The 1939 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team that represented Ohio State University in the 1939 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth year under head coach Francis Schmidt, the Buckeyes compiled a 6–2 record (5–1 against conference opponents), won the Big Ten Conference championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 189 to 64.
1939 Ohio State Buckeyes football | |
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Big Ten champion | |
Conference | Big Ten Conference |
Ranking | |
AP | No. 15 |
Record | 6–2 (5–1 Big Ten) |
Head coach |
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MVP | Steve Andrako |
Home stadium | Ohio Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 15 Ohio State $ | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 9 Iowa | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 20 Michigan | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Purdue | 2 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 3 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northwestern | 3 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minnesota | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indiana | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 4 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wisconsin | 0 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chicago | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ohio State was ranked at No. 15 in the final AP poll and at No. 5 in the final Litkenhous Ratings.[1]
Ohio State end Esco Sarkkinen was a consensus pick on the 1939 All-America college football team. Six Ohio State players received honors from the Associated Press (AP) and/or United Press (UP) on the 1939 All-Big Ten Conference football team. The honorees were: Sarkkinen (AP-1, UP-1); quarterback Don Scott (AP-1, UP-1); guard Vic Marino (AP-1); center Steve Andrako (AP-2); halfback Jim Strausbaugh (AP-2); and fullback Jim Langhurst (AP-2).[2][3]
The Buckeyes played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
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October 7 | Missouri* | W 19–0 | 58,165 | [4] | ||
October 14 | Northwestern |
| W 13–0 | 55,622 | [5] | |
October 21 | at Minnesota | No. 10 | W 23–20 | 52,000 | [6] | |
October 28 | No. 7 Cornell* | No. 4 |
| L 14–23 | 49,583 | [7][8] |
November 4 | Indiana | No. 14 |
| W 24–0 | 40,872 | [9] |
November 11 | at Chicago | No. 9 | W 61–0 | 2,000 | [10] | |
November 18 | Illinois | No. 8 |
| W 21–0 | 46,643 | [11] |
November 25 | at Michigan | No. 6 | L 14–21 | 80,227 | [12] | |
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Coaching staff
- Francis Schmidt, head coach, sixth year
1940 NFL draftees
Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL club |
Esco Sarkkinen | 5 | 39 | End | Green Bay Packers |
Frank Zadworney | 8 | 64 | Halfback | Brooklyn Dodgers |
Steve Andrako | 17 | 158 | Center | Washington Redskins |