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Oklahoma vs. Ohio State: The History

For the first time in 30 years, the Sooners will square off against a Big Ten foe in the regular season when Ohio State visits Norman in 2016. The 1986 season was the last time a Big Ten opponent played at Owen Field, when the Sooners handed a 63-0 decision to Minnesota.

The 2016 Oklahoma-Ohio State contest will mark just the third time in history that the Sooners and Buckeyes have met on the football field. The two squads will also square off at Ohio Stadium in 2017.

The overall series is tied between the two teams at one regular season win apiece. The Sooners won the first meeting in 1977, a nail-biting 29-28 victory over the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. A game so dramatic, that throughout Sooners history, the game's deciding play is simply referenced as "The Kick."

In the fall of 1977, the No. 3 ranked Oklahoma Sooners traveled to Columbus to take on the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The first-ever meeting between these two national powers featured two legendary head coaches - Barry Switzer and Woody Hayes - squaring off for the only time in their illustrious careers.

OU got a quick start out of the gate jumping to a 20-0 lead. However, the Buckeyes would mount a furious comeback due to a turnover-riddled stretch in the second and third quarters by the Sooners. Ohio State would take the lead 28-20 late in the third quarter.

The Sooners scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but OU's two-point conversion attempt was no good, leaving the Buckeyes clinging to a 28-26 lead. The Sooners would rise to the challenge by recovering an onside kick, leaving just under a minute and a half for the Sooners to put points on the board.

Oklahoma quarterback, Dean Blevins, would lead the Sooners down the field through the air. The drive began at midfield with a 17-yard pass from Blevins to Steve Rhodes who took the ball down to the 33. Three plays later, the Sooners would end up on the 23-yard line thanks to the ground work of running back, Kenny King. With six seconds remaining, OU would put themselves in position to attempt a 41-yard field goal.

"We believed in Sooner Magic," Blevins stated. "Once we got the onside kick, I had total confidence that we would win."

Uwe von Schamann, OU's kicker, would take the field with a chance to take the lead. As Schamann ran out onto the field he would tauntingly lead the crowd in a chant of, "Block That Kick!""

"I don't know why," said Von Schamann. "But I rose my arms and I led the chant right there in the middle of (Ohio) Stadium."

Von Schamann nailed the kick strait through the uprights, winning the game for the Sooners. After making the most memorable field goal of his career, Schamann was met by his teammates jumping on top of him in celebration.

"I had complete confidence in Uwe," Blevins said. "The script was written and that was how it was supposed to end."

The Sooners would seal the victory by stopping Ohio State's last chance on the ensuing kickoff return. "The Kick" will always be remembered by Von Schamann and OU fans as an amazing moment of Sooner Magic.

"I don't get tired of talking about it. Sharing that experience with the fans is well worth it," Von Schamann explained. "People always tell me where they were when it happened, which is amazing to hear."

2016 | NORMAN, OKLA.

Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
2017 | COLUMBUS, OHIO

Ohio Stadium

ALL-TIME RANKINGS
Oklahoma and Ohio State are neck and neck in college football's all-time rankings. NCAA rankings are found on the outside columns, while the numbers that put them there are inside the bars. Click the graphic for more detail: