Question
Michigan last year went 15-0, winning college football’s national title, yet had only one player selected in the first round of the draft (J.J. McCarthy). In the NFL’s 32-team era (2002 to present) what is the only university that has won college football’s national title game but not had ANY players picked in the first round of the draft? This same school has actually done it twice (both teams included players who were eventually picked in the first round, but not until future years).
Answer
Ohio State. The Buckeyes beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl in January, 2003 (the game in which Willis McGahee shredded his knee). That Ohio State team had no first-round picks. And the Buckeyes beat Oregon 42-20 in January in 2015; that team also had no first-round picks (Ezekiel Elliott scored 4 TDs in that game but stuck around to play another college season).