Buckeye’s Look To Continue Winning Ways Against Wisconsin – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/27/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 27, 1999
Top 25 Polls
Two Deep Charts
A QUICK LOOK AT THE WISCONSIN GAME
The Ohio State Buckeyes host the Wisconsin Badgers in the Buckeyes’ 1999 Big Ten Conference opening game Saturday, Oct. 2 at Ohio Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. (EST) with ABC television broadcasting the game to a regional audience. The game will be the first between Ohio State and Wisconsin since the 1996 season, when Ohio State came from behind to claim a 17-14 win at Ohio Stadium. The 3-1 Buckeyes enter the game with a three-game winning streak and national rankings of No. 12 by the Associated Press and No. 9 by ESPN/USA Today. The Badgers, 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten, have lost back-to-back games to Cincinnati (17-12) and Michigan (21-16) and have dropped out of the Associated Press poll from a No. 9 ranking two weeks ago. The Badgers also fell out of the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 this week. The game is the fourth of five-consecutive home games for the Buckeyes, who have defeated No. 13 UCLA, 42-20, Ohio, 40-16, and Cincinnati, 34-20, since opening the season with a 23-12 loss to No. 12 Miami in the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium. Wisconsin opened Coach Barry Alvarez’s 10th year at the helm with wins over Division I-AA Murray State, 49-10, and Ball State, 50-10.
RADIO COVERAGE
The game will be broadcast around Ohio on the 71-station Ohio State Radio Network with Sports Radio 1460 (AM) The Fan the flagship station. Calling the action and in his second year as play-by-play announcer is Paul Keels. He is assisted in the broadcast booth by third-year analyst Jim Lachey. Jim Karsatos, in his 11th season on the team, provides sideline commentary.
THE BUCKEYES vs. THE BADGERS
Ohio State holds a 48-13-5 advantage over Wisconsin in the all-time series that began in 1913 with a 12-0 Wisconsin win. Wisconsin won the first three times the teams played, but Ohio State won 30 of 33 games between 1948 and 1980 (with two ties), including 21 consecutive between 1960 and 1980 to take a commanding lead in the series. Since 1981, the series is considerably less one-sided, with Ohio State holding a 9-6-1 advantage in wins. OSU vs. UW Game Quick Facts. . .
The Buckeyes have won the last three games in the series, 24-3in 1994, 27-16 in 1995 and 17-14 in 1996.
Ohio State is 27-4-3 vs. Wisconsin in Columbus (25-2-3 at OhioStadium) and 21-9-2 in Madison.
Wisconsin’s wins at Ohio Stadium came in 1982 (6-0) and in 1985(12-7).
Coach John Cooper is 7-1-1 vs. Wisconsin, including a 5-0 mark atOhio Stadium.
Cooper’s only loss to Wisconsin was in Ohio State’s 1992 Big Tenopener: 20-16 in Madison.
Coach Barry Alvarez is 1-5-1 vs. OSU.
87th BIG TEN CAMPAIGN FOR OHIO STATE
The game this week marks the 87th season of Big Ten Conference football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, who joined the Western Conference in 1913 under a wave of electric enthusiasm in Columbus (Ohio Field was expanded to accomodate 14,000 spectators in anticipation of joining the conference). The Buckeyes have an all-time Big Ten record of 387-144-24 and have won or shared 28 Big Ten championships, second-most in conference history. Ohio State is 61-22-3 in Big Ten Conference opening games. John Cooper’s Ohio State teams are 7-4 in Big Ten openers and have won six in succession since losing to Wiscoinsin in 1992.
BUCKEYES – BEST OF BIG TEN’S BEST
Ohio State has the Big Ten Conference’s best conference record (39-8-1) and the most conference championships (3) since Penn State joined the conference in 1993. Ohio State has won 82.3 percent of its Big Ten games since 1993. Penn State (37-12 with one Big Ten title) has won 75.5 percent of its games and Michigan (36-13 with two championships) has won 73.5 percent of its games. Wisconsin is 28-18-3 (.602) with two Big Ten crowns.
COOPER – AMONG BIG TEN’S BEST AS WELL
John Cooper’s all-time Big Ten Conference winning percentage of 72.7 percent is the fifth-best winning percentage in Big Ten history. Cooper, who is 62-22-4 in Big Ten games, trails only the legendary likes of Bo Schembechler, Fielding Yost, Woody Hayes and Fritz Crisler.
