2001 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

2001 Ohio State Buckeyes football
Conference Big Ten
2001 record 7–4 (1 NC) (5–2 (1 NC) Big Ten)
Head coach Jim Tressel
Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman
Offensive scheme Multiple
Defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio
Base defense 4-3
MVP Jonathon Wells
Captain Steve Bellisari
Captain Mike Collins
Captain Joe Cooper
Captain Jamar Martin
Home stadium Ohio Stadium
(Capacity: 101,568)
2001 Big Ten football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
#12 Illinois †   7 – 1         10 – 2  
#20 Michigan   6 – 2         8 – 4  
Ohio State   5 – 3         7 – 5  
Iowa   4 – 4         7 – 5  
Purdue   4 – 4         6 – 6  
Penn State   4 – 4         5 – 6  
Indiana   4 – 4         5 – 6  
Michigan State   3 – 5         7 – 5  
Wisconsin   3 – 5         5 – 7  
Minnesota   2 – 6         4 – 7  
Northwestern   2 – 6         4 – 7  
† – BCS representative as conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2001 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the The Ohio State University in the college football season of 2001–2002. It marked their first season under new head coach Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes compiled a 7–4 record with 1 no contest, capped by a 26–20 victory over their fierce rival the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor in the regular season finale. The Buckeyes went on to play in the 2002 Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida, where they lost 31–28 to the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Preseason

The 2001 Ohio State Buckeyes football season marked a transition from former head coach John Cooper to new head coach Jim Tressel. Tressel was beginning his first season as head coach at the Division 1-A level as the 22nd head coach of the Buckeyes. He came from Youngstown State University where he led the Penguins to four national championships at the Division 1-AA level. The Buckeyes finished the 2000 season with an 8–4 record and Coach Cooper was later fired on January 2, 2001.[1]

Prior to Cooper's firing, the Buckeyes were ranked 23rd in the AP Poll, losing in the 2001 Outback Bowl to the South Carolina Gamecocks by a score of 24–7.[2]

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 8 12:00 PM Akron* #24 Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH W 28–14   102,602[3]
September 22 3:30 PM at #14 UCLA* #21 Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA ABC L 6–13   73,723[3]
September 29 12:00 PM at Indiana Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN ESPN+ W 27–14   48,577[3]
October 6 7:45 PM #14 Northwestern Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH ESPN W 38–20   104,042[3]
October 13 3:30 PM Wisconsin #21 Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH ABC L 17–20   103,520[3]
October 20 12:00 PM San Diego State* Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH ESPN+ W 27–12   102,432[3]
October 27 12:00 PM at Penn State Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA (Rivalry) ESPN L 27–29   108,327[3]
November 3 7:45 PM at Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome • Minneapolis, MN ESPN W 31–28   45,407[3]
November 10 12:00 PM Purdue Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH ESPN2 W 35–9   104,189[3]
November 17 12:00 PM #12 Illinois #25 Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH (Illibuck) ESPN L 22–34   104,407[3]
November 24 1:00 PM at #11 Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI (The Game) ABC W 26–20   111,571[3]
January 1 11:00 AM vs. #14 South Carolina* #22 Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL (Outback Bowl) ESPN L 28–31   66,249[3]
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.. All times are in Eastern Time.

[4]

Coaching staff


Game summaries

Akron

1 234Total
Akron 0 707 14
• Ohio St 14 770 28

[5]


2002 NFL draftees

Player Round Pick Position NFL Club
LeCharles Bentley 2 44 Guard New Orleans Saints
Derek Ross 3 75 Defensive Back Dallas Cowboys
Jonathan Wells 4 99 Running Back Houston Texans
Darnell Sanders 4 122 Tight End Cleveland Browns
Jamar Martin 4 129 Fullback Dallas Cowboys
Courtland Bullard 5 167 Linebacker St. Louis Rams
Tyson Walter 6 179 Center Dallas Cowboys
Steve Bellisari 6 205 Quarterback St. Louis Rams

References

  1. ↑ Rovnak, Paul (January 3, 2001). "Cooper Fired, Geiger Cites "Deteriorating Climate"". The Lantern (Ohio State).
  2. ↑ "Ohio State Historical Scores". Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 Park, Jack (2003). The Official Ohio State Football Encyclopedia. Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1-58261-695-7.
  4. ↑ http://cfreference.net/cfr/school.s?id=227&season=2001
  5. ↑ USA Today
Draft data