The Buckeyes' Most Agonizing Loss

[LordJeffBuck]

...when the poorly kicked punt hit a Buckeye DB blocking the MSU gunner. That play started the turnaround.

That DB was freshman Nate Clements. If the Bucks field the shanked punt cleanly, then then have the ball inside MSU's 40 yard line, with a 24-9 lead in the middle of the third quarter.

 

[BB73]

That DB was freshman Nate Clements. If the Bucks field the shanked punt cleanly, then then have the ball inside MSU's 40 yard line, with a 24-9 lead in the middle of the third quarter.

Yes - I was just trying to give him a break by not naming him, LJB!

 

[Def]

The last 2 games my friend has seen the bucks play in person: The PSU thumping and the loss to MSU. Needless to say she is not allowed to see any more games live!

 

[TGfan06]

both teams were far inferior to that 98 OSU team.

I don't have a link, but I know this is the only other time Trev Alberts agreed with us. Of course he was with SI then.

 

[protheroe5]

Did anyone see www.athlonsports.com has the bucks ranked at #12 preseason. Some people give us no respect!

 

[Diver]

I'll show my age and mention that the two of these losses that still drive daggers into my heart are the 1980 Rose Bowl loss to USC and the 1976 Rose Bowl. Gary Williams hauled in a long pass in 1980 and was a cinch to take it home, until he ran out of gas on the one yard line. First and goal from the one and USC held us on four straight plays to keep us from the MNC.

A moment that was even more painful for me than seeing Woody slug Charlie Bauman was seeing him with his head down walking across the field with time still left on the clock in the 1976 RB and seeing the UCLA players jeering a proud and dejected man who was guilty of wanting to win so badly that he drove his coaches and players to exhaustion trying to perfect the Archie up the middle blast play. I always thought it was analagous to the Germans jeering Patton. That was the only time I ever saw the old man concede a game with time left. Rumor had it that he was ready to announce his retirement with one more MNC under the belt and go out with the reverence he deserved.

 

[Taterbuck]

I chose 96 over 98 for one simple reason. If we would've gone on to win the MNC in 98, then Coop would still be the coach.

You make an excellent point. Damn it, now I want to change my vote.

 

[BUCKS 1]

I can only remember back to Archie. The earlier losses are in my blood. Look at that long list of losses! At least a half dozen MNC's! They all shape who we are and they all are bitter. 98 was tough. I think 95 was too. Of course 96. The Woody powerhouses of 68-70 and 74-76 really 68-76 was Woody at his prime. In a time of upheaval. Some real bitter ones for us old guys. After that football changed. The 90's were full of them, seemed like at least one a year. Then came '02 to cleanse all of that away. I had no aspirations of MNC that year. Did you? That's what makes it so sweet and therapeutic. Just think back to how you felt at midnight that night. When most of our VCR's shut off and missed the last OT. Thank God for the DVD! The Penn State thrashing still sits with me and I look for payback in Happy Valley this year! Last years Iowa loss was the lowest point I think I have ever seen the Bucks. It might not be the most agonizing but it is one of the most embarrassing. Payback time for that one too!

I keep saying payback but there is another at the end of the carrot and that is to avenge Woody's team and Earl's first season. I remember that one vividly. Art's Jersey hangs in my cube with pictures of Troy surrounding it. I hope he can take that Jersey back to Pasadena with pride because it has been there a few times.

 

[martinss01]

It was Tennessee. Not Peyton Manning's Tennessee - he had already graduated by then. And Jamal Lewis was out with an ACL. No, it was Tee Martin and Travis Stephens's Tennessee. Remember them? That was the year that Tennessee remained undefeated with a miracle finish against Arkansas, who literally fumbled away a certain victory with less than two minutes left in the game. Just thought that that would cheer you up a bit....

yep, and instead of taking on tOSU they played florida state who was also a 1 loss team and was down to their #3 qb if i remember correctly.

 

[Steve19]

I was tempted to vote for TSUN '69 but it was the MSU game that gutted me.

 

[Golferdow01]

I voted for the Penn St game simply because I was there, the first away bucks football game i'd ever been too...that game just flat out sucked

 

[Dryden]

'98 MSU. That was the second home game that season my dad and I went to and I still haven't figured out how the wheels fell off in that game. The Bucks were the best team in the country that year, hands down. I still remember Coop on the couch on Leno the night after the Sugar Bowl pleading for a playoff system, taking the front seat in a long line of coaches complaining about what a crock of shit this BCS thing was going to turn out to be.

I'll never forget this picture from that night against MSU; more poignant now since the Neutron Man passed away last year.

 

[cincibuck]

Has to be the Rose Bowl loss to Stanford. TRhat was the best class ever to go through OSU and they would have gone out as 2 time National Champs.

 

[Buckeye Maniac]

I voted for the '75 loss to UCLA in the Rose Bowl because we had already played them and we should have easily beat them again. We just got too over confident.

 

[BUCKYLE]

MSU. That season started off with Katzenmoyer on the cover of SI. We would have been wire to wire champs. UHGG. Funny, i dont recall any of the losses to scUM you mentioned. And who is this "cooper" guy everyone keeps referring to?