OSU vs. UW: THE LAST MEETING
The date was Oct. 12, 1996 and then-freshman Ron Dayne had not yet become the Badgers’ starting tailback. Carl McCullough was, and behind his 81 rushing yards, 206 passing yards from Mike Samuel and an aggressive defense, the Badgers led the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes, 14-10, in the fourth quarter. The Ohio Stadium crowd was numb with fear for the first time in a season that had started with 70- and 72-point games followed by convincing poundings of good Notre Dame and Penn State teams. But following a 36-yard fumble return that had given the Badgers their fourth-quarter lead, sophomore Joe Germaine entered the game. He soon followed with his only completion of the day, and it turned out to be a game-winner: a 48-yard touchdown completion to Dimitrious Stanley with 8:51 to play. Stanley had been awesome throughout, with 199 receiving yards. Stanley Jackson also had one of his best days as a passer, completing 18-of-25 for 265 yards.
SINCE THAT LAST MEETING IN 1996. . .
Joe Germaine became idolized, a star, a record-setter and a Big Ten MVP quarterback who was the “steal of the 1999 NFL Draft,” according to John Cooper. . .Ron Dayne has eclipsed Archie Griffin’s 24-year-old Big Ten rushing record, is chasing Ricky Williams’s one-year old NCAA rushing mark and has become known as the “Great Dayne”. . .Both teams have won Rose Bowls (OSU in 1997 over Arizona State and Wisconsin in 1999 over UCLA). . .OSU is 31-6 and has not been out of the nation’s Top 20. . .Six Big Ten schools have changed coaches. . .Ohio State has built the $5 million Bill Davis Baseball Stadium and the $110 million Jerome Schottenstein Center, started building the new Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium (for track and field, soccer and lacrosse) and the Younkin Success Center (an academic support complex for students and athletes), and started the three-year, $187 million renovation of storied Ohio Stadium.
THE OHIO STADIUM RENOVATION
Ohio Stadium is in the midst of a three-year, $187 million renovation that will improve aisle widths, seating for the disabled, escalator and elevator services, as well as increase seating capacity to about 97,000 fans. This project, which will be completed in time for the 2001 football season, is the first extensive renovation of Ohio Stadium since it was built in 1922. Last summer construction crews removed the track that surrounded the field for 77 years and completed one of the most crucial aspects of the project: the building of a slurry wall of impermeable concrete around the field, two-to-three feet wide and from ground level to bedrock (approximately 40 feet). East and west side foundations also were built, and demolition began inside of the west side. Following this season, new east-side CC Deck stands will be build, the field will be lowered 14-feet-6-inches with new AA Level seats to the field, construction will begin on the west side B Deck Suites, the south stands will be permanently built and a new 175-foot high scoreboard (the current scoreboard is 100 feet high) will be constructed behind the south stands.
OHIO STADIUM HISTORY
Ohio State is playing its home games in grand Ohio Stadium, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, for the 78th season. The team has an all-time record of 324-95-20 at Ohio Stadium.
ARCHIE GRIFFIN on RON DAYNE. . .
Archie Griffin had this to say to the Columbus Dispatch after Ron Dayne had broken his Big Ten record of 5,589 rushing yards set between 1972 and 1975: “I’m glad that he got it….I certainly am surprised [that the record stood for 24 years] because I thought it would be broken well before this….I feel real good about the time it’s lasted and I knew that Ron Dayne was going to break it….I admire that he stayed four years because he’s a guy who I thought would have been a very early draft choice….He’s a punishing runner, a tough guy to handle, and when he comes here it’s going to be tough on us.”
COOPER GETS 100th OHIO STATE WIN
12th-year head coach John Cooper earned his 100th victory at Ohio State with his team’s 34-20 win over Cincinnati last weekend. He has had easier victories. His Buckeyes had to come back from a 17-3 second-quarter deficit to emerge victorious in the first meeting with Cincinnati since 1931. The passing of Steve Bellisari to Ken-Yon Rambo sparked the win. The two hooked up on a 59-yard scoring strike to cut UC’s 2nd quarter lead to 17-10. Two OSU possessions later they connected on a 55-yard bomb down to the UC 3-yard line. Michael Wiley tied the score moments later. Then with the score already in Ohio State’s favor at 24-17 in the third quarter, Wiley found Rambo on a 50-yard gain that set up Bellisari’s game-clinching 11-yard touchdown run. UC, which had defeated Wisconsin the previous week, earned much respect after totalling 525 yards of offense against OSU.
HOPE IT’S NOT A HABIT
Ohio State has trailed in all four games this season but has come back to win three of them. OSU erased a 7-0 Miami lead, took a 9-7 advantage only to lose 23-12. OSU trailed UCLA, 10-0, in the second quarter but scored 21-consecutive points on the way to a 22-point win. Ohio led OSU, 10-3, before the Buckeyes romped behind 31-consecutive points. Another 31-consecutive-point outburst eliminated the Bearcats and their 17-3 lead.
JUST 19 2nd-HALF OPPONENT POINTS
Ohio State’s defense, although unable to produce a score this season, has done its part in the team’s comebacks. The Buckeyes have allowed just 19 second half points (compared to 60 in the first half) with only two touchdowns allowed.
| WR Ken-Yon Rambo |
RAMBO SETS OSU RECORD
Ken-Yon Rambo established a new Ohio State record by becoming thefirst receiver in school history to record three catches of atleast 50 yards in one game. His only three catches against UC,before leaving the game with a slight ankle sprain, covered 59-,55- and 50-yards. He has now recorded consecutive 100-yardreceiving games: eight receptions for 181 yards and two touchdownsvs. Ohio and three receptions for 164 yards and one touchdown vs.the Bearcats.
AN ALL-AROUND EFFORT FROM WILEY
Michael Wiley had an all-around afternoon against Cincinnati. The senior tailback rushed for 95 yards with a 3-yard touchdown run, caught one pass for 9 yards, completed a 50-yard bomb to Ken-Yon Rambo and supplied two terrific blocks on Steve Bellisari first-down rushes.
DIGGS THIS: THREE MORE TFLs
Junior All-America candidate Na’il Diggs added three more tackles-for-loss to his resume against Cincinnati. Diggs is tied for third in the Big Ten with nine TFLs (for minus 26 yards) and has 33 for his career to rank seventh at Ohio State. His 14 quarterback sacks are tied for sixth.
BELLISARI 4th NATIONALLY
This week’s NCAA rankings list Steve Bellisari fourth nationally with a passing efficiency rating of 160.9. Both Penn State quarterbacks Rashard Casey (219.7 efficiency rating) and Kevin Thompson (166.2) are listed ahead of Bellisari in the Big Ten weekly rankings, but neither are listed among the NCAA leaders because neither reach the NCAA minimum of 15 pass attempts per game.
OTT STARS AGAINST HOMETOWN TEAM
Jason Ott, the 1996 Ohio Player of the Year as a senior at Cincinnati Elder, had his best game as a collegian against the Bearcats. The sophomore had a career-high 11 tackles with two for loss, recorded his first career interception and also batted down a pass. Ott leads the team in takeaways with three. He had fumble recoveries vs. Miami and UCLA.
STULTZ EARNS BIG TEN HONOR
Junior place-kicker Dan Stultz was named the Big Ten Conference special team’s Player of the Week for his efforts in the Buckeyes’ win over Cincinnati. Stultz made all four of his extra points and was 2-for-2 in field goals, including his first 40-plus yard field goal of the season. He also punted four times for a 40.3 yard average. This is his first Big Ten weekly honor. Stultz is on a roll with four-consecutive field goals and 14-consecutive extra points.
WALTER – 3rd LINEMAN OF THE WEEK HONOR
Junior left tackle Tyson Walter earned his third-consecutive OSU Lineman of the Week award following the Cincinnati game. He shared the honor this week with Kurt Murphy. Ken-Yon Rambo was offensive Player of the Week for the second-consecutive week. Defensively, no awards were given out, although the defensive coaches did honor the scout team receivers for their work last week in practice.
GERMANY OVERTAKES RAMBO
Reggie Germany’s splendid game against Cincinnati – six catches for 90 yards – has bumped him ahead of Ken-Yon Rambo for the team receiving lead. Germany has 20 receptions for 294 yards while Rambo has 19 for 407. Germany, who came into the season with four touchdowns receiving to Rambo’s one, has yet to find the end zone this year while Rambo has five scores.
A CAREER-BEST GAME FOR COMBS
Speedster Derek Combs rushed for a career-high 80 yards with one touchdown against Cincinnati in relief of Michael Wiley. Combs had a career-long rush of 39 yards in the third quarter that set up his own 5-yard touchdown run.
