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Monday, November 18, 2002
Flashback: Michigan-Ohio State 1996
By Mike Diegnan
ABC Sports Online
The history of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry always comes to one conclusion: no matter how good the Buckeyes are, they seem to always lose the big one. Every time it's looked like OSU would come to the Big House with a team that should be battling for the national championship, the "Team up North" as former Buckeye Joe Montgomery calls them, always sticks a dagger in Buckeyes where it hurts.
The case was true in 1995 when the second-ranked Buckeyes trekked to Ann Arbor. Before Ohio State's visit, Buckeye wide receiver Terry Glenn opened his mouth and said that Michigan was nobody. Tim Biakabutuka proceeded to tear up the Wolverines for 313 yards, silencing Glenn and ending Ohio State's perfect season.
|  | | Joe Germaine was unsettled for much of the game after earning his first start. |
In the fall of '96, Buckeyes head coach John Cooper knew better than to allow "bulletin board material" to resurface before the Wolverines, 17-point underdogs, came to Columbus. He made only four "carefully selected" players available to the media.
Nonetheless, the gag order proved to be useless as an ineffective Buckeye team faltered in the end and lost another perfect season at the hands of the Wolverines.
"I don't have a clue," a bewildered Cooper told the media after the game why his teams were 1-7-1 against Michigan.
During the week, the challenge of facing Michigan -- ranked 21st in the country -- prompted Cooper to alter his coaching strategy. Captain Stanley Jackson had started the first 10 games at quarterback before alternating drives with Joe Germaine, the Big Ten's passing efficiency leader. Instead of sticking with a tactic that had led Ohio State to a 10-0 record, Cooper tabbed Germaine as his starter.
The move proved to backfire as Germaine completed just 12 of 31 passes for 148 yards. Jackson, in limited duty during the first half, overthrew a wide open Michael Wiley in the end zone on another occasion.
Germaine had some success in the first half. Twice, the Buckeyes drove inside Michigan's 5-yard line, but both times, Ohio State had to settle for field goals.
By halftime, the Buckeyes held a 9-0 lead, but the air in Columbus still didn't feel right.
|  | | Tai Streets' touchdown was the start of Ohio State's downfall. |
Before the start of the second half, Michigan was forced to go to an untested Brian Griese at quarterback after Scott Dreisbach injured his elbow. Griese, who had thrown just 10 passes all season, completed a slant pass to Tai Streets in the first minute of the second half that went 68 yards for a score to cut the lead to 9-7.
The touchdown proved that the Buckeyes were still intimidated by the Wolverines. Ohio State was unable to do anything in the second half, putting up just 84 yards in the final 30 minutes after totaling 220 in the first half. An Ohio State team that had scored 70 points twice and at least 40 in another three games, couldn't tack on a single field goal in the second half.
Meanwhile, running back Chris Howard drove the Wolverines downfield. Howard's 105-yard game was the first 100-yard rushing day allowed by an Ohio State defense that ranked second in the country in scoring defense and first in the Big Ten in rushing defense.
|  | | Remy Hamilton's 43-yard field goal proved to be the game-winner. |
Remy Hamilton's two field goals in the second half proved to be the difference in the game.
Unlike '95 when Ohio State's loss to Michigan allowed Northwestern to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes still were earmarked for a trip to Pasadena to face Arizona State in 1996.
Nonetheless, Michigan cornerback and Ohio native Charles Woodson had no problem rubbing in the Wolverine's victory after the game.
"It was a great victory, to be able to look those people in the eye and say, 'This is why I didn't go to Ohio State. I wanted to win at Michigan."
In '97, Woodson got the last laugh once again as his Wolverines defeated the fourth-ranked Buckeyes and won the national championship. For Cooper, his only solace is that his team defeated Michigan in '98.
Mike Diegnan is the college football editor for ABC Sports Online.
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