Ohio State vs. Texas A&M – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/16/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
December 16, 1998
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Big Ten Conference champion Ohio State University Buckeyes, the No. 3 ranked team in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls, are making their 31st post-season bowl game appearance and their 10th consecutive under 11th-year head coach John Cooper. The Buckeyes, who tied a school record by holding the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll for 10 consecutive weeks to open the season, enter the 1999 Nokia Sugar Bowl against 11-2 Texas A&M University with a 10-1 overall record and with resounding wins in their final two games of the season over Iowa (45-14) and Michigan (31-16).
“We are proud of the football team and the way they bounced back after a tough loss to Michigan State,” Cooper said. “We did what we needed to do to solidify our position as part of this Bowl Championship Series. Beating Iowa on the road and playing an outstanding game against a fine Michigan team says a great deal about the character of this team.
“Now we get to go back down to New Orleans and play in the Sugar Bowl against an excellent football team in Texas A&M. They are champions of the Big XII. They defeated an unbeaten Kansas State team. We are happy to be going to the Sugar Bowl to play them. Playing in this type of bowl game against this type of opponent will give us one more chance to showcase what kind of football team we have.”
This will be Ohio State’s fifth-consecutive January 1 or later bowl game and it will also mark the Buckeyes second-consecutive – and third overall trip – to New Orleans to compete in the Sugar Bowl. Last year, 10-2 Ohio State met 10-1 Florida State in the Nokia Sugar Bowl with Florida State’s defense dominating play and sparking the Seminoles’ 31-14 victory. Legendary coach Woody Hayes brought the Buckeyes to the 1978 Sugar Bowl, losing to Bear Bryant’s Alabama Crimson Tide, 35-6.
The Buckeyes and the Aggies, coached by R.C. Slocum and champions of the Big XII Conference after a double-overtime win over previously unbeaten Kansas State in the Big XII title game, have met three times previously and the Buckeyes have won all three meetings. * The two teams met Sept. 28, 1963 in Columbus with the Buckeyes defeating the Aggies, 17-0, behind two one-yard touchdown runs by fullback Matt Snell and a defense that gave up just 110 yards all afternoon.
* In 1970, Ohio State rushed for 415 yards and forced five Texas A&M turnovers in a 56-13 season-opening victory at Ohio Stadium. Leo Hayden, John Brockington and Rex Kern rushed for 89, 77 and 71 yards, respectively.
* The two teams met in the 1987 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas with Ohio State’s defense securing the 28-12 win with a Cotton Bowl record five interceptions including two that were returned for touchdowns (24 yards by Chris Spielman and 49 yards by Mike Kee).
Ohio State will enter the Nokia Sugar Bowl as one of college football’s most balanced teams overall. Few schools can match the offensive consistency and might that the Buckeyes established during the 1998 season behind 304.9 passing yards per game, 198.6 rushing yards and 503.5 total yards. The Buckeyes finished with national rankings of No. 6 in total offense, No. 12 in passing, No. 25 in rushing and No. 9 in scoring (36.5). In the Big Ten, the Buckeyes ranked first, second, second and first in total offense, rushing, passing and scoring, respectively.
Ohio State’s defense has led the nation in all four major disciplines at some time or another this season. The Buckeyes’ defense is ranked No. 1 nationally against the run (67.4 ypg), No. 2 vs. the pass (87.4 rating), No. 2 in total defense (257.7 ygp) and No. 3 in scoring (11.8 ppg). In the Big Ten, the unit ranked first in rushing, passing and total defense and second in scoring defense.
BOWL NOTES & OSU GOOD STUFF
RICH BOWL TRADITION
Ohio State University has a record of 13-17 in its 30 previous bowl game appearances. The Buckeyes are making their 10th-consecutive bowl appearance under head coach John Cooper. The Buckeyes have played in the Rose (13 times), Citrus (four), Sugar (2), Fiesta (2), Holiday (2), Liberty (2), Hall of Fame (2), Orange, Cotton and Gator bowls.
RICH OHIO STATE TRADITION
Ohio State football is as rich in tradition as any program in the nation. The Buckeyes have an all-time record of 710-276-52 through 109 years of collegiate competition. The Buckeyes are one of just seven programs with at least 700 wins and its all-time winning percentage of .709 is fourth-best among all Division IA schools.
40 WINS & 10+ WINS
Ohio State is one of just three teams that has won at least 10 games in the last four seasons. The Buckeyes are also one of only six teams that have won 40 games the last four years. This year’s Ohio State senior class has set a new school record with 42 wins over the last four seasons.
