# 1997 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

The 1997 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the 1997 Big Ten Conference football season. The Buckeyes compiled a 10–3 record, including the 1998 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, where they lost 31–14 to the Florida State Seminoles.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 28 | 8:00 p.m. | Wyoming* | No. 9 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH (BCA Classic) | ESPN2 | W 24–10 | 89,122 |
| September 13 | 1:30 p.m. | Bowling Green* | No. 9 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH | | W 44–13 | 93,151 |
| September 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Arizona* | No. 9 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH | ABC | W 28–20 | 91,152 |
| September 27 | 12:00 p.m. | at Missouri* | No. 7 | Faurot FieldColumbia, MO | ABC | W 31–10 | 58,882 |
| October 4 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 11 Iowa | No. 7 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH (College GameDay) | ABC | W 23–7 | 92,536 |
| October 11 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 2 Penn State | No. 7 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | ABC | L 27–31 | 97,282 |
| October 18 | 12:30 p.m. | Indiana | No. 11 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH | ESPN2 | W 31–0 | 92,368 |
| October 25 | 3:30 p.m. | Northwestern | No. 9 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH | ABC | W 49–6 | 92,445 |
| November 1 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 21 Michigan State | No. 9 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | ABC | W 37–13 | 74,903 |
| November 8 | 4:00 p.m. | at Minnesota | No. 7 | Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeMinneapolis, MN | | W 31–3 | 47,706 |
| November 15 | 12:00 p.m. | Illinois | No. 4 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH (Illibuck Trophy) | ESPN Plus | W 41–6 | 92,008 |
| November 22 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 1 Michigan | No. 4 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (rivalry) | ABC | L 14–20 | 106,982 |
| January 1, 1998 | 8:00 p.m. | vs. No. 4 Florida State* | No. 9 | Louisiana SuperdomeNew Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) | ABC | L 14–31 | 67,289 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||||

## Coaching staff

* John Cooper – Head coach – 10th year
* Bill Conley – Tight ends & recruiting coordinator (11th year)
* Jim Heacock – Defensive line (2nd year)
* Mike Jacobs – Offensive coordinator (3rd year)
* Fred Pagac – Defensive coordinator (16th year)
* Tim Salem – Quarterbacks (1st year)
* Shawn Simms – Defensive ends (1st year)
* Tim Spencer – Running backs (4th year)
* Chuck Strobart – Offensive coordinator (3rd year)
* Jon Tenuta – Defensive backs (2nd year)

## Game summaries
### Wyoming

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wyoming | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Ohio State | 10 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
* Date: August 28, 1997
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 75°, Clear, wind 5-10 N
* Game attendance: 89,112
* Referee: J. Kemerling

### Missouri

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ohio State | 7 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 31 |
| Missouri | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri
* Date: September 27, 1997
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 78°, Partly Cloudy, wind 5-10 S
* Game attendance: 58,882
* Referee: R. Christal

### Northwestern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northwestern | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 14 | 21 | 14 | 49 |
at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio
* Date: October 25
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Overcast • 58 °F (14 °C) • Wind NE 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn) to 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
* Game attendance: 92,445
* Referee: D. Witvoet
Game information :
Northwestern
Tim Hughes 7/15, 63 Yds
Brian Marshall 7 Rush, 36 Yds
T. Waterman 2 Rec, 20 Yds
Ohio St
Joe Germaine 8/12, 177 Yds, 3 TD
Michael Wiley 15 Rush, 73 Yds
Dee Miller 5 Rec, 96 Yds, 2 TD :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NW | OSU |
| 1 | 11:47 | 8 | 33 | 3:13 | Northwestern | 27-yard field goal by Brian Gowins | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | 12:02 | 14 | 92 | 5:18 | Ohio St | Pepe Pearson 13-yard touchdown run, Dan Stultz kick good | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | 6:14 | 12 | 61 | 5:48 | Northwestern | 36-yard field goal by Brian Gowins | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | 0:27 | 2 | 43 | 0:14 | Ohio St | Dee Miller 27-yard touchdown reception from Joe Germaine, Dan Stultz kick good | 6 | 14 |
| 3 | 10:28 | 7 | 55 | 2:54 | Ohio St | Pepe Pearson 6-yard touchdown run, Dan Stultz kick good | 6 | 21 |
| 3 | 1:56 | 13 | 59 | 6:01 | Ohio St | Dee Miller 11-yard touchdown reception from Stanley Jackson, Dan Stultz kick good | 6 | 28 |
| 3 | 0:03 | 3 | 62 | 0:50 | Ohio St | David Boston 35-yard touchdown reception from Joe Germaine, Dan Stultz kick good | 6 | 35 |
| 4 | 9:49 | 7 | 64 | 3:02 | Ohio St | Tom Hoying 29-yard touchdown reception from Joe Germaine, Dan Stultz kick good | 6 | 42 |
| 4 | 5:31 | 6 | 80 | 2:57 | Ohio St | Ken-Yon Rambo 38-yard touchdown reception from Mark Garcia, Dan Stultz kick good | 6 | 49 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 6 | 49 |

### 1998 Sugar Bowl
## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 |
| Coaches Poll | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 |

## NFL draft

For the first time since the NFL draft's inception in 1936, no Ohio State players were selected in the 1998 NFL draft.