There haven’t been a ton of all-time performances by Ohio State players in the Super Bowl, but here are the top five all-time.
It doesn’t get any bigger than the Super Bowl. It’s American by culture and inception, but now a worldwide phenomenon, and the most televised and watched event on an annual basis.
So it’s no secret then that a lifelong dream of almost any football player is to make it to the NFL, be in a Super Bowl, and have a major impact on winning the game. Somewhat surprisingly though, there hasn’t been a ton of Ohio State greats with major starring roles in the biggest of big games.
But there have been a few worth noting, and that’s what we’re going to do here. Here are the top ten performances by a former Ohio State football player in a Super Bowl. Who knows, maybe Nick Bosa or Darron Lee add to the story Sunday.
Mark Sanchez blamed the Jets front office for not giving him any good receivers to work with throughout his New York career.
The Jets would have loved to see more consistency from Mark Sanchez during his time in green and white. He, however, wishes he got more of the same thing from them.
Sanchez’s first two years with Gang Green got off to a hot start as he led the Jets to two AFC Championship appearances in 2009 and 2010. Sanchez looked destined to be the franchise quarterback for years to come, but as his play started to decline, the Jets weren’t finding the same success. Much of that, Sanchez feels, stems from constant turnover within the organization.
“Every year was a revolving door,” Sanchez said on WFAN’s Boomer and Gio Show on Wednesday. “Every year was a new formula. Instead of maybe a draft-and-develop mentality, it was, ‘Let’s go sign some of the best guys on the market and see what happens.’ And every time you do that, you kind of roll the dice. And it just became difficult for everyone. And … you’re either the hero or the goat. When it doesn’t work out, it’s just, ‘Hey, welp, see you later.’ And then I woke up in Philly.”
Sanchez never had any great receivers that he built chemistry with. His top two receivers were Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards, who had short tenures with the Jets. Sanchez, however, wasn’t exactly an elite quarterback with them.
In four seasons with the Jets, Sanchez only threw more touchdowns than interceptions twice and only threw for over 3,000 yards twice. He was best described as an erratic game manager thanks to his turnovers — so a bad game manager — who rode the coattails of an elite defense to two straight AFC Championships.
Sanchez noted that injuries hampered his career, but also acknowledged that there were plays that could have been made that would have changed the narrative of his Jets career.
“Hindsight’s 20-20,” Sanchez said. “Listen, I think if some of the guys stayed healthy here or there, and you know the margin for error in this league is so small. You know, one play here, one play there changes perception a little bit, and maybe we stick together a little longer. Maybe we get through one of those valleys and get back up to one of the peaks that we should’ve been at.”
What could have been is left to the imagination. In reality, though, Sanchez’s Jets tenure ended up being a failure after a red-hot start.
The Jets Wire names the Jets 2010’s all-decade team with New York’s franchise-worst 10-year stretch ending with a 7-9 finish.
The Jets’ decade started with an AFC Championship appearance, but since then they’ve endured one of the worst stretches in franchise history.
New York has only had one season since in which it was over .500 and failed to return to the playoffs. The Jets have now gone nine consecutive seasons without a playoff berth and a record four straight losing seasons after faring 10-6 in 2015.
To finish off the decade, the Jets went 6-2 after a 1-7 finish, but they still have yet to play meaningful football beyond the first week of January. It seems Gang Green has its quarterback of the future, but does it have enough to start off the next decade with a playoff trip?
Decisions for the future are coming. For now, let’s take a look at the Jets’ 2010s all-decade team:
Offense
East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker (87) and New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) celebrate Marshall’s touchdown during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Patriots 26-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
QB Mark Sanchez: Sanchez was consistently average during his time in New York, but that’s enough to be the team’s best quarterback of the decade. He was the only one to lead Gang Green to the playoffs in this decade. During his time as New York’s signal-caller, Sanchez went 33-29, a much more impressive record than what Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh McCown. The hope is that Sam Darnold will do more to earn the nod 10 years from now.
RB Chris Ivory: Acquired via trade in one of John Idzik’s first moves as New York’s general manager, Ivory had a rather productive three-year tenure in green and white. He ran for over 800 yards in all three seasons, including going over 1,000 yards in 2015.
WR Brandon Marshall: Marshall spent just two seasons with New York, but his 2015 was enough to garner a mention on this list. Marshall set the team record for catches and yards and tied Don Maynard for touchdowns. In 2015, Marshall had 109 catches for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns.
WR Eric Decker: Paired with Marshall, the Jets had one of the most dynamic passing attacks in the league. He could never establish himself as a No. 1 target, but Decker put up those numbers opposite of Marshall. In 2015, Decker had 80 receptions for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns.
WR Santonio Holmes: While Holmes’ Jets career ended on a sour note, he is still largely responsible for helping New York reach its second AFC Championship Game in as many seasons. While his statistics don’t tell the whole story because of his four-game suspension to the begin the season, Holmes was as clutch as can be when it counted.
TE Dustin Keller: One of the more productive tight ends in the history of the franchise, the Jets have been unable to replicate Keller’s success since he departed New York. He finished his six-year tenure with the Jets catching 241 passes for 2,876 yards and 17 scores.
OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson: Ferguson was a staple on the Jets offensive line. He was the glue that kept the left side together and New York never had to worry about it quarterback’s blindside when he was on the field.
OG James Carpenter: Carpenter was the best the Jets had to offer at left guard during the decade. He was a reliable fixture brought in by Idzik and started every single game for New York from 2015-17.
C Nick Mangold: An All-Pro in 2010, Mangold would appear in five of his seven Pro Bowl appearances during the 2010s. The Jets are still itching to find a competent center as his replacement.
OG Brandon Moore: Moore is more famous for Mark Sanchez running into his behind, but he is the best the Jets had at right guard from 2010 on.
RT Damien Woody: While Woody has now spent more time as an ESPN personality than with Gang Green this decade, he provided the most stability at a position that has been a thorn in the Jets’ side.
Honorable Mentions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, RB Bilal Powell, RB Shonn Greene, WR Robby Anderson, OG Brian Winters, OT Kelvin Beachum.
