HAPPY JOHN COOPER DAY (2-10-22)
I think it was Seth (or maybe Brian) who told a story about a party on Feb. 10 because the OSU coach went 2 Wins and 10 Losses (and a tie) to Michigan. Since this year is a happy one for rivalry celebration, I thought to spend some good cheer.
So Happy [expletive] John Cooper day and a 42-27 to you all! GO BLUE!
February 10th, 2022 at 8:41 AM ^
I was still a student on 2-10-01. We had a party. There were commemorative T-shirts.
February 10th, 2022 at 8:44 AM ^
Truthfully I was still a student too, but my interests were more "what the hell am I doing when I graduate?" and not "This guy Tressel does not worry men in the slightest!"
February 10th, 2022 at 11:19 AM ^
...and subs
February 10th, 2022 at 12:11 PM ^
Sounds crazy.
February 10th, 2022 at 12:57 PM ^
I was a junior then and can't believe I did not know about this (or think of it)
And it happened less than 6 weeks after he was fired
February 10th, 2022 at 8:46 AM ^
Ahhh…the good ole days. Watching Michigan ruin at least 2 NC’s for OSU while I was in college was amazing.
February 10th, 2022 at 10:28 AM ^
It was pretty amazing ruining both a playoff spot and a Heisman for them last year!
February 10th, 2022 at 11:57 AM ^
And winning the B1G and the playoff spot over OSU. Also, Michigan's Heisman candidate finished higher than OSU's. The icing on top of the icing on top of....
February 10th, 2022 at 9:04 AM ^
Fuck OSU
February 10th, 2022 at 9:01 PM ^
I will always posbang this.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:06 AM ^
May Ryan Day be another John Cooper. Fuck OSU
February 10th, 2022 at 9:14 AM ^
I watched that last game on TV. You could hear it loud and clear TWO TEN AND ONE, TWO TEN AND ONE, TWO TEN AND ONE, as the clock ran out. You could see the pain on Coopers face, he knew it was over for him. I’ve always felt just a little sorry for him.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:50 AM ^
He was my favorite coach of all time. I miss him.
February 10th, 2022 at 4:20 PM ^
Wasn't Cooper's last U-M/OSU game in Columbus? Buckeye fans were chanting that?
I'm kind of amazed Cooper was brought back for 2000 after 1999. OSU finished in eighth place (!!!) in the conference in 1999, and didn't even make a Bowl Game. But he did come back for 2000.
-------
On a tangent, my lasting memory of Cooper was the 2000 OSU/PSU game. Adam Taliaferro gets hurt with 1:29 left in the 4th quarter. OSU is winning 38-6. 15 minute delay as he gets carted off the field. On the very next play, Cooper has his QB throw a pass, which goes for a first down, against the CB who came in to replace Taliaferro; they then hurry up on the drive to get another touchdown. Why??? It was just so utterly meaningless and unnecessary. Kneel it out after what just happened, get out of there.
I never liked Cooper much before that, but that sealed the deal.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
Will there be a party in the year 4742?
February 10th, 2022 at 9:23 AM ^
Yeah, there will be a party, assuming the human race hasn't destroyed the place by then.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:46 AM ^
Sooner than that! My invitation says that party will be in 2742, and for those who miss that one, again in 4227.
February 10th, 2022 at 12:59 PM ^
If I'm still here on 2.7.42, you're all invited to my place
February 10th, 2022 at 1:03 PM ^
why not have it on 4-2-27 so we don't have to wait for so long?
February 10th, 2022 at 2:16 PM ^
No, no....not that day. I have plans that day.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:19 AM ^
I can get on board with this. 95 through 97 was a very fun stretch. Ruining their chances to win two national championships and us winning it. Like kicking somebody in the balls and stealing their girlfriend.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:23 AM ^
That’s normally called Assault and Kidnapping.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:58 AM ^
Lighten up... I mean, if we can't club some girl in the head and drag her home by the hair, what kind of cavemen are we?
(For you sensitive guys, I'm JOKING.)
February 10th, 2022 at 9:37 AM ^
Don't forget '93. (Grrr...)
And you're right that Michigan ruined OSU's chances to win multiple MNCs, but you guys are so focused on Michigan's '97 team that you probably don't remember that OSU had an outside chance at a MNC that season also. OSU entered the '97 Michigan game with one loss and ranked #4...if they happen to win that game (and oh man they really could have...Grr...), then OSU goes to the Rose Bowl ranked #2 or #3 and if anything crazy happened on New Year's Day then OSU could have finished #1 in the rankings.
Grr...the '90s...Grr
February 10th, 2022 at 12:22 PM ^
I loved the 93 and 95 wins but OSU wouldn't have won a national title either year. In particular, 1993, they were not as good as their record.
1996 legit OSU could have won it. Thank you, Tai Streets.
1997 was very, VERY defensive minded. But OSU was only able to come within 6 because of a fumble recovery at the 3 yard line. You were no threat to score the last 13 minutes of that game.
1998 was OSU's best team of the 90's. How you lost to a crappy 6-6 MSU team, I'll never know. But it was sooooo fun to watch.
February 10th, 2022 at 12:47 PM ^
‘93 OSU could very well have won the title, or at least a share. Had they beaten U-M and 3-loss UCLA in the Rose Bowl, they would’ve been the only undefeated team (save for Auburn, which was on probation).
No question that other teams were qualitatively better, but as the sole undefeated major-conference team that played in a bowl game, OSU would’ve had a strong argument.
