by Miami in the fourth quarter capped the scoring , with a final score of 36 – 24 . ( victory vacated ) Ohio State continued their streak of winning games against ranked teams , now at five , going back to the 2009 season . Barclay tied an Ohio State record in the game , kicking five field goals . 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter - - - - Ohio . Ohio State entered the 2010 matchup with the Ohio Bobcats coming off an emotional victory over Miami ( FL ) . Ohio State broke the game open with an early turnover which resulted in an Ohio State field goal . After a good defensive stop , Ohio State drove down the field again to score and gave the Buckeyes a 10 – 0 lead . Throughout the first half , Ohio turned over the ball and allowed Ohio State to receive good field position . By the end of the first quarter Ohio State led the game 17 – 0 . Throughout the rest of the first half , Ohio State maintained their shut - out lead on the Bobcats , scoring a field goal and two touchdowns . Going into halftime , Ohio State held a 34 – 0 lead , their largest of the first three games of the season . Ohio State began subbing in second - string players throughout the second half . The Buckeyes scored a safety on a Cameron Heyward tackle . However , bad special teams play continued for the Buckeyes with a blocked punt late in the third quarter . Ohio was able to score a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to give them their first points of the day . Ohio State continued their dominance in the early going of the season , beating Ohio 43 – 7 and moving to 3 – 0 ( all subsequently vacated ) . Pryor set an Ohio State record by completing 16 consecutive passes . 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Eastern Michigan . Ohio State played their fourth consecutive home game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles ending their 2010 non - conference schedule . Ohio State scored early and often , with Terrelle Pryor rushing for a touchdown and connecting with Dane Sanzenbacher for another in the first quarter , and also adding points with a Dan Herron rushing touchdown and a Devin Barclay field goal , putting the Buckeyes up 24 – 0 at the end of the first quarter . In the second , the Eagles scored twice on a Dwayne Priest run and a touchdown pass by Alex Gillett to Kinsman Thomas . However Ohio State responded , and Sanzenbacher caught two more passes from Pryor for touchdowns , and at the end of the first half the Buckeyes led 38 – 14 . The second half saw the Buckeyes pull away , scoring five more touchdowns including another Pryor - to - Sanzenbacher connection , and redshirt freshman Jaamal Berry ' s first collegiate touchdown . The end of the third quarter saw the Ohio State second and third string players enter the game . However , Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes did not relent . In the end Buckeyes won the rout 73 – 20 , the most points scored by Ohio State in 60 years and the most ever by a team coached by Jim Tressel . Sanzenbacher tied an Ohio State record with four touchdown receptions . Pryor had six touchdowns on the day ; four passing , one rushing , and one receiving . Ohio State ended their 2010 non - conference schedule with a record of 4 – 0 ( all subsequently vacated ) , staying in the national championship hunt . 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Illinois . The Ohio State Buckeyes began their Big Ten schedule with their first road game of the year , against the Illinois Fighting Illini . Illinois began the scoring with a quarterback run by Nathan Scheelhaase . Ohio State answered with an 8 yard touchdown pass from Terrelle Pryor to Brandon Saine , and the teams were tied at 7 after the first quarter . In the second , Derek Dimke hit a 27 yard field goal for the Fighting Illini to give them a 10 – 7 lead , but Ohio State came back with a touchdown reception by Dane Sanzenbacher . Pryor was briefly knocked from the game with a leg injury , and though he returned , he was limited for the rest of the game . Illinois closed the gap to four points , but Ohio State clinched the win with a touchdown run by Dan Herron late in the fourth quarter , and defeated Illinois 24 – 13 ( victory vacated ) , retaining the Illibuck trophy . 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 4th Quarter Indiana . In their second Big Ten conference matchup of the 2010 season , the # 2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes faced the Indiana Hoosiers . From the beginning of the game , Ohio State opened up on the run following Terrelle Pryor ' s injury in the previous game . Dan Herron scored on a 39 yard touchdown run within the first five minutes of the game which began a first half of many scores for Ohio State . Pryor connected with one of the most productive quarterback - to - wide receiver combos in 2010 with a touchdown pass to Dane Sanzenbacher . Entering the second quarter , Ohio State led the Indiana Hoosiers 14 – 0 . However , the Buckeyes were not done scoring and quickly scored on Brandon Saine 60 yard touchdown run , and a touchdown pass from Pryor to DeVier Posey . With the seconds in the first half waining down , Ohio State connected on a field goal by Devin Barclay to extend their halftime lead to 31 – 0 . With the beginning of the second half Ohio State scored after a defensive stop , a touchdown pass to Herron , Ohio State ' s last score of the day . Indiana overcame the Ohio State defense with the second - string coming into the game . Indiana scored on a field goal late in the third quarter and a touchdown in the fourth . Ohio State won the game 38 – 10 extending their winning streak and moving to 6 – 0 ( 0 – 0 after victories were vacated ) . This would have been coach Jim Tressel ' s 100th win at Ohio State . 