1971 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

1971 Ohio State Buckeyes football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record6–4 (5–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPTom DeLeone
Captains
  • Tom DeLeone
  • Harry Howard
Home stadiumOhio Stadium
(Capacity: 81,475)
Seasons
← 1970
1972 →
1971 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 6 Michigan $ 8 0 0 11 1 0
Northwestern 6 3 0 7 4 0
Ohio State 5 3 0 6 4 0
Michigan State 5 3 0 6 5 0
Illinois 5 3 0 5 6 0
Wisconsin 3 5 0 4 6 1
Minnesota 3 5 0 4 7 0
Purdue 3 5 0 3 7 0
Indiana 2 6 0 3 8 0
Iowa 1 8 0 1 10 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1971 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the 1971 Big Ten Conference football season. The Buckeyes compiled a 6–4 record.

The Buckeyes entered the season knowing it could not go to a bowl game, due to the Big Ten's "no repeat" rule, prohibiting conference schools from appearing in the Rose Bowl in consecutive seasons, plus the rule banning schools from playing in any bowl other than the Rose Bowl. The no-repeat rule was rescinded December 9 and went into effect for 1972; the prohibition on playing in bowls other than the Rose was not repealed until 1975.

This was the first season Ohio Stadium had artificial turf. The playing surface was scheduled to be installed in time for the 1970 season, but had been delayed. The AstroTurf field remained in place through the 1989 season.