1991 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
American college football season
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The 1991 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 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fourth year under head coach John Cooper, the Buckeyes compiled an 8–4 record (5–3 in conference games), tied for third place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 260 to 163. Against ranked opponents, they lost to No. 20 Illinois, No. 11 Iowa, and No. 4 Michigan. They concluded the season with a loss to No. 16 Syracuse in the 1992 Hall of Fame Bowl. The Buckeyes were not ranked in the final AP poll.[3]
- John Cooper (4th season)
| 1991 Ohio State Buckeyes football | |
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Hall of Fame Bowl, L 17–24 vs. Syracuse | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 8–4 (5–3 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Elliot Uzelac (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Singleback[1] |
| Defensive coordinator | Bill Young (4th season) |
| Base defense | 3–4[2] |
| MVP | Carlos Snow |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Ohio Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Michigan $ | 8 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Iowa | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Buckeyes gained an average of 210.2 rushing yards and 115.3 passing yards per game. On defense, they held opponents to 104.2 rushing yards and 192.1 passing yards per game.[4] The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Kent Graham (1,018 passing yards, 51.6% completion percentage), running back Carlos Snow (772 rushing yards, 4.9 yards per carry), and wide receivers Bernard Edwards and Brian Stablein (25 receptions each for 364 and 363 yards, respectively).[4] Linebacker Steve Tovar was selected by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) on the 1991 All-America team.[5] Tovar, Snow, tackle Alan Kline, and defensive linemen Jason Simmons and Alonzo Spellman received first-team honors on the 1991 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[6]
The team played its home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State's game against Northwestern was played at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland.[7][8]
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Arizona* | No. 22 | ABC | W 38–14 | 92,743 | [9] | |
| September 14 | 12:30 p.m. | Louisville* | No. 19 |
| ESPN | W 23–15 | 91,734 | [10] |
| September 21 | 1:30 p.m. | Washington State* | No. 16 |
| W 33–19 | 92,687 | [11] | |
| October 5 | 12:30 p.m. | Wisconsin | No. 14 |
| W 31–16 | 94,221 | [12] | |
| October 12 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 20 Illinois | No. 11 | ABC | L 7–10 | 70,125 | [13] | |
| October 19 | 1:05 p.m. | vs. Northwestern | No. 18 | W 34–3 | 73,830 | [14] | ||
| October 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Michigan State | No. 14 |
| ABC | W 27–17 | 94,341 | [15] |
| November 2 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 11 Iowa | No. 13 |
| ABC | L 9–16 | 95,357 | [16] |
| November 9 | 12:30 p.m. | at Minnesota | No. 19 | ESPN | W 35–6 | 30,145 | [17] | |
| November 16 | 12:30 p.m. | Indiana | No. 19 |
| ESPN | W 20–16 | 93,417 | [18] |
| November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 4 Michigan | No. 18 | ABC | L 3–31 | 106,156 | [19] | |
| January 1, 1992 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. No. 16 Syracuse* | No. 25 | NBC | L 17–24 | 57,789 | [20] | |
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Game summaries
Iowa
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 11 Hawkeyes | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| No. 13 Buckeyes | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
- Date: November 2
- Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Game start: 3:30 PM EST
- Game attendance: 95,357
- TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger and Dick Vermeil
| 2 | IOWA | Rodgers 1-yard run (Skillett kick) | IOWA 7–0 | |
| 2 | OSU | Carlos Snow 2-yard run (kick) | Tied 7–7 | |
| 2 | IOWA | Alan Cross 61-yard pass from Rodgers (kick blocked) | IOWA 13-7 | |
| 2 | OSU | Simmons 85-yard blocked PAT return | IOWA 13-9 | |
| 3 | 0:27 | IOWA | Skillett 30-yard field goal | IOWA 16–9 |
Personnel
Coaching staff
- John Cooper, head coach (4th year)
- Bobby April, defensive backs (1st year)
- Larry Coyer, defensive Babas (3rd year)
- Joe Hollis, offensive line (1st year)
- Ron Hudson, quarterbacks (4th year)
- Gene Huey, wide receivers (4th year)
- Bob Palcic, offensive line (6th year)
- Fred Pagac, linebackers (10th year)
- Elliot Uzelac, offensive coordinator (1st year)
- Bill Young, defensive coordinator (4th year)
Roster
| 1991 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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1992 NFL draftees
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL club |
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| Alonzo Spellman | 1 | 22 | Defensive end | Chicago Bears |
| Scottie Graham | 7 | 188 | Running Back | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Kent Graham | 8 | 211 | Quarterback | New York Giants |