tBBC is beginning a series of articles to countdown the nineteen Chicago Tribune Silver Football Award Winners after J.T. Barrett became the latest. He ended up in a tie with Saquon Barkley of Penn State, but it shows that someone in the Mid-West was paying attention to the record shattering season he out together. Let’s get rolling with number nineteen on the list.
#19 Art Schilchter 1981
The Career
Schlichter, who played his high school ball at Miami Trace, was a four-year starter at Ohio State. He finished his four years with 7,547 passing yards and 50 touchdown passes, with 46 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,303 yards and 35 touchdowns. Schlichter finished in the top six of Heisman Trophy balloting during his last three years. Finishing fourth in his sophomore year, sixth as a junior and fifth in his senior year. He nearly led the Buckeyes to the national championship in 1979, and left the school as its career leader in total offense.
The Season
Art benefited from a backfield that almost generated two thousand yard rushers in Tim Spencer(1,222) and Jimmy Gayle(769) in a season that saw him carry the ball the third most times on the team with 80(Spencer 226, Gayle 153) but lost more yards than he gained(282-240) but scored six touchdowns. The Buckeyes finished the season 9-3 and 6-2(Tied for B1G 1st after defeating #7 TTUN). His senior season had it’s ups and downs but still won the award with 2,551 yards passing for 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Finishing the season with wins over TTUN and Navy in the Liberty Bowl set him up for a successful NFL draft as the fourth overall pick.
The Reason
Two things Art will always be remembered for are the reasons honestly for him being 19th on this list instead of middle of the pack or even numero uno. His interception against Clemson is the last play everyone will remember about the Buckeyes beloved Woody Hayes and his gambling addiction that has destroyed any good memory of his days in Scarlet and Gray. Truth be told, I looked up to Art as a kid and was one of the reasons I started following the Buckeyes more closely. Archie Griffin was the first. His fall from grace and stories that have come out about his time in Columbus have been a huge disappointment to me and he will be one of the biggest disappointments in Ohio State history.
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