Sunday, January 02, 2000
Columbus quiet without bowl game for Buckeyes
OSU at home after 6-6 year
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS — For the first time in five years, Ohio State's players, coaches and fans didn't have a game to occupy their time on New Year's Day.
Head coach John Cooper settled into an easy chair at home to watch the glut of bowl games. Fans killed time shopping, sitting in bars or on the golf course while the rest of college football celebrated its biggest day.
“I'm watching a little football, flipping through the channels, but I'm not married to the television set,” Cooper said Saturday afternoon.
There were no bowl invitations this year for Ohio State, which suffered through a 6-6 season. The last time the Buckeyes had a non-winning season and didn't go to a bowl game was 1988 — Cooper's first year with the Buckeyes. Ohio State has played in a game on or close to New Year's Day each of the past eight seasons.
Cooper and his staff usually are scrambling around in a warmer climate, organizing practices, answering reporters' questions and participating in bowl events. Two of the last three years, the Buckeyes have been in the national title hunt going into the bowl season.
Not this year. Cooper seemed as lost as many of the Buckeye faithful.
“Well, we've been in bowl games the last 10 years, so it's a little bit odd to be here,” he said from his home in the suburbs.
A year ago, many Ohio State fans were preparing for the Buckeyes' game against Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl. This year, they had time on their hands.
Many people took advantage of temperatures in the 50s and sunny skies to traipse around soggy courses to play nine holes. They occasionally had to sidestep piles of snow on the greens.
“My other team, Notre Dame, didn't make it either,” Tom Hagman of Worthington said with a rueful laugh as he prepared to walk to the first tee. “So my interest in football is gone today.”
He said he never misses a game at Ohio Stadium and normally would build his weekend around the Buckeyes' bowl game. Instead, he said he was going to start off the new millennium with his Big Bertha driver.
“I'm doing this just so I can say I played on January 1st,” he said.
Another golfer, Jim Laird of Columbus, said it didn't bother him that Ohio State was on the sidelines while seven other Big Ten schools played in bowl games.
“I guess you need a bad season every now and then to appreciate the good years,” he said.
Damon's restaurant, just a few football fields down the road from Ohio Stadium, was half full and relatively quiet, despite bowl games on the four giant screens lining the front of the dining area.
Dave Weinle, the restaurant's supervisor, said business was down because of the rough season it has been for Ohio's teams.
“It was deserted in here during the games,” he said. “When the football team is good, the fans get involved, almost bitter. This year they kind of settled in for the game and were resigned to things not going well.”
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