What You Don’t Know About Ohio State’s 0-9 Bowl Record Vs. the SEC
October 22, 2008
I’ve never heard anyone say 0-3, or 0-5, or 0-8 with passion or fervor, but if I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard 0-9 when talking about how good or how overrated Ohio State football really is, I’d be EXTREMELY rich.
It’s become the battle cry of fans from the South. Well, that and chanting “SEC, SEC, SEC” before and during games, even vs. other SEC opponents, which make no sense at all.
What’s that all about anyway? You do realize the SEC isn’t an actual school, right?
Back to the topic at hand: Ohio State’s 0-9 bowl record vs. the SEC.
You would think all nine losses have come in the last nine seasons to hear SEC fans tell it. Truth be told, the very first Bowl game that pitted Ohio State against an SEC school was the 1977 Sugar Bowl against Alabama, and the latest, of course, was last season’s BCS title game vs. LSU.
You never hear where the game was played, or Ohio State’s W/L record, or the record of the SEC opponent they played, or who was favored and by how much. All you hear is 0-9, and alone, it sounds bad—real bad.
If you asked the majority of College Football fans, none of them would know.
Well, that’s all about to change. While I don’t know who was favored or by how much, an educated guess tells me that Ohio State may have been the favorite in no more than three of the nine matchups—but you don’t have to take my word for it. You can judge for yourself.
| SEASON | OHIO STATE W/L RECORD | SEC OPPONENT - W/L RECORD | BOWL GAME/LOCATION | BOWL RESULT |
| 1977 | 9-3 | ALABAMA / 11-1 | SUGAR BOWL / NEW ORLEANS, LA | ALABAMA 35 - OHIO STATE 6 |
| 1989 | 8-4 | AUBURN / 10-2 | HALL OF FAME BOWL / TAMPA, FL | AUBURN 31 - OHIO STATE 14 |
| 1992 | 8-3-1 | GEORGIA / 10-2 | CITRUS BOWL / ORLANDO, FL | GEORGIA 21 - OHIO STATE 14 |
| 1994 | 9-4 | ALABAMA / 12-1 | CITRUS BOWL / ORLANDO, FL | ALABAMA 24 - OHIO STATE 17 |
| 1995 | 11-2 | TENNESSEE / 11-1 | CITRUS BOWL / ORLANDO, FL | TENNESSEE 20 - OHIO STATE 14 |
| 2000 | 8-4 | SOUTH CAROLINA / 8-4 | OUTBACK BOWL / TAMPA, FL | SOUTH CAROLINA 24 - OHIO STATE 7 |
| 2001 | 7-5 | SOUTH CAROLINA / 9-3 | OUTBACK BOWL / TAMPA, FL | SOUTH CAROLINA 31- OHIO STATE 28 |
| 2006 | 12-1 | FLORIDA / 13-1 | BCS CHAMPIONSHIP / GLENDALE, AZ | FLORIDA 41 - OHIO STATE 14 |
| 2007 | 11-2 | LSU / 12-2 | BCS CHAMPIONSHIP / NEW ORLEANS, LA | LSU 38- OHIO STATE 24 |
As you can see, all but one of Ohio State’s bowl games vs. the SEC was played in the South.
You will also notice that in several of these years, the Ohio State program was down.
During several seasons, the Buckeyes won only seven, eight, or nine games. If you know anything about Ohio State football, just being bowl eligible isn’t a successful season.
Call Ohio State fans spoiled or unrealistic if you wish, but the fact is, if the Buckeyes win fewer than 10 games, it was a down year.
Nine times in 30 years, Ohio State has played an SEC team in a bowl game, and nine times they have lost.
Could it happen again in 2008?
It’s possible if the Bucks lose to Penn State. They could be heading to the Capital One bowl to play a top tier SEC team.
However, if they beat Penn State and win out, your worst nightmare may come true unless you’re an Ohio State fan.
The Bucks could be playing in their third straight BCS Championship game and their fourth in seven years.
Win or lose, and vs. an SEC school or not, that’s still an impressive resume that any team would love to have—and something to be proud of in Buckeye-land!
If other fans don’t hate you and aren’t talking about you, you’re just not important.
I’d say that makes Ohio State as relevant as any team in the nation, and they’ll beat an SEC team in a bowl game soon enough.
Hopefully Buckeye fans and haters alike now have a better understanding of the truth behind 0-9.
Look for more articles from me, HD, coming soon!
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