We’ve been going through a series here at Buckeyes Wire. It’s a debate on which Ohio State football player is the best to wear specific jersey numbers, and we’re now cruising along to No. 12.
Before we get into all the fun, here’s an update on where we stand with all the jersey numbers we’ve debated to date:
Jersey No. 1 | Jersey No. 2 | Jersey No. 3 | Jersey No. 4 | Jersey No. 5 | Jersey No. 6 | Jersey No. 7 | Jersey No. 8 | Jersey No. 9 | Jersey No. 10 | Jersey No. 11
We’re doing this because while things are beginning to slowly open up, we’re all still a little stir crazy from getting cabin fever due to the measures put in place to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Thank goodness for The Last Dance documentary about Michael Jordan. By the way, he’s the G.O.A.T., not LeBron.
But we digress. In the long, illustrious history of Ohio State football, there is sure to be some disagreement, but that only makes it more fun.
We will continue to keep going along his journey through the summer and will have the results of all of these polls further down the road.
Okay, Mark, you know the drill …
Next … Mark’s thoughts
Contact/Follow Mark Russell
Okay – this may not be the highly educated choice when looking purely at stats, but… “we ain’t come here to do school…” That’s right – my pick for the greatest ever to wear No. 12 in Ohio State history, none other than Cardale Jones.
To be fair, Cardale tweeted the quib about college classes as a youngster. He would however, make things right by not only getting his degree from The Ohio State University, but shunning the NFL and returning to school for his senior year to do so. That gave him points in my mind, but it was a three game stretch at the end of his junior season that secured his place in history.
You all know it well. JT Barrett, a legit Heisman candidate, goes down with a broken leg in the middle of the Michigan game. Enter Cardale Jones. He wasn’t asked to do much in that game. Just get the ball to Zeke and get out of the way.
But it was the final three games that would define his Buckeye legacy. He and the Bucks beat Wisconsin and beat them convincingly 59-0 to even get a sniff from the playoff committee. Yes, Elliott was the workhorse, but let’s not forget how Jones opened up the field by stunning the Badgers with big scoring strikes ending the game with 257 yards and three passing TDs.
12-Gauge would follow that up with what many OSU fans will call one of the most satisfying wins in program history, knocking off No. 1 Alabama and Nick Saban. Jones would throw for 243 and a score, but he also moved the ball with his feet, seemingly running over Tide defenders left and right. Cue the Ducks of Oregon and it was more of the same as Zeke continued to run wild and Cardale did what was asked of him to bring home the eighth national title in school history.
I know it’s a pretty small sample, but those three games, coming off the bench as a third-string QB to win a national championship gives Jones the nod over some other really talented Buckeyes.
Next … Brock’s turn
Contact/Follow Brock Netter
Ok, Mark. I hear you. There’s actually a little competition for No. 12, unlike 11, 10 or 9. And it’s always great to have options.
But it has to be Michael Jenkins.
He is still the school all-time leaders in receiving yards with 2,898 yards, and third all-time in catches with 165. Also, fun little fact, he’s the last Buckeye receiver to tally over 1,000 yards in a season.
At 6-foot-4, Jenkins was a mismatch for opposing corners but still possessed speed to go deep and beat man-to-man coverage. Hence why he was the team’s leading receiver in all three years as a starter. Of course he’s most remembered for the ‘Holy Buckeye’ reception on 4th-and-1 at Purdue to save the season at the time.
Although he was never a first-team Big Ten selection (which is weird), he was a second-team selection and a National Champion. Jenkins was eventually a first-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons and played eight seasons in the NFL.
Next … Phil’s call
Contact/Follow Phil Harrison
Okay, good rationale on both. Maybe nobody wearing No. 12 meant more to Ohio State than Cardale Jones did during that three-game confetti party at the end of the 2014 season. However, Jenkins is hard to ignore for the stats and big moments he put up during his career at Ohio State.
I have to side with Brock though. All Ohio State fans that were around at the time remember “Holy Buckeye” well. I was working at the produce department at a well-known grocery chain at the time and took time to go back to the break room and catch the end of that game. I think all the screaming and commotion made some bananas go bad.
Those that weren’t around to experience that play have no doubt seen it played several times over as an all-time great moment in OSU history. Another play I remember though that doesn’t get the credit it deserves is the 4th and 14 conversion against Miami in overtime of the Fiesta Bowl. That clutch route and catch kept a national championship alive.
Anyway, as Brock points out, statistically speaking, Jenkins is one of the best receivers in Ohio State history, and for that, and for the big pass plays we remember him hauling in, I give the nod to him.
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