Only after 1996 and 1993, this was Cooper's third most frustrating loss to Michigan*. 1996 was worse for two reasons:
- Given the RB win, a win over Michigan would have meant an NC in 1996 ahead of UF and FSU who each lost a game (to each other).
- The 1996 game was at home.
That said, this was just a difficult and painful loss that still bothers me. Ohio State was clearly a superior team. The Buckeyes and Wolverines played six common opponents that year and the Buckeyes did better both offensively and defensively against five of the six (the lone exception was a Minnesota team that both tOSU and M blew out).
That said, I think the 1995 Huskers were one of the best, if not the best cfb team of all time so I really wouldn't have mattered in terms of the NC either at the time or in this hypothetical exercise. If the Buckeyes had finished the regular season 12-0 they would have gone to the Citrus Bowl anyway because Northwestern had the "longest loser" tiebreaker in their favor. The 12-0 Buckeyes would have played Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl and even if they had won the Huskers would have won the NC anyway.
If the CFP had existed AND Ohio State had defeated Michigan then the Buckeyes would have been either #2 or #3. The only difference between #2 and #3 is what color jerseys the team wears. Either way it would have been tOSU/UF playing for the right to get slaughtered by #1 Nebraska.
For
@OrangeAfroMan 's benefit, I do think that part of the reason for Ohio State's loss to Tennessee was that the Buckeyes had a devastating loss to their rival in the last game before the bowl while Tennessee's devastating loss to their rival was much earlier.
The debate between Ohio State and Tennessee would have been interesting. Both lost on the road to their rival. Tennessee's loss was by 25 to #2 Florida while Ohio State's was by 8 to #14 Michigan. Those losses seem pretty equal but you can argue it either way. Ohio State's SoS was better with more wins over ranked teams and neither was a conference Champion.
Cooper's 10 losses to Michigan ranked by frustration level*:
- 13-9 at home in 1996: Cost the Buckeyes a NC and tOSU was a clearly superior team.
- 28-0 on the road in 1993: Probably cost the Buckeyes a NC and tOSU was a clearly superior team.
- 31-23 on the road in 1995: Ohio State was clearly a superior team.
- 38-26 at home in 2000: Two reasons. First, this was a winnable game. Michigan couldn't defend spread teams (gave up 54 to NU) and if the Buckeyes had spread them out they could have scored enough to win. That was apparent when Ohio State got way down (by playing conservative) then rallied once they went pass-happy (only because they HAD to), then the rally died when Ohio State got close enough that they didn't need to stay pass-happy for time purposes. Second, I can't remember the specifics but there was a point during the rally when Ohio State scored a TD and should have gone for two but didn't. I'll never forget the postgame presser. Cooper was asked about it and in that stupid-sounding Tennessee drawl of his he answered that "that was what the card said to do." That flat out infuriated me. If it had been a mistake made in the heat of the moment I would understand but it wasn't. The card was wrong. You make the card in your office on a slow day. How do you screw up the card? I don't know that Cooper could do simple math.
- 31-3 on the road in 1991: It wasn't the loss that is bothersome about this one so much as the margin. In Cooper's three previous games against the Wolverines the Buckeyes had been reasonably competitive with superior Michigan teams. In 1991 Michigan still had a superior team but they weren't 31-3 superior. The Buckeyes should have at least been competitive.
- 20-14 on the road in 1997: It was on the road and Michigan won a share of the NC. You can't really complain about losing on the road to a NC team, but it sure would have been nice to repay them for 1993 and 1996!
- 24-17 on the road in 1999: Michigan was a vastly better team and the loss was on the road by only a TD, can't really complain about that.
- 28-18 on the road in 1989: Michigan was clearly a superior team and it was on the road.
- 16-13 at home in 1990: Michigan was clearly a superior team. It would have been nice to upset them but it would have been a big upset.
- 34-31 at home in 1988: Cooper's first year and only lost by a FG to a vastly superior Michigan team. Losses always suck but you really can't complain about that.
