Ohio State’s Cooper Facing Back Surgery

A ruptured disk could take Ohio State Coach John Cooper away from his team for as long as a week.

Cooper, whose 2-2-1 team plays at Purdue on Saturday, said he first noticed pain in his lower back in August but didn’t go in for tests until Monday.

“I didn’t think it was all that serious at first, but it’s gotten to the point where I can hardly stand it,” he said.

He could have surgery as soon as Sunday. Doctors have told him he that will be sidelined about a week, but he disagrees.

“That’s what they say, but I’m thinking no more than three or four days,” he said. “Hey, it’s football season.”