Ohio State football ‘Face of the Position’: What safety do you think of? Vote!

Which player in the entire history of Ohio State football do you think of when you think about safety. #GoBucks

We’re beginning to gear up for the football season here at Buckeyes Wire, and we’ve been going through a series over the past year of identifying the face of each position in OSU football history.

It’s aptly named, the “Face of the Position,” and it’s really exactly as it sounds. When you think of a position group at Ohio State, who do you think of? From quarterback to linebacker to placekicker and beyond, OSU has some of the most iconic and historical college football players that have taken their place among the best in the game.

However, one player stands out above all else when you shroud them behind the colors of scarlet and gray, and that’s where we are going to ask for your assistance.

We’ve already looked at the quarterback position, running backs, wide receiversoffensive linemen, tight ends, and defensive tackles. It’s now time to move to continue the look by nominating four safeties for you to choose from while asking you to vote on the winner via a Twitter poll.

We’ll keep voting up for five days, and at the end of it, we’ll reveal the winner of each when the series is complete. Make sure you scroll to the bottom to cast your vote from the nominees in a Twitter poll and feel free to write in a candidate if you think of another player.

Franco Harris: Hall of Fame running back passes away at 72

Harris’ final season in 1984 was spent as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

On Wednesday morning the NFL world awoke to the heartbreaking news that Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris passed away at the age of 72. Harris was one the most dominant running backs of the 1970’s, and became one of the faces of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ dynasty.

Although 11 of his 12 years in the NFL were with the Steelers, Harris’ final season in 1984 was spent as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Harris won four Super Bowls during the 70’s, and even took home MVP honors in Super Bowl IX. But what he will be remembered for is his role in the legendary Immaculate Reception.

The Immaculate Reception is easily the most iconic – and controversial – play in NFL history. Trailing the Oakland Raiders by a score of 7-6 with only 0:22 seconds left to play, the Steelers were facing 4th-and-10 at their own 40 yard line. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw, scrambling to avoid the sack, heaved the ball to Oakland’s 35 yard line, targeting Steelers running back John “Frenchy” Fuqua. What happened next is where history was made.

Fuqua was met immediately by Raiders safety Jack Tatum just as the ball got there. As the two players collided, the ball was bounced back and landed in the waiting arms of Franco Harris who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Harris then ran the ball for a touchdown to give the Steelers a 13-7 win.

What makes it so controversial is the question of who the ball actually touched first. In 1972, the rules at the time made it illegal for two offensive players to touch the football in succession. If the ball bounced off Raiders safety Jack Tatum, the play would have been fine. But if it hit Fuqua, the play should have been blown dead and ruled an incomplete pass. The film has been studied to an almost Zapruder-esque level, but 50 years later, it’s still just as unclear as ever.

Whatever the truth may be, the only thing that matters is it’s place in NFL history. The mystery and speculation surrounding the Immaculate Reception is part of what makes it so legendary.

The timing of death never great, but what will make hearts in the Steel City heavier is the fact the Steelers are going to be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. While Harris will unfortunately be unable to be apart of the festivities, he will be there in spirit. Fans across the country know Harris will live on in memory as long as football is played.

The story of the NFL cannot be told without the Immaculate Reception… or Franco Harris.

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ESPN names Ohio State DBU

ESPN says Ohio State is DBU. Ohio State calls its secondary BIA.

The talking heads at ESPN are at it again, debating who the best in college football is. This time it’s positional groups and who’s the cream of the crop all time. It was decided that Ohio State is indeed DBU — aka Defensive Back University.

There was a formula used that would take into account a combination of college success, draft stock, and NFL success. Points were awarded for all-conference and All-American selections, as well as draft positions and NFL evaluations.

According to ESPN, the Mount Rushmore of Buckeye defensive backs included Antoine Winfield, Jack Tatum, Mike Doss, and Malcolm Jenkins. An impressive list for sure, however, there was no mention anywhere of Shawn Springs, maybe the best cover corner to ever wear the scarlet and gray.

Of course, it’s all speculation and OSU has way too many greats at DB to narrow it to just four. Maybe that’s why the Bucks prefer to go with the moniker BIA (Best in America) instead.

The DBU debate was a close race. Following Ohio State in order was LSU, Alabama, Florida, Miami, Florida State, Texas, USC, Georgia, and Virginia Tech.

OSU also was well represented in other “Position U” battles as well. The Buckeyes were in the top ten for running back, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, kicker, and punter.

You can see all the debates on ESPN Position U for yourself. There’s plenty of material to argue with your best friend from a rival school.

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Ohio State gets nod from Touchdown Wire with four of greatest 101 nicknames in football history

Four former Ohio State football players made the list of Touchdown Wire’s 101 greatest nicknames in football history. Who are they?

Nicknames.

Not everyone has one, and, certainly, not everyone has a good one. However, in college football, there have been a slew of really cool nicknames we still refer to today when talking about some of the best players to ever strap on the headgear and pads. The best ones aren’t forced and come about organically.

Thomas Neumann at Touchdown Wire went through what seems like a pretty extensive task of publishing a list of the greatest 101 names in football history. There are some pretty iconic ones on there like “The Minister of Defense,” “The Refrigerator” and many more.

For us though, we were interested to see which former Ohio State players made the list, and we’re happy to report that four have been enshrined with a glorious nickname. Can you guess the four that made it? I mean, this is the content we bring you in the offseason that you didn’t even know you yearned for.

NEXT … A recent game wrecker

Ohio State football well-represented in ESPN’s top 150 college players of all-time

Ohio State had six players appearing in the first 125 players unveiled in ESPN’s Top 150 College Football Players of all-time.

The Ohio State football program is well-represented in ESPN’s top 150 college football players of all-time. The worldwide leader in sports programming crafted the series as a nod towards the 150th year anniversary of college football.

It started with naming 125 players and will be unveiling the top 25 this coming Monday at halftime of the national championship game. That means more OSU players could be named — ahem, cough, cough — Archie Griffin.

So what Buckeyes made the cut in the top 125? Eddie George leads all OSU players at No. 38. Behind him is Jack Tatum (No. 44), Howard “Hopalong” Cassady (No. 47), Orlando Pace (No. 51), Jim Parker (No. 141), and Chris Spielman (No. 143).

So how many more Ohio State players might be in the top 25? Tune in at halftime of the big one in New Orleans to find out.