Ohio State Football Forum

Ohio State Football Forum

Ohio State football fan talk.

Why Was John Cooper 5–18–1 Against Michigan and Bowl Opponents?

Matt Gutridge's picture
August 19, 2016 at 6:35am
126 Comments

Now that the John Cooper Ohio State chapter has come to a close, here are my thoughts as to why I think he consistently struggled against Michigan and the bowl game and on his place in Ohio State history.

Cooper did a terrific job recruiting, hiring coaches and getting Ohio State back on the national stage. The issue that happened at the end of the season was that the very talented players he recruited began to see themselves in the NFL. Knowing that they only had two more collegiate games, some of the players started looking out for their future paycheck rather than The Game and the bowl opponent.

As the years went on, I believe the NFL caliber players still played hard in the Michigan game to help their coach, but the bowl game was always looked at as an opportunity to get hurt and have their draft stock plummet. 

Combine the players' reasonable concern about their future paycheck and Cooper's initial indifference to the rivalry and it provided the perfect storm for 2–10–1 and 3–8.

I respect what John Cooper did for the program as he set the stage for Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer to continue to build upon the recruiting excellence he established in the '90s. It's a shame that he couldn't rally the players to play for team over the last two games. 

Like many, I wish the Cooper years brought more success in the last two games of the season. Yes, like some of you who witnessed this era, I will still occasionally experience irrational anxiety over those contests. However, I put the man in the top 5 on Ohio State's list of all-time coaches because of the foundation and expectations he set for the school. Cooper made a large impact on the program and I believe he played a large role in the success of Ohio State today. 

I give credit to John Cooper for staying in Columbus for all of these years after his retirement. The man can live anywhere in the country and he has decided to stay here. I respect him for that. Especially since he knows how some fans view his tenure.

This is a forum post from a site member. It does not represent the views of Eleven Warriors unless otherwise noted.

View 126 Comments