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Ohio State

One Buckeyes play makes ESPN list of top 25 plays from last 25 years

Spencer-Holbrookby: Spencer Holbrook06/11/25SpencerHolbrook
Ohio State Helmet
Mick Walker | Lettermen Row

COLUMBUS — Ohio State has been one of the top programs in all of college football for decades — especially in the last 25 years of the sport.

The Athletic recently named the Buckeyes the top college football program of the last 25 years, named one Ohio State player among the top 25 players from that time frame and even listed a couple of Buckeyes teams among the best of that span.

So when ESPN put out it’s list of the top 25 individual plays of the last 25 years, Ohio State was always going to be involved. But the one play ESPN chose was not the one you’d expect.

No, it wasn’t Ezekiel Elliott’s 85 Yards Through the Heart of the South in the 2015 Sugar Bowl win over Alabama on the way to the national title game, Curtis Samuel’s walk-off touchdown to beat Michigan in double overtime of The Game in 2016 or even Will Howard’s throw to Jeremiah Smith in January to seal the national championship game.

ESPN decided that the best Buckeyes play of the last 25 years — and the 10th-best play of the last 25 years overall — was the called pass interference penalty against Miami (FL)’s Glenn Sharpe on a fourth-and-3 play in overtime when Ohio State was losing 24-17 that kept the 2002 national championship game going. Ohio State went on to score a touchdown and then score again in double overtime before stopping Miami and winning the 2002 national championship.

The 2013 Kick Six from Auburn against Alabama was ESPN’s top play of the last 25 years. Notably, the blocked field goal that sealed Appalachian State to beat Michigan in 2007 and the muffed punt by Michigan against Michigan State in 2015 were also on the list — both in the top 10.

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