100 Years & Counting: Oberlin Beats Ohio State

October 8, 1921. It is a date that lives on in college football history. It is the date that many Oberlin College alumni know well.  One-hundred years ago today (Oct. 8, 2021) a game was played and a victory was gained.  It is a triumph that no other Ohio college or university has been able to achieve. The day the mighty Ye-O-Men of the gridiron defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 7-6 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus in front of 10,000 fans.

Since that historic victory, 44 times an in-state opponent has squared off against the Buckeyes and 44 times they have failed to beat them - meaning little Oberlin remains the last Ohio school to get the best of the Buckeyes to set the stage for October 8 now being known as “Ohio’s Underdog Day.”

Heading into the game, heavy rainfall the night prior soiled the field, which may have played a role in slowing down the Buckeyes who previously beat the Yeomen 37-0 in 1920 and 128-0 in 1916 - marking the largest win in program history. 

However, every dog has its day, and October 8, 1921 was that day for the men of Oberlin. 

The Buckeyes were clinging to just a 6-0 lead in the third quarter, and the Yeomen drove 84 yards to paydirt when Al Wheeler threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to W.E. Parkhill to tie the game. Parkhill would then go on to add the extra-point and put Oberlin out in front for good.  

When word got back to the town of Oberlin, the residents were stunned, but not the team's captain, Udel Stallings.  

While it was the last win Oberlin had over Ohio State, it wasn’t the only one as the Buckeyes and Yeomen played 26 times between 1892-1921, first under the legendary Head Coach John W. Heisman who led his squad to a 40-0 win in the initial meeting. While the two schools eventually grew into what they are today, the series ended with Oberlin having a respectable 10-13-3 record against OSU. 

“Part of the mission of the Heisman Club is to honor the legacy and history of Oberlin Athletics,” Heisman Club President Mark Walsh ‘77 said. “This victory 100 years ago is certainly a big part of that and I am thrilled that we still have the opportunity to celebrate it today. Hopefully, Oberlin still holds the distinction another 100 years from now.”

With no in-state opponent currently remaining on the Buckeyes schedule, the Yeomen legend should live on for at least one more year. 

Video Below
Elyria, Ohio, natives and Midview High School graduates, Tom Staysniak (Oberlin '87), and his brother, Joe Staysniak (Ohio State '89), were on both sides of the 'rivalry' in the 1980s as they share their memories about the legendary win and how the two schools have differed since.