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How did Ohio State not win the 2015 national title?
- Updated: April 29, 2016
11:12 AM ET
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The record books were under assault at nearly every turn since they arrived on campus, so it should hardly have come as a surprise that some of the most-decorated players in Ohio State’s history would make a little more history at the NFL draft.
Obviously with months of speculation about just how many Buckeyes would be selected in the first round, there wasn’t much to be shocked about when five of them heard their names called and opened the floodgates for what could be an all-time bumper crop of draftees from a school in a single season.
After the seniors won 50 games during their careers and, along with the draft-eligible juniors, claimed the inaugural national championship in the College Football Playoff era in 2014. They kept right on leaving their legacy by taking over the scouting combine, drawing an overflowing crowd to their pro day and then tying the mark for players invited to attend the draft in person.
The loss to Michigan State, including the 12 carries for Ezekiel Elliott, derailed a chance for Ohio State to repeat as national champion. Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
That’s just scratching the surface of everything they accomplished over the last three or four seasons, though Thursday night did once again stir up one lingering question: How exactly did the Buckeyes fail to repeat in 2015?
Those players didn’t control everything that happened and there is certainly nothing at all to be ashamed about after going 12-1, finishing No. 4 in the country and winning the Fiesta Bowl to cap a career. But for every player drafted in the first round, here’s a look back at just how Ohio State’s bid to go back to back came up short.
1. An all-time fluky finish: The fans at the Horseshoe may have reveled in the demise of hated rival Michigan when an incredibly wild finish on a botched punt in the closing seconds gift-wrapped a win for Michigan State. But that one play ultimately came back to bite the Buckeyes, who would have won the Big …
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