The Big Kat Was a Beast in '97We know that Ohio State was defeated by Alabama in the 1978 Sugar Bowl 35-6, but we wanted to give our readers a synopsis of the Bucks last two appearances in the New Orleans Superdome. First up is the 1998 Sugar Bowl where Florida State beat Ohio State 31-14.
It was the final year of the Bowl Alliance. The ACC Champion and 4th ranked Seminoles entered the '98 Sugar Bowl 10-1, with their one loss to the Florida Gators. The Buckeyes entered the '98 Sugar Bowl 10-2, with losses to #1 ranked Michigan and former #1 ranked Penn State by a total of 10 points. The Bucks were tied for 2nd in the Big 10 with both Penn State and Purdue.
Andre Wadsworth and crew got their groove-on, sacking OSU QBs 6 times that night (Stan Jackson 4 times and Joe Germaine 2 twice). When the 'Noles weren't knocking Buckeye quarterbacks to the turf, they were chasing them out of rhythm. Ohio State was in the second and final year of the Jackson/Germaine starting debacle...um, tandem at QB. Neither one of them looked comfortable that night due to the constant pressure brought by the 'Noles pass rush.
"We got beat by an outstanding football team. They're a big, strong defensive football team and they kept relentless pressure on us the entire ballgame," said Ohio State coach John Cooper.
On the 'Noles offense, QB Thad Busby finished the day completing 22 of 33 passes for 334 yards. Although Busby threw for 2 INTs, he ran for a 9 yard score and threw for a 27 yard TD to E.G. Green. Green finished the game with the one score, 7 total catches for 176 yards, and the Sugar Bowl MVP trophy.
In what limited offense the Buckeyes could muster, Pepe Pearson finished with 60 yards on 22 carries, while Jackson & Germaine combined to go 16-of-36 for 207 yards with one TD and three interceptions.
You may also remember that the game saw a Dan Stultz to John Lumpkin trick-play touchdown nullified because Lumpkin failed to check-in properly with the officials prior to the play. Ah.. the JHC..
With the win, Florida State ended up 3rd in the final polls. They has also accomplished a few other amazing feats. Not only did they complete their 11th straight season with a top 5 ranking or better, but they also won the 12th out of their last 13 bowl games. Things like this grew the legend of Coach Bobby Bowden.
With the loss, Ohio State ended up 12th in the final AP poll. But the team showed signs of greatness, and there was a lot of potential for the next year. The Bucks and 'Noles seemed to be bound for another possible battle the next year. Maybe even, for it all.
Comments
FYI, I'll have the 2nd part of this article (the Texas A&M game) up on Saturday sometime.
Ahh the memories....I was at that game and it was painful to watch in person. We looked confused as all hell on the field that day. Couple that with the fact that I was 16 and couldn't quite "experience" New Orleans, I'm looking forward to a redemption on this trip in multiple ways.
Mark, you forgot to mention that JHC "guaranteed" victory prior to the game, in uncharacteristically vulgar terms ("We're going to kick their a**!!!"). Of course, no one took him seriously. And the silly stunt obviously didn't yield the desired result. The team looked listless and casual during most of the game, which was sadly typical of the JHC regime.
What I remember about that game is that it was my first year living in South Florida--fresh from Columbus. Ughh!!!! I took alot of crap after that game. Cooper was interviewed before half time and said he was going to make some adjustments..... he came out in the 2nd half and proceeded to run right up the middle--- vintage John Cooper. I also really loved the play call of the Stultz to Lumpkin fake field-goal...... too bad Coop forgot to have Lumpkin check in as an eligible receiver---what a goon!!!. Coop did somewhat redeem himself the next year beating Texas AM in the 1999 Bourbon Bowl, but the loss to Michigan (again) killed any chance of National Title. Coop had a knack for taking you right to the brink of jubilation (1993, 1995, 1996, 1998) and then finding a way to totally F#@k it up right before your very eyes on National TV.... 4 national titles were ours for the taking---I would have taken 2 and been very happy. Thank god Coop sleeps with the fishes and JT vest is the Don......
[...] Regardless, the Buckeyes still felt they still had an outside shot at the national title if their Sugar Bowl opponent of the previous year, Florida State, beat Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl in an unconvincing manner. But it was not to be as Tennessee [...]