Written by Mike Furlan

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It is the tendency of most people who make lists like this to try to pull obscure names from the annals of the teams history in order to impress readers with the author’s knowledge of obscure facts. In this list I have tried hard not to do that. I have done everything I can to try to objectively portray the men that I think best represent the Buckeyes primarily on the field and off. It is hard for me to imagine a time when the Buckeyes were not a dominant force on the college football field, a time when they were not among the nations elite, but that time did exist long ago. 

#10 - Rex Kern

#9 - Jim Stillwagon

#8 - Randy Gradishar

#7 - Vic Janowicz

#6 - Troy Smith

#5 - "Hopalong" Cassady

#4 - Orlando Pace

#3 - Jack "The Assassin" Tatum

#2 - Archie Griffin

#1 Chic Harley

Ohio State football got its start as a varsity sport in 1890, but it was a rather modest start. The Buckeyes would not have their first All American for 24 years, and it was not until after the seating had been expanded several times that the old Ohio Field, site of Ohio State home games, would seat more than 10, 000.

Then came Charles Wesley "Chic" Harley. Harley was born in Chicago, hence the nickname, but moved to the Columbus area as a youth. He was recruited to come play at Ohio State from East High School in Columbus, Ohio.

The ground-breaking for Ohio Stadium occurred in 1920 and at first people gawked at its seemingly impossible capacity, 60,000, yet within three games the capacity was increased (and filled) to 72,500. This put Ohio State football on the map and this is Chic Harley's legacy; he put Ohio State football on the map.

Under head coach, John Wilce, Buckeye football and Chic Harley flourished, capturing the team's first Western Conference (an early predecessor to the Big Ten) title in 1916 with a 7-0 season. Chic Harley would win his first of three All-American awards.

The 1916 season was followed with an equally impressive, conference-winning season in 1917 with an 8-0-1 record. Chic Harley participated in every aspect of that team: running, passing, punting, kicking, and playing defense. Harley was so impressive that, Walter Camp, yes THE Walter Camp, came to Columbus on several occasions specifically to watch Harley play.

1918 saw the country entangled in its first World War and Chic Haley left for the European theater. Harley would finish the war as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps and would not play football again until the 1919 season.

The 1919 Buckeyes may have been the most impressive of the three teams that Harley led. The team allowed twelve points in seven games and the team notched its first win over Michigan, up until then this match up was not much of a rivalry; it was more of an irregularly scheduled pounding. This team would fall short of a conference championship, losing one game to eventual champion Illinois, but Harley would receive All-American honors.

So that was a nice career, but how does that rank him above Archie Griffin? Well under Harley, and at least partially because of his magnificent play, interest in football in Columbus and throughout Ohio reached frenzied levels. Crowds and crowds of people would gather at the stadium only to be turned away, the inadequacy of Ohio Field was exposed. As a result of the ensuing fund raising drive, fans pledged nearly one million dollars, a rather princely sum for that day, for a new venue, Ohio Stadium. Chic Harley was a central figure in this drive often appearing in several events per day to raise the money. Some have gone so far as to call Ohio Stadium "the house that Harley built."

How good was Chic Harley on the field? Well he appears on most first team "First Half of the 20th Century Teams" including the 1950 Associated Press team. Harley was selected ahead of the legendary Red Grange, to fill out the backfield with Jim Thorpe.