Ohio State’s national championship season back in 2002-03 started with a pair of comfortable victories over Texas Tech and Kent State, but a massive test then loomed with a top-10 matchup scheduled in the Horseshoe. The Buckeyes, ranked No. 6 in the AP poll, hosted No. 10 Washington State in a game that would go a long way for both teams on the national landscape. Freshman running back Maurice Clarett, already with five TD’s on the season, continued stealing the show and legitimizing himself to the college football world. Washington State, behind veteran QB and Heisman Trophy contender Jason Gesser, led 7-6 by halftime as the Cougar defense stymied Ohio State’s offense to that point. Clarett had just 36 yards on 11 carries prior to the break. The Youngstown native racked up 44 on his first carry of the second half, as the Buckeyes took over at their own nine-yard…
Continue Reading: ON THIS DAY: Maurice Clarett's Second-Half Explosion vs. Washington State in 2002
