A year before the arrival of Archie Griffin, the 1971 Buckeyes were in a transition year. After finishing 9-1 with a No. 2 ranking in the AP Poll before a Rose Bowl defeat at the hands of Stanford, the Bucks lost 17 starters to graduation, including quarterback Rex Kern, hard-hitting safety Jack Tatum, and linemen Jim Stillwagon.
Starting at quarterback for the new-look Buckeyes would be senior Don Lamka, a back-up defensive back for the past two seasons. Lamka, hailing from Cleveland and "the most sought-after quarterback in the Midwest" in 1967, had not played quarterback since arriving in Columbus.