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter - - - - Wisconsin . The top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes entered the 2010 matchup with the # 18 Wisconsin Badgers , hoping to build on 6 – 0 record . Jim Tressel entered the game 4 – 3 against Wisconsin , having won three consecutive matchups . However , there were signs of trouble in all of them ; in 2007 , the Buckeyes trailed 17 - 10 on their home field before defense and special teams sparked an eventual Ohio State win . In 2008 , the Buckeyes needed an interception on Wisconsin ' s final drive , when Wisconsin had a chance to win or tie the game down 20 - 17 . In 2009 , a hideous offensive performance by the Buckeyes led to the Badgers dominating Ohio State on offense , but a pair of defensive touchdowns and a kick return for a score saved the Buckeyes from being upset on their home field . Trouble began for the Buckeyes on the opening kickoff ; David Gilreath sprinted 97 yards for a touchdown to give the Badgers a 7 - 0 lead . Offensively , the Buckeyes struggled early with no real production on drives throughout the first quarter . With the Wisconsin defense clamping down and the Badger offense successfully running the ball on Ohio State ' s defense , Wisconsin jumped out to a 21 – 0 lead midway through the second quarter via a pair of John Clay touchdown carries . Buckeye LB Andrew Sweat intercepted Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien , but the Ohio State offense was stopped on the Wisconsin goal - line and had to settle for a field goal . On a later drive into Wisconsin territory , a missed field goal by Ohio State kicker Devin Barclay kept the score 21 – 3 at the end of the first half . The Buckeyes drove down the field on their first drive of the second half and scored on a 13 yard run by RB Dan Herron , making the score 21 – 10 . A stop by the Ohio State defense led to another touchdown drive by the Buckeyes , who scored on another Dan Herron touchdown . Ohio State converted the ensuing two point conversion , which brought the Buckeyes within three points of a tie , the score being 21 – 18 Wisconsin . However , Badger QB Scott Tolzien led the Badgers on a long drive , punctuated by a 12 yard touchdown run by James White , making the score 28 – 18 in favor of Wisconsin . After another unsuccessful drive by Ohio State , the Badgers added a field goal to their lead , making the score 31 – 18 . On Ohio State ' s final drive of the game , Terrelle Pryor threw an interception to Wisconsin LB Blake Sorensen to seal the huge Wisconsin upset . The loss snapped Jim Tressel ' s 3 game winning streak against Wisconsin from 2007 to 2009 and dropped Tressel to 4 – 4 against Wisconsin overall . 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter - - - - Purdue . Following a loss to the Wisconsin Badgers the previous week , the 6 – 1 Ohio State Buckeyes entered the game placed second in the Big Ten and facing a team in the Purdue Boilermakers who accomplished an upset victory over the Buckeyes in 2009 . Within the first five minutes of the ballgame , Ohio State jumped out to an early 7 – 0 lead on the Boilermakers with a Dan Herron 10 yard touchdown run . Another Herron run would give the Buckeyes a 14 – 0 lead at the end of the first quarter . Defensive stops and a good running and passing game gave the Buckeyes an advantage heading into the second quarter where Jordan Hall scored a touchdown run , and DeVier Posey , Dane Sanzenbacher , and Corey Brown all received touchdown receptions from quarterback Terrelle Pryor . At halftime of this homecoming game , Ohio State held a commanding 42 – 0 lead . Both teams exchanged possessions throughout the third and fourth quarter with the Ohio State second and third string players entering the game . In the middle of the fourth quarter , backup quarter Joe Bauserman completed a touchdown reception to make the final score of the ballgame 49 – 0 ( victory vacated ) . The Buckeyes pounded Purdue on offense , and the 2010 Buckeye defense pitched their first shutout of the season . 