The Ohio State football program has had a lot of great players over the years. They have had All-Americans, Hall of Fame players, and Heisman Trophy winners. There has also been a long history of players who have been part of Big Ten winning teams in the past that deserve their due.
One of those players is Jim Karsatos. Karsatos was a quarterback back in the mid-1980s who helped lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to a share of the Big Ten championship in 1986 as the starter. That year, the Buckeyes shared the Big Ten title with Michigan.
Karsatos started for the Buckeyes in both 1985 and 1986. In addition to the Big Ten title that he led the Buckeyes to, he also beat Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Karsatos sadly passed away at the age of 61, according to some family members and ex-teammates.
Former Ohio State quarterback Jim Karsatos has died at 61
Karsatos has been living in San Diego and was recently hospitalized with a heart condition. Ultimately, he passed away due to that heart condition. He becomes the second captain of the 1986 team to pass away in the last couple of years after Sonny Gordon passed away in 2023 due to ALS.
This is a sad day for the Buckeye community. Karsatos was really good when he was quarterbacking the Buckeyes back in the day. He was an underrated player who was able to lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship. He's someone who shouldn't be lost to history.
Former Ohio State football players and coaches know how good Karsatos was when he was playing for the Buckeyes. In fact, former head coach Jim Tressel was actually an assistant on one of his teams. That's a pretty cool connection.
Our condolences go out to his family and friends in this trying time.