February 10th, 2022 at 1:02 PM ^
As an OSU fan what was most frustrating was back then when you lost mattered. The season ending loss to UM killed any chance of a title. In '96 Florida lost to FSU early in the year and was given a rematch for a title chance. When you lost mattering seems so arbitrary now with the 4 team playoff. There was no way back then a team like Alabama could lose its season ending rivalry game to Auburn and still play for a title like it did in 2017.
February 10th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
1993, they were not as good as their record.
Agreed, but see above comment as to where OSU would have ranked in '93.
1996 legit OSU could have won it. Thank you, Tai Streets.
You mean, thank you Shawn Springs for slipping on the frosted turf.
OSU was only able to come within 6 because of a fumble recovery at the 3 yard line.
If you want to take away that score, then I get to take away Stanley Jackson handing Michigan a pick-6. Plus, if only OSU made a tackle on the punt return. Michigan only had one offensive score in the game.
How you lost to a crappy 6-6 MSU team, I'll never know.
I too was mesmerized. OSU was even up 24-6! ...just fell apart I guess.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:40 AM ^
P.S. I suppose it's good that Harbaugh won one.
...how else could you put 0-5 on the calendar?
February 10th, 2022 at 9:50 AM ^
i'm contractually obligated to downvote this, but.... touché, good sir.
February 10th, 2022 at 3:48 PM ^
Seconded. He roots for the wrong team, but I think Buckeye Chuck is good people. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mind having a beer with this guy...
February 10th, 2022 at 11:07 AM ^
I'm curious, how do OSU fans look at the 2016 game. Obviously a win in the record book but is there acknowledgement of the total screw job by the officiating crew. Not talking about the spot but the whole game in general and how it was officiated. Or do you guys take the more "nothing to see here gif" approach to that game.
February 10th, 2022 at 11:15 AM ^
Lmao he's not going to respond to this.
February 10th, 2022 at 1:58 PM ^
There were a couple bad PI calls that favored OSU, one on each side of the ball. That always sucks for the team those calls goes against.
Similar take as I have about OSU's 2019 game against Clemson, you've gotta make enough good plays that overcome bad calls. Taking the scoop-n-score off the board sucked, but OSU was stuck with 3 FGs in the first half. If a minor adjustment happens here or there to turn one or two of the 3s into 7s, then it's a different game that officiating blunders won't overturn.
So my answer is, in essence, make more plays. For example, Peppers had Curtis Samuel dead to rights on 3rd & 9. If Peppers makes that play, OSU is looking at 4th & ~12(?) instead of 4th & 1 and the Barrett keeper never happens.
...make plays.
February 10th, 2022 at 3:38 PM ^
You can say that not enough plays were made and site the Peppers failure to stop him shorter. Or you could say they made the play and stopped him short on 4th down but still didn’t get credit for it.
I agree that we remember the plays at the end of the game that ultimately decided it but games are also won and lost by things that happen in the first half that we forget about. I always think about how inaccurate refs are at spotting the ball. By the time you get to the 4th quarter the refs have literally made errors that add up to feet or yards at that point. We should care more about spot accuracy throughout the whole game, not just the end. Why they haven’t developed technology to do this accurately yet is puzzling.
February 10th, 2022 at 3:56 PM ^
There were a couple bad PI calls that favored OSU, one on each side of the ball.
It wasn't just that the calls were bad, it's that I saw OSU commit the exact same foul a few times against Michigan's offense where the flag didn't come out. I was watching the game in a bar that year just screaming at the TV with 40 other fans at how it's a PI on Michigan when OSU had committed pretty much the exact same foul with no flag on the previous drive.
Maddening. 2016 was the Michigan version of the 1996 OSU loss.
February 10th, 2022 at 5:39 PM ^
Disagree with that comparison. We dominated the second half of the '96 game, outscoring them 13-0. Also, I don't recall any really controversial officiating.
February 10th, 2022 at 6:10 PM ^
oh, you did get screwed in the Clemson game.
it happens.
February 10th, 2022 at 11:25 AM ^
He's also 2-0 as a starting QB against OSU which should count for something
February 10th, 2022 at 12:34 PM ^
January 5th
But that date will change as the pendulum has begun swinging back to us! Before you know it, it's going to be June 5th.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:49 AM ^
God I miss that man.
February 10th, 2022 at 9:51 AM ^
Lol. Had kind of a hard morning so this definitely cheered me up. Was present at several of those 10 and damn it was a good time to be a UM fan (not that there is ever much of a bad time).
February 10th, 2022 at 10:49 AM ^
I'm in my 30's and these were the years that really shaped my fandom for UM. These years possess many of the reasons why Lloyd Carr is my favorite UM football coach ever. John Cooper had some of the most talented OSU teams ever but in those days Michigan was just tougher mentally and physically.
February 10th, 2022 at 11:32 AM ^
Here's to making that stat happen again in the next decade + under Jim "no more NFL" Harbaugh.
Let's make OSU SUCK AGAIN!
February 10th, 2022 at 12:04 PM ^
The only way I will enjoy this is when we win a few in a row in modern times. Otherwise, it just sounds like a bunch of people talking about ancient history.
February 10th, 2022 at 12:28 PM ^
We should have a statue of John Cooper on campus we miss him
February 10th, 2022 at 12:35 PM ^
Can't remember if it was 1997 or 1995 game, but I was directing a mini van of osu fans out of the parking lot at Fox Tent and Awning after the game. The back of the van was extremely dirty so I wrote Cooper's record in the dirt. Hopefully it was still there when they got home.
February 10th, 2022 at 1:13 PM ^
Miss you, coach Cooper!