The 2002 season in Columbus was the most exhilarating for Buckeye fans in 34 years. Ohio State won its seventh national championship, but its first since 1968 in Jim Tressel's second season as OSU head coach.

The Buckeyes set a new NCAA Division I record for wins in a season, sporting a perfect 14-0 record. After defeating rival Michigan 14-9 in the regular season finale, Ohio State stunned the college football world with an upset over top ranked and heavily favored University of Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

The game was a perfect nail-biting microcosm of OSU's 2002 campaign. No less than seven games that year were decided by a touchdown or less, including the first two overtime games in school history. The Fiesta Bowl needed two overtime sessions, before the Buckeyes weathered the Hurricanes' storm in a 31-24 instant classic.

Despite a roster loaded with underclassmen, the leadership provided by 13 seniors carried Ohio State all season long. Four games ended with the opposition knocking at the door of the Buckeyes' end zone, but each of those opportunities went unanswered.

Perhaps the most astute move by Coach Tressel that season was allowing sophomore Chris Gamble to play both offense and defense. Against Penn State, Gamble became the first Buckeye in nearly 30 years to start on both sides of the ball.