A team signed football by the 1957 Ohio State football National Champions! This Spalding Official Inter-Collegiate J5-V Autograph ball was signed by the 1957 Buckeyes team and coaches for a young fan that went around on the train collecting signatures on the way out to the 1958 Rose Bowl.
Heading into that season, Ohio State fans thought 1957 would be a rebuilding year. That feeling was solidified when an unranked TCU team came into Ohio State and upset Ohio State and handed them their first season opening loss in 17 years. Ohio State would continue to improve each game and by the end of the season, they'd be one of the top teams in the country. The Buckeyes knocked off fifth ranked Iowa to setup another Top 25 showdown with Michigan in the regular season finale. After being down at half, Ohio State's defense pitched a shutout in the second half and claimed a 31-14 win over their archrival. Bob White finished with 163 yards on 30 carries. Following the win, legendary head coach Woody Hayes exclaimed, "By God, if we're not national champions now, there's something rotten somewhere!" The Buckeyes would go out to California and defeat Oregon in the 1958 Rose Bowl to claim the school's third National Championship, as awarded by the Coaches Poll.
This amazing ball was signed by head coach Woody Hayes, assistant Esco Sarkinnen (1939 All-American), Jim Houston (All-American), Aurelius Thomas (All-American), Bob White (All-American), Jim Marshall (All-American), Galen Cisco (Captain), Leo Brown (Captain), Bob Jobko (MVP), as well as Richard Anders, Ralph Bailey, Thomas Baldacci, Russell Bowermaster, Edward Breehl, Joseph Cannavino, Ron Cook, Thomas Crawford, Albert Crawford, Larry Disher, John Dresser, Jerry Fields, Daniel Fronk, Ralph Gage, Daniel James, Frank Kremblas, Dick LeBeau, John Martin, Thomas Morgan, Andy Okulovich, Russell Provenza, Phillip Robinson, James Rowland, James Samuels, Dick Schafrath, Ernest Spychalski, Donald Sutherin, Joseph Trivisonno, Bill Hess, Lyal Clark, Harry Strobel, Clive Rush, and D. Ryhs Wagner.
SLOOPY AUCTIONS FULL LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY