Tonight on BTN: 1996 OSU football team (highlights loss to Michigan)
Yes, I might be desperate as hell. I hate having to keep looking in the past for great moments. But unfortunately it's all we have right this moment. Here is a preview of it on BTN.com:
http://btn.com/2014/11/21/big-ten-elite-1996-ohio-state-football-show-d…
It talks about Cooper's decision (miss you so much big guy xoxoxoxo) to start Joe Germaine over Stanley Jackson despite Jackson starting every game until then.
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:01 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:43 PM ^
FML
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:38 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:05 PM ^
It will definitely be interesting to hear Stanley's take, since he is one of the better guys on BTN despite his questionalble "pedigree."
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
Tai Streets - scored the only touchdown of the game when he took a short pass, his man slipped down, and Tai ran for a long touchdown.
Woodrow Hankins - Came from behind to push the OSU running back out of bounds on a long run at the nine yard line saving a sure touchdown near the end of the first half. They settled for a field goal and stayed on nine for the rest of the game.
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:36 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^
I think the Cooper era proves a lot of things that we can look at here:
1. It's not enough to be elite unless you beat your biggest rival
2. Cooper was thought of an as outsider similar to Rodriguez. Though his teams were much better than Rodriguez, he did come close to losing his job in 1994 after Penn State blasted them 63-14. They beat Michigan and saved his job.
3. Despite Cooper having some extremely loaded teams they were pretty much underachievers during his tenure. 3-8 in Bowls and only 3 big ten titles in 13 years.
Tressel (an Earle Bruce assistant) pretty much did what Cooper could never do. He treated the Michigan game like it was more important than anything. We should have known we were in for it when they came into Ann Arbor in 2001 and went up by 20 in the first half.
It's amazing the way certain teams/coaches just have the other's number like that. You guys can clamor for wanting the Carr years back, but my memory of the Carr years was being crushed on the 3rd weekend of November every year except 2003. I cried after the losses in 2002 and 2005.
Our next coach must beat OSU at least 50% of the time. And it makes it harder because we're not going against a John Cooper anymore. It's Urban freakin Meyer.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:10 PM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:29 PM ^
So what? I remember OSU beating us to put them in the national title game THREE times.
Carr had an overall losing record to OSU because once they hired a better coach there was nothing we could do to stop them.
Not knowledgable...ha.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^
Yes, it's true that Carr dominated OSU his first six years. However, with hindsight it's obvious Cooper's ineptitude in The Game was a big part of why. Bo and Mo kicked his ass, too (1-5-1 against them), and then there's a total sea change after Tressel takes over. I am not dissing Carr. But he was decisively outcoached by Tressel. His teams always looked better prepared, won the battle at the line of scrimmage, and usually had some wrinkle saved just for The Game, for which Carr would never have an answer.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:09 PM ^
100% right. Tressel was the absolute master at getting his teams ready for Michigan. 2001 and 2004 proved that especially. 2001 we were 8-2 to their 6-4 and they shut us out in the first half. 2004 we were 9-1 to their 6-4 and we didn't look like we belonged on the same field. Tedd Ginn Jr and Troy Smith ran all over us.
Those two years were really the only years we came in to the game with better teams than OSU in the Tressel era and we still didn't win either of them.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:23 PM ^
Eh, I think Michigan was better in 2003 with a senior Navarre and Heisman finalist Perry, but point certainly taken.
It still sucks to think about the 2001 game, and what might have been had Henson been there. That 23-0 first half lead for OSU was largely the result of Navarre just not being ready for that stage. Yeah, he did a lot to being them back in the second half, but I think with Henson in there Michigan never falls into such a hole, and probably wins the game. Tressel ends up eating his words. Yes, they still beat Michigan and win the NC next year, but the 2003 game drops him to 1-2 and the Tressel Mystique, at least in terms of the rivalry, isn't born. Yes, he was still a great coach who fielded great teams and probably still would have had a winning record against Michigan when he was forced out, but I just don't think we'd seen the rivalry slide so decisively away were it not for the chain reaction that began on that gray, drizzly afternoon in November, 2001. Steinbrenner, bastard.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:31 PM ^
Could have been. I think a lot of guys on that 2002 OSU team returned in 2003 though except Clarett with all the hoopla that was going on with him. Dare I say if OSU had Clarett that year they might have easily repeated as national champions.
We knocked them out of the national championship which was good. But with that senior laden team it was still a little bit frustrating that we were only able to get to a 10-3 record.
November 23rd, 2014 at 11:32 PM ^
Definitely agree. And it's even more frustrating that the two regular season losses came by a combined 7 points and both involved blocked punts, if memory serves. Though Michigan kind of got handled by USC in Pasadena. A USC team that was screwed out of playing for the National Championship. Man, imagine the controversy if Michigan had gone undefeated, too.
November 24th, 2014 at 6:23 AM ^
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:25 PM ^
Those years were like a mixture of poetry and porn. Buckeye QB's constantly throwing to Michigan defenders. Great camera shots of devastated OSU players in the final moments (Eddie George literally crying after Biakabutuka ran for 300+ yards.). We won 8 Big Ten titles during those 12 years Cooper was coaching them.
Feels like 100 years ago.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^
Maryland and Rutgers first. If we can't do that, we won't beat OSU or even MSU.
The next coach has to split IMHO vs. OSU and win 3 of 5 vs. MSU (like Lloyd did vs. St. Nick). Sure I'd love 5 of 5 vs. MSU but Mark Dicktonio isn't going to let that happen.
I was at the UM-MSU game in '83 when we beat C.J. Brown's dad (MSU's Clark Brown) 42-0. This program will not be fixed by any coach within 2-3 years, but it's realistic to think any COMPETENT coach will get this program back to Big 10 title contention in 4-5 years.
Urban, though a great coach, has the half-life of 5 years. OSU fans will not be pleased with being just outside the TOP 4 of the Playoffs.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^
Maryland and Rutgers first. If we can't do that, we won't beat OSU or even MSU.
The next coach has to split IMHO vs. OSU and win 3 of 5 vs. MSU (like Lloyd did vs. St. Nick). Sure I'd love 5 of 5 vs. MSU but Mark Dicktonio isn't going to let that happen.
I was at the UM-MSU game in '83 when we beat C.J. Brown's dad (MSU's Clark Brown) 42-0. This program will not be fixed by any coach within 2-3 years, but it's realistic to think any COMPETENT coach will get this program back to Big 10 title contention in 4-5 years.
Urban, though a great coach, has the half-life of 5 years. OSU fans will not be pleased with being just outside the TOP 4 of the Playoffs.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:22 PM ^
games in Columbus I missed for about 24 years. Weather called for sleet and snow and ice in southern lower Michigan making my long 6 1/2 hour drive longer. At about 3 am I called it off and watched in delight from my TV.
Nearly two decades later and I have maybe 4 happy moments to look back on since.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:40 PM ^
See that's why I feel less bad about your current plight. So what OSU beats up on crappy 5 loss Michigan teams right now YOU STOLE MULTIPLE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM US IN THE 90s HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATEEEE WEEEEEEK
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:45 PM ^
us for 13 years, where are your multiple national championships. We simply gave you reality before your bowl games.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:54 PM ^
I guess you didn't understand the comment. OSU wins the national title in '93, probably '95 and '96 if they just beat Michigan, and each time they didn't. If you think being owned now is bad, imagine how bad it would be if you were being owned, and also losing to only that team every year. That was the point.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:58 PM ^
In 1995, Peyton Manning proved your loss in Ann Arbor wasn't a fluke. And nobody but Nebraska was going to be #1.
You should have won it all in 1998 and I believe you would have beaten Tennessee but you ended up losing at home yo a 6-6 Sparty squad, which was insanely entertaining to me. I loved Cooper throwing his hat in anger after Joe Germaine threw the game ending interception. Pure comedy.
So, while we were the first to spoil the party for you, you wouldn't have won multiple national titles.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:44 PM ^
Dad, a UM grad, was wheeelchair bound so drove up to Cheboygan to watch the game with him at the cottage. Had a feeling this was our last go-around for THE GAME.
At halftime, felt the sickening feeling like I did watching Jourdan Lewis rough the kicker yesterday. THEN Greise to Streets pass. Silence at the cottage for what seemed like an hour, watching John Cooper bend over like a telephone pole had been stuck up his butt sans Vasoline. My dad says to me, "son, I think we are going to win this game" - loved the 2nd half, Remy's two big FGs, and then the final stop where Columbus native Marcus Ray intercepts the ball and slides right in front of the Buckeye bench.
Anyone who remembers going to UM games with their dad and then remembers the wonderful moments after dad passes on to the great Big House in the sky can relate.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:55 PM ^
they had 13 yr period under Coop with mostly excellent teams go 2-10-1. Not sure ANY OSU fans would like to re-live the 90's.
Let's hope the next guy (Todd Graham, etc.) can sweep MSU/OSU next year. Something we haven't done since 2003!
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:55 PM ^
they had 13 yr period under Coop with mostly excellent teams go 2-10-1. Not sure ANY OSU fans would like to re-live the 90's.
Let's hope the next guy (Todd Graham, etc.) can sweep MSU/OSU next year. Something we haven't done since 2003!
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:08 PM ^
Too much Lions Stout on a Sunday night :>)
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:04 PM ^
Its OSU-Mich week!