Consecutive: 10-Win Seasons
1. Florida State (11-1) 12 Consecutive 2. Ohio State (10-1) 4 Consecutive 3. Tennessee (12-0) 4 Consecutive Nebraska, at 9-3, could extend its streak to six-consecutive 10-win seasons with a win in the Holiday Bowl. Florida, at 9-2, could extend its streak to six-consecutive 10-win seasons with a win in the Orange Bowl.
40-Win Club: The Last Four Years
1. Nebraska 45-5 2. Tennessee 44-5 3. Florida 43-5 4. Florida State 43-5 5. Ohio State 42-7 6. Kansas State 41-7 28th BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Ohio State has now won or shared 28 Big Ten Conference championships, including three in the last six years under the direction of head coach John Cooper.
BUCKEYES: BEST OF BIG TEN’S BEST
Since Penn State started Big Ten Conference competition in 1993, Ohio State has the best Big Ten Conference record and the most Big Ten championships. The Buckeyes have won 82.3 percent of their games and have claimed three Big Ten championships during that time.
Big Ten’s Best since 1993
1. Ohio State 39-8-1 (.823) 3 Titles 2. Penn State 36-12 (.750) 1 Title 3. Michigan 35-13 (.729) 2 Titles THE DECADE OF THE 1990s
Ohio State has been a force in college football in the 1990s, with an 84-23-3 record and a winning percentage of .777, including a 61-12-1 record the past six years (.831). Coach John Cooper has guided the Buckeyes to three co-Big Ten Conference championships (1993, 1996 and 1998) and his players have been named All-American 18 times. Additionally, they have won virtually every major award possible. Consider, that in the last four years Buckeyes have won the Heisman Trophy (Eddie George in 1995), two Lombardi Awards (Orlando Pace in 1995 and 1996), the Outland Trophy (Orlando Pace in 1996), the Butkus Award (Andy Katzenmoyer in 1997), the Biletnikoff Award (Terry Glenn in 1995), the Maxwell Award (Eddie George in 1995), the Doak Walker Award (Eddie George in 1995), three Chicago Tribune Silver Football awards as the Big Ten MVP (Eddie George in 1995, Orlando Pace in 1996 and Joe Germaine in 1998), three National Football Foundation Scholarship winners (Joey Galloway in 1994, Bobby Hoying in 1995 and Greg Bellisari in 1996) and the Vincent dePaul Draddy Award (Bobby Hoying in 1995).
1998 AWARD CANDIDATES
Antoine Winfield was chosen as the 1998 Thorpe Award winner and he was a finalist for Football News’ Defensive Player of the Year Award. Joe Germaine was one of 10 top candidates for the Davey O’Brien Award and he was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. David Boston was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award. Andy Katzenmoyer was a finalist for the second-consecutive year for the Lombardi Award and the Maxwell Club’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. Head coach John Cooper, the AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year in 1998, was also a finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award and he was a semifinalist for the Football News Coach of the Year Award. Defensive coordinator Fred Pagac was a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach.
CLASSROOM SUCCESS
Senior linebacker Jerry Rudzinski and junior cornerback Ahmed Plummer were each named second-team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. Junior center Kurt Murphy was named to GTE/CoSIDA’s Academic All-District IV team. Rudzinski was named one of Burger King’s 1998 national Scholar-Athlete’s of the Week. Eleven Buckeyes were named to the Big Ten Conference’s all-Academic team: Rudzinski, Plummer, Murphy, senior tackle Brooks Burris, sophomore flanker Chad Cacchio, junior guard Mike Gurr, junior tight end Kevin Houser, junior end Matt LaVrar, junior cornerback David Mitchell, freshman linebacker Jason Ott, sophomore split end Darik Warnke and junior tight end Steve Wisniewski.
10-1 WITH FOUR TOP 25 WINS
Ohio State’s 10-1 campaign, including a 7-1 mark in the Big Ten Conference, included a 4-0 mark in games against top 25 opponents. The wins: 34-17 at No. 11 West Virginia; 35-14 over No. 21 Missouri; 28-9 over No. 7 Penn State; 31-16 over No. 11 Michigan.
