ESPN’s all-time jersey-number list gives Ohio State nine slots, led by Griffin, Burrow and George

ESPN has released a sprawling all-time college football exercise: naming the best player of all time to wear each jersey number, from 0 through 100. The list is the kind of offseason debate fuel that fans either love or ignore, but it also offers a quick snapshot of which programs have historically produced players who feel “defining” even years after their careers end.

Ohio State stands out immediately. According to ESPN’s project, the Buckeyes placed nine former players on the final roster of number winners, a total that far surpasses any other school mentioned in the accompanying coverage. The same ESPN research is also part of why the topic will travel beyond Columbus, because it invites fans of every program to argue about what “best” means when a jersey number spans eras, coaching styles, and different levels of competition.

Three Ohio State selections illustrate how the list blends peak performance with career legacy. Archie Griffin is identified as the all-time No. 45, a choice that also reflects his place in Ohio State and college football history as a rare repeat winner of the Heisman Trophy. ESPN’s broader framing puts these kinds of iconic careers at the center of its methodology, not just single-season production.

Joe Burrow is another Ohio State name featured in the Ohio-area conversation around the list, with the ESPN research credited for connecting his start and development in Columbus to the later national stage he reached at LSU. ESPN’s project content emphasizes that Burrow’s best football work came after leaving Ohio State, but that his Ohio State tenure was central to his growth as a quarterback. The point for OSU fans is straightforward: the Buckeyes are being credited not just for trophy-level results, but for producing quarterbacks whose skills translate.

Eddie George anchors a different kind of case, one built on statistical dominance during a specific peak. ESPN’s project coverage highlights George’s 1995 season, noting he rushed for 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns, including 12 consecutive games of at least 100 yards. That year culminated in the Heisman Trophy, reinforcing why a running back at the center of one of college football’s modern-era best seasons remains a natural candidate for a number “best-ever” label.

Beyond those examples, the ESPN project includes additional Ohio State players, but the available public summary provided here does not enumerate every Buckeyes name and its corresponding number. That limits how precisely this story can document the full list without risking errors about jersey-number assignments and player details.

For fans, the bigger takeaway is how the conversation can influence offseason narratives. Lists like this become a proxy for brand identity, recruiting memory, and program pride, especially when one school dominates a format that is purely numeric. Watch what happens next: whether the list becomes a springboard for further analysis by major college football outlets, and which programs respond by challenging the premise of one best player per number across the entire sport.