The last time Ohio State played a regular-season game on a holiday was Oct. 31, 2009, when New Mexico State showed up for Halloween in the Horseshoe dressed as ghosts.
Except the Aggies really were invisible. The Buckeyes breezed to a 45-0 win in which New Mexico State collected just two first downs. Ohio State outgained its opponent in total yards, 559-62, and many of OSU’s starters did not play after halftime.
“It probably could have been 80 to nothing, but Tress did not like doing anything like that back then,” said Jake Ballard, who started at tight end for coach Jim Tressel in the 2009 season that ended with a Rose Bowl win against Oregon.