Ohio State Football: Will more than one Buckeye be in Top 25?

Six former Ohio State football players were ranked among the 26 through 150 greats of all time. One will be added in the top 25 and could another be?

I’m a bit surprised some former Ohio State football players I will mention weren’t included among the first 125 players on the ESPN list. I doubt many more will make the Top 25, but a couple may and one certainly will.

I’ll look at Buckeyes who should have been considered as Top 150 players but more than likely won’t make the Top 25, and look at those who may be.

I think three Heisman Trophy winners will be left out. If Tim Tebow, with two national championships under his belt, was only ranked No. 76 it’s difficult to believe Vic Janowicz, Les Horvath and Troy Smith will be in the Top 25.

Woody Hayes’ first two great fullbacks Bob Ferguson and Jim Otis will probably be left off the list even though they were two of the best ball carriers in their era. Voters who never watched them play probably only looked at the numbers and didn’t consider the era.

I was too young to watch Ferguson but I saw Otis run over defenders when the Buckeyes won the 1968 National Championship and then become Woody’s first 1,000-yard rusher the following season.

I’m curious why Ezekiel Elliot was left out of the first 125 players. Could his back to back 1,800 yards rushing seasons and his unbelievable post-season run at the end of the 2014 season put him into the Top 25? Just a thought.

Now for two offensive linemen. Unfortunately John Hicks, one of the great tackles of the 70s, may be left out. However, one who played about three decades before may make the Top 25.

Not only was Bill Willis an important player in breaking the color barrier, he was one of the greatest linemen to play in college or the pros. He was inducted into both the College Football and NFL Halls of Fame.

I would be surprised if this great Ohio State lineman is left out.

While linebackers Randy Gradishar and Tom Cousineau should be listed among the top 150, I doubt they will. But another player who played in the middle may be in the Top 25.

Jim Stillwagen put his hand in the ground at nose guard when Woody played a 5-2 defense or at linebacker in the 4-3. He was one of the most dominant defensive players in college football from 1968 to 1970 when Ohio State won two national titles.

The biggest no-brainer for a player to make toe Top 25 is Archie Griffin. It’s just a matter of if he will be ranked No. 1 or not, and he should be.

That probably won’t be the case because those who never watched Archie play don’t realize his impact on the college game. He didn’t just set records, he smashed them.

His 5,589 yards rushing during his career has been surpassed by many but he was the first to gain over 5,000.

And talk about consistency, his 31 consecutive 100 yard rushing games is still a record. Oh yeah, Archie is the only player to win the Heisman Trophy twice.

Quite simply put, Archie Griffin is the best player who ever played college football.

Well, we know the great Ohio State running back will be included in the Top 25 greatest college players of all time. Will there be another one or two?