Once upon a time, dating back to the early 1970s, true freshmen weren't even eligible to play Division I college football.
Things changed in 1972 and of course that worked out well for Woody Hayes and Ohio State as Archie Griffin exploded onto the college football scene, leading the Buckeyes in rushing (867 yards) during a 9-2 season featuring a win over Michigan and a shared conference title.
Archie was a bit of an anomaly under Woody as upperclassmen certainly got their respect in the form of game reps but numerous true freshmen suiting up for the Buckeyes have made meaningful impacts in their first seasons in Columbus.