The 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team that represented the Ohio State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by interim head coach Luke Fickell who took over after the resignation of Jim Tressel amid the Ohio State University football scandal. The Buckeyes compiled a 6–7 record (3–5 in conference games), finished in fourth place in the Big Ten's Leaders Division, and outscored opponents by a total of 318 to 273. Against ranked opponents, the Buckeyes defeated No. 16 Illinois and No. 12 Wisconsin and lost to No. 14 Nebraska, No. 21 Penn State, and No. 17 Michigan. They concluded the season with a 24–17 loss to unranked Florida in the 2012 Gator Bowl. The Buckeyes were unranked in the final Coaches and AP polls. It was the first time Ohio State had finished the season with a losing record since 1988. As of 2025, this is the most recent season where Ohio State finished with a losing record. The Buckeyes gained an average of 191.2 rushing yards and 127.0 passing yards per game. On defense, they gave up 141.5 rushing yards and 182.0 passing yards per game. Quarterback Braxton Miller led the team in both passing (1,159 passing yards, 54.1% completion percentage) and rushing (715 yards, 4.5 yards per carry). The team's other statistical leaders included wide receiver Devin Smith (14 catches for 294 yards), kicker Drew Basil (84 points scored, 36 of 37 extra points, 16 of 19 field goals), and defensive back C. J. Barnett (49 solo tackles, 75 total tackles). No Ohio State players won first-team All-America honors. John Simon received first-team honors as a defensive lineman on the 2011 All-Big Ten Conference football team. The team played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Wiki link