It’s not just about the 2-10-1 record vs. Michigan.
Or the dismal 3-8 bowl record after Monday’s disturbing 24-7 loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.
Or the fact that most people in Ohio have never really warmed to John Cooper, and probably never will. It’s more than that.
You probably haven’t seen the latest graduation rates, but the last NCAA report covers kids who entered school from 1990-94. That gives them at least six years to earn a diploma.
Know how many leave Columbus with a degree? An embarrassing 28 percent, same as UNLV.
Don’t buy Cooper’s argument that so many of his players fail to graduate because they become pros. In the last few years OSU’s graduation rate has been in the low 30s, according to the NCAA. Overall, the national average of Division I players is 56 percent.
By comparison, Nebraska is consistently over 50 percent, and the Cornhuskers produce as many pro prospects as the Buckeyes.
Who recruits these kids?
The coach.
Why does Ohio State have to take so many academic risks?
That alone is reason for the Ohio State administration to hit Cooper with some very hard questions during the next few days.
But there’s more.
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Cooper lost talented receiver Reggie Germany to “academics” right before Monday’s Outback Bowl. And he didn’t start tailback Derek Combs because Combs was a little late returning to Tampa for the team’s bowl game. And receiver Ken-Yon Rambo broke his finger messing around in the locker room and was very vague about what had happened. And sophomore linebacker Mike Wilhelm went public with doubts about Rambo’s attitude.
And Rambo, a team captain, said: “They knew what kind of dude I was when they elected me captain. Sometimes I’m not going to be on time for things.”
Sound bad enough?
Then there was something new–one Ohio State player suing another for assault. Tackle Tyson Walter wants $50,000 in damages from center LeCharles Bentley because Walter says Bentley sucker-punched him during a workout last February. Both of these guys are about 300 pounds.
Athletic Director Andy Geiger has said this isn’t a lack of leadership as much as a problem with the players. But who brings those players to Columbus?
All of it makes you wonder about Cooper’s leadership. After 13 years at Ohio State, isn’t there a sense that it’s just not working for Cooper? Every season starts with a discussion of his inability to beat Michigan, his bowl flops, his recruiting errors.
Just to make it worse, a South Carolina running back named Ryan Brewer scored three TDs against OSU, and he’s an Ohio kid who wanted to play for the Buckeyes, but they weren’t interested.
After his third TD, an OSU player belted Brewer in the end zone for a personal foul, yet another indication of the coaching staff’s lack of control over these players.
If you’re going to lose, at least do so with dignity.
Cooper should be asked why his program is not being run that way.