1998 OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS
Pick your poison. Teams that tried to stop Ohio State’s running game in 1998 were burned by the pass, and teams that tried to stop the Ohio State passing game, well they just didn’t try. Ohio State had an explosive balance on offense with players and schemes designed for any defense. While ranking sixth in the nation in total offense in 1998, the Buckeyes established plenty of highlights. Among them:
* A school-record 503.5 total yards per game * School record eight games with 500 or more yards of total offense * School record four-consecutive games with 500 or more yards of total offense * 25 passing touchdowns and 21 rushing touchdowns * Season highs of 627 total yards, 390 passing yards and 320 rushing yards * 1,000-yard rusher and receiver and a 3,000-yard quarterback * Converted on 36 of 46 inside the red zone with 28 touchdowns 1998 DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS
Balance was the key word in describing Ohio State’s defense in 1998. Dominating was used quite a bit as well. The Buckeyes were simply one of the most dominant defensive teams in the country in 1998. The team ranked second nationally in total defense, allowing just 257.7 yards per game, and it ranked first against the run and second against the pass. Among this year’s highlights, the defense:
* Allowed just 12 TDs (five rushing; seven passing) * Allowed just 40 second-half points * Allowed only two teams to rush for over 100 yardsHeld nine teams under * * 80 rushing yards and six of final seven under 49 yards * Recorded 99 tackles for losses, including 39 sacks, and 17 interceptions * Scored five touchdowns (three interception returns and two fumble returns) 10 WEEKS AT NO. 1
The Buckeyes opened the 1998 season as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation, an accomplishment that the proud Scarlet and Gray Buckeyes held on to for a school record-tying 10-consecutive weeks. The 1969 Buckeyes also held on to the No. 1 national ranking for 10-consecutive weeks.
COOPER’S AMONG BIG TEN’S BEST
Head coach John Cooper ranks among the top six coaches in Big Ten Conference history. Cooper has an 11-year Big Ten mark of 62-22-4 (.730) which ranks sixth among all-time conference coaches. Ahead of him are Bo Shembechler (.850), Fielding Yost (.796), Woody Hayes (.785) and Fritz Crisler (.777).
FOUR ALL-AMERICANS
For the fourth-consecutive season Ohio State has placed at least three different Buckeyes on one or more All-America teams, and in 1998 there were four Buckeye All-Americans. Antoine Winfield is now a two-time OSU All-American after he was chosen to the Associated Press, Walter Camp, Football Writers Association, Football Coaches Association, Sporting News and Football News All-American teams this year. David Boston was named to the Football Writers Association, Sporting News and Football News All-American teams. Rob Murphy becomes a two-time OSU All-American after getting named to the Associated Press, Sporting News and the Football News All-American team (for the second-consecutive year). Damon Moore earned first-team All-American honors by the Sporting News.
14 BUCKEYES EARN ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
Eight Ohio State Buckeyes were named first-team all-Big Ten Conference by the coaches or media and 14 Buckeyes altogether earned some form of all-Big Ten mention this season. The first team picks were Joe Germaine, Michael Wiley, Rob Murphy, David Boston, Antoine Winfield and Damon Moore (all first-team by the coaches and media) with Andy Katzenmoyer (media) and Na’il Diggs (coaches) also earning first team honors. Winfield was a consensus pick by both the coaches and media. Boston was consensus by the media. Second-team honors were awarded to Ben Gilbert, John Lumpkin and Dee Miller (by both coaches and the media) with Brent Bartholomew (coaches) and Ahmed Plummer (media) also getting second-team mention. Tyson Walter was an honorable mention pick by both the coaches and the media.
GERMAINE IS CHICAGO TRIBUNE MVP
Joe Germaine was selected as the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football Award winner as the Big Ten Conference’s Most Valuable Player. He is the 14th Buckeye to win the Silver Football and only the second quarterback (Art Schlichter won the award in 1981).
GERMAINE & BOSTON: RECORD BREAKERS
Joe Germaine and David Boston clearly established themselves as two of the best ever at their positions to wear the Scarlet and Gray. Germaine has set or tied eight school passing records, including 300-yard game records for a career (eight), season (seven) and consecutively (four) and he can tie or break four more passing records in the Sugar Bowl. Boston has established nine Ohio State receiving records (set or tied) and he could easily bump that total to 11 in the Sugar Bowl. Among his remarkable records, all set in three years, are career, single season and game receiving records (180, 74 and 14, respectively) and career touchdown receptions (34).
DYNAMIC DUOS
Other tandems (those in pass only offensive systems) may have had more receptions or yards, but no receiving tandem in the country was simply as good as Ohio State’s tandem of split end David Boston and flanker Dee Miller at catching the football. Boston, with 74 receptions for 1,330 yards and 13 touchdowns is the All-American. Miller, with 58 receptions for 887 yards and three touchdowns, is spectacular, too. There has never been two Ohio State receivers with 1,000 yards each in a season. They came close last year. They’re coming close this year.