IMPRESSIVE D-LINE NUMBERS
Three members of the Buckeyes’ defensive line are already within two tackles each from reaching or topping their entire 1998 tackling totals. Tackle Mike Collins, who leads all defensive linemen in tackles, has 21 after four games compared to his 23 tackles in 1998. Reserve end James Cotton has 15 this year and had 16 last year. End Rodney Bailey has 14 this year compared to 16 last year. Tackle Ryan Collins isn’t far behind. He has 15 this year compared with 22 last year. End Brent Johnson, with 15 tackles, is on pace to top his team-best (for linemen) 40 tackles from a year ago.
IMPRESSIVE O-LINE NUMBERS
The Ohio State offensive line has allowed just five sacks this season to rank in a tie for third in the Big Ten Conference.
OSU OFFENSIVE NOTES
Coordinator Mike Jacobs has seen his offense – minus record-setters Joe Germaine and David Boston as well as talented Dee Miller – get loose the past three games with averages of 484 yards and 38.6 points. The passing game, behind improving first-year quarterback Steve Bellisari, 2-0 as a starter, and the receiving tandem of Reggie Germany and Ken-Yon Rambo (39 catches, 701 yards, 5 touchdowns combined), has been most consistent in OSU’s three wins. Michael Wiley (384 yards, 5.8 ypc, 5 TDs) is the featured running back with plenty of support from Jonathan Wells, a bruiser with speed who is expected back this week after missing the last three games with an ankle sprain, and elusive Derek Combs (122 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks). The offensive line features three, three-year starters in RG Ben Gilbert, C Kurt Murphy and LT Tyson Walter. The Buckeyes rank third in the Big Ten in total offense with an average of 418.0 yards per game.
ON THE DEFENSIVE
Two straight games without a defensive Player of the Week indicates coordinator Fred Pagac isn’t too pleased with the play of his unit. Cincinnati’s 525 yards was the most allowd by a Pagac defense, the seventh-most allowed by an Ohio State team and the most since Penn State had 572 in 1994. The unit is led by a physical, talented and deep front line. Na’il Diggs, Ahmed Plummer and Gary Berry are potential All-Americans. But youth is evident with first-year starters at key positions of middle and outside linebacker, cornerback and strong safety. The secondary features three of the team’s top four tacklers as Berry continues to lead the way with 42 total tackles, Nate Clements is second with 37 and Donnie Nickey is fourth with 25. The superstar Diggs is third with 33. The defense has allowed 379.3 yards per game.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
1 – Ken-Yon Rambo’s touchdown receptions in his first 23 games as a Buckeye.
5 – Rambo touchdown receptions after four games in 1999.
7 – Touchdown receptions Terry Glenn had after four games in 1995, the year he set the Ohio State record with 17.
6.0 & 5.8 – Archie Griffin’s and Ron Dayne’s career yards per carry averages, respectively.
10 – Consecutive games kicker Dan Stultz went without making a 40-yard field goal, dating to last year’s Illinois game. He had been 0-6 since then until hitting on a 41-yarder vs. Cincinnati.
12th – OSU’s national ranking in 1992 when Wisconsin stunned the Buckeyes giving Barry Alvarez his first win over a ranked opponent.
137 – Number of games for John Cooper to reach 100 career wins at Ohio State.
145 – Number of games for legendary Woody Hayes to reach 100 career wins at Ohio State. He had 205 in his 28-year career.
714-278-53 – Ohio State’s all-time record in its 110th year of intercollegiate football. Ohio State ranks seventh nationally in all-time victories.
PLAYMAKERS
Ohio State has 21 rushing and passing plays this season of 20 or more yards. Ken-Yon Rambo has six, including four of 50 or more yards. Reggie Germany (5) and Michael Wiley (3) are next.
SCARLET & GRAY GOOD STUFF. . .
John Cooper is now 35-5 overall vs. non-conference opponents in regular season games and he is 32-4 in the month of September with 17-consecutive victories dating to a 25-16 loss at Washington Sept. 10, 1994. . .Reggie Germany and Ken-Yon Rambo rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Big Ten in receptions per game. Rambo is second in yards per game and he is fourth in all-purpose yards. . .Gary Berry’s seven-year best of four-consecutive games with 10-or-more tackles ended against Cincinnati. The Big Ten’s third-leading tackler (10.5 per game) had eight in addition to his first interception of the season. . .Dan Stultz is 6-for-8 in field goals this season. . .Michael Wiley is fifth in the Big Ten with 96.0 rushing yards per game. . .The offensive line has shuffled its back-ups. LeCharles Bentley is pushing Mike Gurr for a starting assignment at left guard. Tam Hopkins is now the back-up at right guard. Freshman Adrien Clarke backs up at right tackle. . .Junior David Mitchell (35 plays at nickel back) had his most extensive action as a collegian in the UC game. . .Credit Ryan Picket with a deflection on the Cincinnati pass the Jason Ott intercepted.