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 4th Quarter - - - - Minnesota . With the Ohio State Buckeyes struggling through their prior two away games of the season , Ohio State entered the 2010 matchup against the Minnesota Golden Gophers hoping to stay on top of the Big Ten race . Like the previous games , Ohio State started slow with the offense driving down the field in five minutes and the Minnesota offense countering the attack with a touchdown of their own . On their second possession , Ohio State drove down the field on another time consuming drive scoring on a Brandon Saine reception from Terrelle Pryor . With the game staying close throughout the first quarter , Ohio State began to slowly pull away after a missed field goal on Minnesota ' s second drive . The second quarter saw the Buckeyes score on a 23 yard field goal , a Dan Herron touchdown run , and a DeVier Posey 38 yard reception . At halftime , Ohio State led the rout of Minnesota by a score of 31 – 7 . Minnesota opened up the second half with a long drive down the field and a field goal , making the game a 31 – 10 affair with Ohio State holding the lead . From the middle of the third quarter on , it was all the Buckeyes . A blocked punt recovered in the end zone for a touchdown and a Jordon Hall touchdown run brought the Ohio State lead to 45 – 10 . The game finished off with the backups coming in for Ohio State and another defensive touchdown . The final score of the game was 52 – 10 bringing Ohio State to an 8 – 1 record on the season ( 0 – 1 after victories were vacated ) and 4 – 1 record in the Big Ten ( 0 – 1 with vacated victories ) , keeping them in the Big Ten race . 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter - - - - Penn State . Following an off week , the # 9 - ranked Ohio State Buckeyes took the field against their rivals in the Penn State Nittany Lions . The game began with a good first drive by the Buckeyes , who on 7 plays got down to the Penn State goal line ; however they were only able to get a field goal out of the drive . It would be Penn State who would dominate the Buckeye defense and the field for the rest of the first half . Penn State responded quickly halfway through the first quarter , scoring on a McGloin touchdown , giving Penn State the lead . During the second quarter , an early touchdown pass from McGloin to Moye gave Penn State a 14 – 3 lead and eyeing an upset as they headed to halftime with the same score . Following the touchdown with 11 minutes in the second quarter , Penn State was shut out by the Buckeye defense . The Ohio State team which came out in the beginning of the third quarter was much different than the team that went in at halftime . The Ohio State offense caught fire and scored a touchdown midway through the third quarter and scored another touchdown on a Devon Torrence interception for a touchdown . Ohio State began pulling away in the fourth quarter on a catch by Dane Sanzenbacher and an interception returned for a touchdown . A Jake Stoneburner reception for a touchdown ended the scoring by both teams and made the final score 38 – 14 in favor of the Ohio State Buckeyes ( victory vacated ) . 1st quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter - - - - Iowa . In a rematch of the Big Ten championship game from a year prior , the # 9 Ohio State Buckeyes met the # 20 Iowa Hawkeyes which the Buckeyes had to win to keep in the Big Ten championship race . The Hawkeye defense shut down the Buckeyes until the second quarter . It would be Ricky Stanzi who drove down the field for the first score of the game , giving the Hawkeyes a 7 – 0 lead on Senior Day . The Buckeyes still struggled to move the ball as they were only able to score an 18 yard field goal , their only points of the first half . A defensive game was set up as the two teams went to halftime with Iowa holding a 7 – 3 lead . The Buckeyes scored their first touchdown on their second possession of the third quarter with a Terrelle Pryor touchdown reception giving the Buckeyes their first lead of the game , 10 – 7 . Iowa countered the score with a field goal bringing the game back to a tie heading into the fourth quarter . A Pryor interception gave way to an Iowa touchdown midway through the fourth quarter and the Hawkeyes taking control of the game with a 17 – 10 lead . The Buckeyes were only able to score on a 48 yard field goal , shortening Iowa ' s led to four points . With a defensive stop by the Buckeyes , it was up to the Ohio State offensive to make a comeback to win the game . On 4th and 10 , it was Terrelle Pryor who would give Ohio State life by running for the 1st down , which kept a good drive alive . Ohio State ended up scoring on a Dan Herron run and took the lead 20 - 17 with less than two minutes in the game . Following a defensive stop , the Buckeyes were able to win the ballgame and keep themselves in the Big Ten championship race ( victories and share of Big Ten title vacated ) . Michigan . The Buckeyes ended their regular season against their archrivals , the Michigan Wolverines . Ohio State wore uniforms that paid tribute to the 1942 national championship team , which was honored before the game . After a scoreless first quarter in which Michigan ' s defense proved more resilient than expected , the Buckeyes broke through first on a 33 yard field goal by Devin Barclay . Ohio State added to their lead with Terrelle Pryor ' s seven - yard touchdown pass to Dane Sanzenbacher . The Wolverines closed the gap to 10 – 7 on Michael Shaw ' s 1 yard run , but Jordan Hall returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards , and the Buckeyes remained in control . They added two more touchdowns and two more field goals , and Ohio State trounced Michigan 37 – 7 ( victory vacated ) . With the win , the Buckeyes finished the season at 11 – 1 , clinching a share of the Big Ten title . This season marked the 6th consecutive season in which Ohio State won or tied for the conference lead . The Buckeyes also set a new school mark with their seventh consecutive victory against the Wolverines , the longest streak for Ohio State since the rivalry was first played in 1897 . Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel was 9 – 1 against Michigan ( 8 – 1 after the victory was vacated ) . After the 2010 season , an NCAA investigation was launched into rules violations by Ohio State , which included allegations that Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel knowingly played ineligible players during several 2010 games , including the Michigan game . The NCAA investigation , which resulted in Tressel ' s resignation , is ongoing and may lead to sanctions , including vacating Ohio State ' s 2010 victory over Michigan . For this reason , the " Columbus Dispatch " reported in May 2011 that Ohio State had delayed the award of its traditional " gold pants " charms for the 2010 victory over Michigan . 2011 Sugar Bowl . Arkansas . The Ohio State Buckeyes headed to the Superdome to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks . The Buckeyes came into the game 0 - 9 against the SEC in bowl games . The Buckeyes struck first , with Dane Sanzenbacher recovering a fumble in the end zone after Terrelle Pryor fumbled on the 3 yard line . Immediately following the score , Jim Tressel took a gamble and attempted an off - side kick that Arkansas recovered at the 50 - yard line . With a short field , Arkansas struck back with Ryan Mallett connecting with Joe Adams on a 17 yard pass . Dan Herron added a 9 yard run , and Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey caught touchdown passes of 15 and 43 yards respectively to give the Buckeyes a big lead . Zach Hocker hit a 20 yard field goal as time expired and the Razorbacks were down 28 - 10 at the half . In the third quarter , Hocker and Devin Barclay traded field goals , and then the momentum shifted towards Arkansas . Mallett connected with Jarius Wright for a touchdown , then made the two - point conversion on a pass to D . J . Williams to pull within ten . The Razorbacks closed the gap further in the fourth , on a safety by Jake Bequette and another field goal by Hocker . With just over a minute left , Arkansas blocked Ohio State ' s punt and recovered on the 18 yard line . However , Mallett ' s first pass was incomplete and then his next pass was intercepted . The Buckeyes then ran out the clock and won , 31 - 26 . This was Ohio State ' s first bowl win over an SEC opponent , but it was later vacated , along with all the regular season victories , due to NCAA violation . After the season . Ohio State entered the 2010 season as the # 2 ranked team in the nation with expectations high on winning a sixth straight Big Ten championship , and possibly a national championship . Ohio State began the season 6 - 0 and was eventually ranked # 1 in the nation following an Alabama loss . However , Wisconsin defeated the Buckeyes and gave them their first and only loss of the season . While the loss put an end to Ohio State ' s national championship hopes , the Buckeyes were still able to capture a sixth straight conference championship and win a seventh straight victory over arch - rival Michigan . This allowed Ohio State to earn a BCS berth in the Sugar Bowl where they defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks to win their second consecutive BCS bowl . The 2010 Buckeyes finished the season 12 - 1 and 7 - 1 in conference play , as well as finishing ranked # 5 in both the AP and Coaches poll . The first five games of the season will be played without the participation of five players : Terrelle Pryor , Devier Posey , Mike Adams , Solomon Thomas , and Boom Herron were part of a scandal that involved selling memorabillia to the owner of a Columbus tattoo parlor . On March 8 , 2011 , it was reported that Tressel knew about it as early as April 2010 through an anonymous e - mail . As of result , Tressel received a two - game suspension for failing to notify authorities of the players ' wrongdoings . Tressel later decided to sit out the first five games in order to allow him to face the adversity with the five players . On May 30 , 2011 , Tressel tendered his resignation from the head coaching position . Assistant head coach Luke Fickell , who was to take over during Tressel ' s suspension , was named interim head coach . On June 8 , returning starting Quarterback Terrelle Pryor announced his intention to forgo his senior season , " in the best interest of [ his ] teammates , " in light of his suspension and ongoing investigation by the NCAA .