Wolves Will Be at Cooper’s Door if Wolverines Win Again

For the second year in a row, the Ohio State Buckeyes put their unbeaten season, No. 2 ranking and national championship hopes on the line against traditional archrival and party-crasher Michigan when the teams meet today at Ohio Stadium.

Not that the Buckeyes are uptight or anything, but Ohio State Coach John Cooper prepared this week by sequestering his players from the media and refused to announced which quarterback he’ll start--Stanley Jackson or Joe Germaine--until just before game time.

“Nobody’s got more respect for Michigan football than John Cooper. I can tell you that firsthand,” Cooper said.

Yes he can.

In an otherwise splendid nine-year run in Columbus, Cooper is 1-6-1 in the game that counts most.

Last year Ohio State was 11-0 before the game at Ann Arbor and lost, 31-23, a defeat that sent Northwestern to the Rose Bowl.

Although the Buckeyes clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl bid last week, another loss to Michigan would be almost as devastating, given that Ohio State, 10-0 and 7-0 in the Big Ten, is positioned to contend for its first national championship since 1968.

The Buckeyes would appear to have the upper hand again, considering the current state of Lloyd Carr’s Michigan team.

A contender for the Rose Bowl three weeks ago, the Wolverines (7-3, 4-3) are coming off losses to Purdue and Penn State. If Michigan loses today, it would mark the Wolverines’ first non-winning conference finish since 1967.

Michigan quarterback Scott Dreisbach, who won 11 of his first 12 starts, has self-destructed on consecutive weekends. Of the 10 turnovers the Wolverines committed in the losses to Purdue and Penn State, Dreisbach was responsible for eight--five interceptions and three fumbles.

Dreisbach was particularly hard on himself after the losses, and needed a pep talk from Carr this week.

A win today, though, could ease all the pain.

Michigan has enjoyed wrecking Ohio State’s holiday plans.

In 1993, Ohio State took a No. 5 ranking into the game and lost, 28-0.

In 1991, the Wolverines won, 31-3, just after Cooper received a contract extension.

This will be the ninth time since 1976 that Ohio State has entered the Michigan game with a top-10 ranking. The Buckeyes have lost seven of the last eight games.

Michigan leads the series, 52-34-6.

Last year’s upset was led by a 313-yard rushing performance by Michigan tailback Tim Biakabutuka.

Ohio State thinks it has shored up its soft spots. The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in total defense and are No. 2 nationally in scoring defense, giving up 10.1 points per game. Despite Michigan’s struggles of late, Carr knows what a victory over Ohio State would mean.

“I think everyone who’s been here knows the extent of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry,” Carr said. “Everyone recognizes it as the greatest rivalry on our schedule.”