MISCELLANEOUS STATS
Third Downs: The Buckeyes have converted on 20-of-50 third down conversions this season (40 pct.), while their opponents have converted on 21-of-63 (33 pct.). Inside the 20: The Buckeyes have scored on 19-of-21 trips inside of the 20 this season (90 pct.) with 14 touchdowns and five field goals. Opponents have converted on 64 pct. of their trips inside the OSU 20 (7-of-11) with four touchdowns and three field goals. Points off turnovers: Ohio State has scored 26 points off 10 opponent turnovers. Opponents have scored 14 points off 12 Ohio State turnovers.
ALREADY HONORS CANDIDATES
Ohio State, which has had players win 23 major athletic awards and 17 win National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholarships – the most of any school – has at least three more players who will be in the running for such honors in 1999. Linebacker Na’il Diggs, a preseason All-American, is on the initial “watch list” for the Butkus Award. Senior tailback Michael Wiley, coming off a 1,235-yard rushing year in his first year as a starter, is a Doak Walker Running Back Award nominee. And senior cornerback Ahmed Plummer, another preseason All-American and called the best cover cornerback in the country by OSU secondary coach Jon Tenuta, will be a legitimate threat to win the Thorpe Award. He also is Ohio State’s nominee for a National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholarship. Free safety Gary Berry is on many preseason publication lists as one of college football’s top free safeties in 1999.
LOTS TO REPLACE FROM 1998
The 1999 Buckeyes will be chasing a fifth-consecutive 10-win-or-more season and the sixth in the last seven years. The Buckeyes are replacing 10 starters from last year, including seven who were selected in the 1999 NFL Draft. Included in the group are four All-Americans – CB Antoine Winfield, SS Damon Moore, SE David Boston and LG Rob Murphy – record-setting quarterback Joe Germaine, flanker Dee Miller, Butkus Award winner Andy Katzenmoyer and punter Brent Bartholomew.
FIRST MEETING WITH WISCONSIN SINCE 1996
The University of Wisconsin rolls into Columbus for the first time since 1996 on the shoulders of Heisman Trophy candidate Ron Dayne. The Badgers, coming off a co-Big Ten Championship season, stand 2-2 overall but have dropped consecutive games to Cincinnati and Michigan.
THE BADGERS LAST WEEK
Wisconsin spotted Michigan 14 points in the first quarter and never recovered, eventually falling 21-16 to the Wolverines in Madison. The Badgers drew withing six points with less than two minutes to play on a Brooks Bollinger 13-yard run, but an onsides kick attempt failed just seconds later. Michigan held Dayne without a rushing yard in the second half and only 88 for the game.
ON THE SHOULDER OF WISCONSIN’S GREAT DAYNE
Wisconsin’s offense has gained nearly twice as many yards on the ground (1,000) as it has in the air (569) this year. Dayne is averaging 153 yards per game and just over 25 carries. Just two weeks after breaking Archie Griffin’s all-time Big Ten rushing record, Dayne needs 1,105 yards to become college football’s all-time leading rusher. Wisconsin’s success has typically hinged on Dayne’s effectiveness over the past four years. The Badgers are 21-5 when he rushes for 100 or more yards, and just 6-7 when he is held to less than 100 yards. Wisconsin has utilized two quarterbacks in each of its first four games this year. Senior Scott Kavanagh is known as the more accurate passer of the two, and has thrown for 446 yards and two touchdowns this season. Redshirt freshman Brooks Bollinger, UW’s scout team offensive player of the year last season, is the more athletic of the two quarterbacks and ranks third on the team in rushing yardage.
DEFENSE IS THE BADGERS STRENGTH
Defense was the strength of the UW Big Ten Championship team last year. Nothing has changed in 1999. Opponents are scoring only 14.5 points per game against the Badgers, who return eight starters from last year. Former walk-on Donnel Thompson, on the preseason checklist for the Butkus Award, and Chris Ghidorzi headline a talented group of linebackers. Sophomore Wendell Bryant leads the team with five sacks. Senior strong safety Bobby Myers led UW against Michigan with 10 tackles and an interception.
-GO BUCKS!-