DYNAMIC DUOS II
Michael Wiley and Joe Montgomery combined to form a lethal combination of wham-bam at the tailback position this season. The two combined for 1,817 yards, 16 touchdowns and a 6.2 yards-per-carry average. Wiley became the 16th Buckeye to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Montgomery battled back against all odds to rush for 670 yards, including the longest run of the season: 80 yards vs. Iowa.
STARTERS STORIES
Ohio State featured the same starter at 21 of the 22 positions this season and only six of those starters were seniors. The only deviation in the starting routine, aside from a four-receivers spread against Minnesota and a two-tight end set against West Virginia and Toledo, was true freshman Ryan Pickett taking over for Clinton Wayne at one defensive tackle position. Other than that, the starters stayed the same. Some starting streaks currently alive are: Andy Katzenmoyer has started all 36 games the last three years; Rob Murphy has started 34 in a row; David Boston has started 31 games in a row. Ahmed Plummer, Jerry Rudzinski, Antoine Winfield and Gary Berry have each started 24 games in a row.
49ers
Seniors Antoine Winfield and Dee Miller will each be playing in their 50th game at the Sugar Bowl.
HE SCOOORRREEESSS!
While David Boston was leading the Big Ten Conference with 14 touchdowns and Michael Wiley was adding 11 more touchdowns, the Ohio defense was getting into the act with five touchdowns of its own. Jerry Rudzinski recovered a fumble in the end zone against Penn State. Na’il Diggs raced 47 yards with a recovered fumble against Illinois. Central McClellion returned a Minnesota interception 60 yards for a score. Damon Moore returned a Michigan State interception 73 yards for touchdown. And Mike Collins may have become the biggest Buckeye at 6-3, 290-pounds to score a touchdown when he rumbled 22-yards for a touchdown with an interception against Indiana.
THE D-LINE SHUFFLE
Florida State’s relentless pass rush against Ohio State in last year’s Sugar Bowl convinced Ohio State’s coaches that more linemen more often is better. This year the Buckeye coaches shuffled in and out eight different defensive linemen. Among them were six freshmen and sophomores among the eight-man two- deep. Sophomore Brent Johnson led the linemen with 181 minutes. Five other young Bucks had at least 93 minutes.
MORE ON THE D-LINE
Brent Johnson and Clinton Wayne, Ohio State’s Canadian connection, each recorded interceptions in the Northwestern game. Johnson, in his first year as a starter, led the defensive linemen with 36 tackles and he led the team with seven quarterback sacks. A couple of true freshmen, Ryan Pickett and Mike Collins, had 21 tackles apiece from the tackle position with a combined 10 tackles-for-loss. Ten of Rodney Bailey’s 15 tackles were behind the line for losses totaling 40 yards. Joe Brown, playing with a painful plate in his thumb, still managed 19 tackles and he started all 11 games.
BUCKEYE LEAVES
Jonathan Wells gets to go home for the holidays. Ohio State’s freshman tailback, the team’s third-leading rusher with 169 yards (4.9 avg.) and two touchdowns, is from River Ridge, La. He is the only Buckeye from the Bayou state….The Ohio State defense allowed just two rushing and two passing touchdowns in the second half this season….All six Ohio State games at Ohio Stadium were sellouts this season. The average attendance: 93,502….The Buckeye fans also helped road games at West Virginia, Northwestern and Indiana record sellout crowds….Ohio State’s 39 sacks this season are second-most in the Big Ten and only two off the school record set by the 1996 team….The Buckeye defense limited the opponents to a conference-low 26 percent on third down tries….The passing game needs just 135 yards in the Sugar Bowl to break the 1995 team’s record of 3,490 passing yards….Along with everything he did as a receiver, David Boston ranked fourth nationally in punt returns with a 14.9 yard average that included a 70-yard touchdown return against Indiana….Damon Moore, with two interceptions this season, has recorded at least two interceptions four straight years now….Antoine Winfield topped 200 solo tackles, becoming only the fifth Buckeye to do so. The previous four were all linebackers….Ohio State has now produced 151 All-Americans including 47 consensus All-Americans….Michael Wiley and Joe Montgomery combined for eight 100-yard rushing games and David Boston and Dee Miller combined for 10 100-yard receiving games….21 different Buckeyes had a tackle-for-loss and 14 had at least one interception….Fullback Matt Keller (128 rushing yards and 15 receptions for 193 more yards) and tight end John Lumpkin (16 receptions for 270 yards and four touchdowns) just seem to get the job done game after game.
