1987 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
American college football season
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The 1987 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team that represented the Ohio State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their ninth and final year under head coach Earle Bruce, the Buckeyes compiled a 6–4–1 record (4–4 in conference games), finished in fifth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 224 to 181. They did not appear in a bowl game for the first time since 1971 and were unranked in the final AP poll.[1]
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record6–4–1 (4–4 Big Ten)
Headcoach
- Earle Bruce (9th season)
DefensivecoordinatorGary Blackney (3rd season)
| 1987 Ohio State Buckeyes football | |
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| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 6–4–1 (4–4 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Defensive coordinator | Gary Blackney (3rd season) |
| MVP | Chris Spielman |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Ohio Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Michigan State $ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Iowa | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 Michigan | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 2 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 8 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Buckeyes gained an average of 151.6 rushing yards and 174.2 passing yards per game. On defense, they held opponents to 144.4 rushing yards and 171.1 passing yards per game.[2] The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Tom Tupa (1,786 passing yards, 55.4% completion percentage), running back Vince Workman (470 rushing yards, 4.0 yards per carry), and wide receiver Everett Ross (29 receptions for 585 yards).[2] Tupa (as punter) and linebacker Chris Spielman were consensus first-team All-Americans.[3] Four Ohio State players received first-team honors on the 1987 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Spielman (AP/UPI); linebacker/defensive end Eric Kumerow; defensive back William White (AP/UPI); and Tupa as punter (AP).[4][5]
The team played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | 12:30 p.m. | West Virginia* | No. 5 | RCM | W 24–3 | 88,272 | [6] | |
| September 19 | 1:30 p.m. | Oregon* | No. 5 |
| W 24–14 | 89,882 | [7] | |
| September 26 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 4 LSU* | No. 7 | CBS | T 13–13 | 79,263 | [8] | |
| October 3 | 3:30 p.m. | at Illinois | No. 9 | ABC | W 10–6 | 73,045 | [9] | |
| October 10 | 1:30 p.m. | Indiana | No. 9 |
| L 10–31 | 90,032 | [10] | |
| October 17 | 3:30 p.m. | at Purdue | No. 17 | RCM | W 20–17 | 66,501 | [11] | |
| October 24 | 3:30 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 16 |
| RCM | W 42–9 | 89,801 | [12] |
| October 31 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 20 Michigan State | No. 15 |
| ABC | L 7–13 | 89,915 | [13] |
| November 7 | 2:00 p.m. | at Wisconsin | L 24–26 | 63,195 | [14] | |||
| November 14 | 1:30 p.m. | Iowa |
| L 27–29 | 90,090 | [15] | ||
| November 21 | 12:00 p.m. | at Michigan | ABC | W 23–20 | 106,031 | [16] | ||
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Game summaries
West Virginia
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| • Ohio St | 17 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: September 12
- Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
- Game attendance: 88,272
| Q1 | OHST | Frantz 47 yard field goal | OHST 3–0 | |
| Q1 | OHST | Bryant 7 yard run (Frantz kick) | OHST 10–0 | |
| Q1 | OHST | Ross 23 yard pass from Tupa (Frantz kick) | OHST 17–0 | |
| Q3 | WVU | Baumann 27 yard field goal | OHST 17–3 | |
| Q4 | OHST | White 29 yard interception return (Frantz kick) | OHST 24–3 | |
Oregon
Oregon Ducks at Ohio State Buckeyes
at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Date: September 19, 1987
- Game time: 1:30 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 89,882
- Referee: Jerry Hendrickson
| Game information | ||
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LSU
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio St | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| LSU | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
- Date: September 26
- Location: Tiger Stadium
Illinois
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Ohio St | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Illinois | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
- Date: October 3
- Location: Memorial Stadium
Indiana
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Indiana | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Ohio St | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
- Date: October 10
- Location: Ohio Stadium
At Purdue
#17 Ohio State Buckeyes (3–1–1) at Purdue Boilermakers (1–3–1)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio St | Passing | Tom Tupa | 8/16, 174 Yds, TD |
| Rushing | James Bryant | 23 Rush, 77 Yds | |
| Receiving | Vince Workman | 4 Rec, 88 Yds, TD | |
| Purdue | Passing | Doug Downing | 20/26, 218 Yds, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | James Medlock | 17 Rush, 44 Yds | |
| Receiving | Calvin Williams | 8 Rec, 107 Yds, 2 TD |
| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Minnesota
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| • Ohio St | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
- Date: October 24
- Location: Ohio Stadium
Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans at Ohio State Buckeyes
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan St | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Ohio St | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Date: October 31, 1987
- Game time: 3:30 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 89,915
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV: ABC
| Game information | ||
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Wisconsin
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio St | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| • Wisconsin | 7 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
- Date: November 7
- Location: Camp Randall Stadium
Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Iowa | 3 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 29 |
| Ohio St | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
- Date: November 14
- Location: Ohio Stadium
Michigan
Ohio State Buckeyes (5–4–1) at Michigan Wolverines
at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Date: November 21, 1987
- Game time: 12:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Cloudy, low 30s
- Game attendance: 106,031
- TV: ABC
| Game information | ||
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Earle Bruce's final game as Ohio State head coach.[18]
Roster
| 1987 Ohio State Buckeyes football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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1988 NFL draftees
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Kumerow | 1 | 16 | Defensive End | Miami Dolphins |
| Chris Spielman | 2 | 29 | Linebacker | Detroit Lions |
| Alex Higdon | 3 | 56 | Tight End | Atlanta Falcons |
| Tom Tupa | 3 | 68 | Quarterback | Phoenix Cardinals |
| William White | 4 | 85 | Defensive Back | Detroit Lions |
| George Cooper | 6 | 156 | Running Back | Miami Dolphins |
| Ray Jackson | 7 | 185 | Defensive Back | Seattle Seahawks |
| Henry Brown | 10 | 277 | Tackle | Washington Redskins |