1986 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

The 1986 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Buckeyes compiled a 10–3 record, including the 1987 Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, where they won 28–12 against the Texas A&M Aggies.

1986 Ohio State Buckeyes football
Big Ten co-champion Cotton Bowl Classic champion
Cotton Bowl Classic, W 28–12 vs. Texas A&M
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 6
AP	No. 7
1986 record	10–3 (7–1 Big Ten)
Head coach	Earle Bruce (8th season)
Defensive coordinator	Gary Blackney (2nd season)
MVP	Cris Carter
Home stadium	Ohio Stadium (Capacity: 85,399)

1986 Big Ten Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 8 Michigan +	7	–	1	–	0			11	–	2	–	0
No. 7 Ohio State +	7	–	1	–	0			10	–	3	–	0
No. 16 Iowa	5	–	3	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Minnesota	5	–	3	–	0			6	–	6	–	0
Michigan State	4	–	4	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Indiana	3	–	5	–	0			6	–	6	–	0
Illinois	3	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Northwestern	2	–	6	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Purdue	2	–	6	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Wisconsin	2	–	6	–	0			3	–	9	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 27	8:00 p.m.	vs. No. 5 Alabama*	No. 9	Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ (Kickoff Classic)	Raycom	L 10–16	68,296
September 13	2:30 p.m.	at No. 17 Washington*	No. 10	Husky Stadium Seattle, WA	CBS	L 7–40	61,070
September 20	1:30 p.m.	Colorado*		Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH		W 13–10	88,404
September 27	1:30 p.m.	Utah*		Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH		W 64–6	89,645
October 4	1:30 p.m.	Illinois		Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH (Illibuck Trophy)		W 14–0	90,030
October 11	1:00 p.m.	at Indiana		Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN		W 24–22	51,641
October 18	7:00 p.m.	at Purdue		Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	WTBS	W 39–11	68,757
October 25	12:30 p.m.	Minnesota		Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH	WTBS	W 33–0	89,936
November 1	12:30 p.m.	at No. 11 Iowa	No. 17	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	WTBS	W 31–10	67,640
November 8	1:30 p.m.	Northwestern	No. 11	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH		W 30–9	89,808
November 15	12:00 p.m.	at Wisconsin	No. 9	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	CBS	W 30–17	62,020
November 22	12:00 p.m.	No. 6 Michigan	No. 7	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH (The Game)	CBS	L 24–26	90,674
January 1, 1987	1:30 p.m.	vs. No. 8 Texas A&M*	No. 11	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (Cotton Bowl Classic)	CBS	W 28–12	74,188
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Personnel

1986 Ohio State Buckeyes football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB James Bryant WR 2 Cris Carter Jr RB George Cooper RB Steve Gresock WR Nate Harris TE Alex Higdon WR Jamie Holland TE John Hutchison QB Jim Karsatos (C) OL Larry Kotterman OL Bob Maggs RB Bill Matlock OL Tim Moxley RB Ceroy Robinson WR Everett Ross OL Joe Staysniak TE Ed Taggert OL Jeff Uhlenhake RB Barry Walker RB John Wooldridge RB Vince Workman OL Greg Zackeroff	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB Dave Brown DL Henry Brown DB Sonny Gordon (C) LB Derek Isaman DB Ray Jackson LB Eric Kumerow LB Scott Leach LB Darryl Lee LB Mike Lee DL Fred Ridder DB Greg Rogan DL Mike Showalter LB Chris Spielman LB John Sullivan DL Mike Sullivan DB William White	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K Matt Frantz P Tom Tupa	Head coach Earle Bruce Coordinators/assistant coaches Gary Blackney – Defensive Coordinator (3rd year) Bill Conley – Inside Linebackers (3rd year) Steve Devine – Offensive Line – Guards, Centers (4th year) Randy Hart – Defensive Line (5th year) Chuck Heater – Defensive Backs (2nd year) Tom Lichtenberg – Quarterbacks, Receivers (1st year) Urban Meyer – Offensive Tight Ends (1st year) Bob Palcic – Offensive Line – Tackles, Tight Ends (1st year) Fred Pagac – Outside Linebackers (5th year) Leonard Willis – Running Backs (2nd year) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

Depth chart

Defense FS David Brown ⋅ OLB ILB ILB SLB Eric Kumerow Chris Spielman Mike Kee Derek Isaman Scott Leach ⋅ John Sullivan Mike McCray ROV Sonny Gordon ⋅ CB William White Ray Jackson DE NT DE David Schell Fred Ridder Mike Showalter ⋅ Mike Sullivan Henry Brown CB Greg Rogan Zack Dumas Offense SE Cris Carter Jamie Holland LT LG C RG RT Joe Staysniak Jeff Uhlenhake Bob Maggs Greg Zackeroff Larry Kotterman Tim Moxley Karl Coles ⋅ Jeff Davidson Jay Shaffer TE Ed Taggart John Hutchison FL Nate Harris Everett Ross QB Jim Karsatos Tom Tupa Key Reserves FB George Cooper Barry Walker Special Teams PK Matt Frantz PK Pat O'Morrow P Tom Tupa RB Vince Workman Jimmy Bryant

[1]

Game summaries

vs. Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total • Alabama 3 3 0 10 16 Ohio St 0 7 3 0 10 Date: August 27 Location: Giants Stadium

See also: 1986 Alabama Crimson Tide football team and Kickoff Classic

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–1	1978	L 6–35

at Washington

1 2 3 4 Total Ohio St 0 0 7 0 7 • Washington 0 24 9 7 40 Date: September 13 Location: Husky Stadium

See also: 1986 Washington Huskies football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
4–1	1969	W 41–14

Colorado

1 2 3 4 Total Colorado 0 0 3 7 10 • Ohio St 3 7 0 3 13 Date: September 20 Location: Ohio Stadium

Utah

1 2 3 4 Total Utah 0 3 3 0 6 • Ohio St 21 10 20 13 64 Date: September 27 Location: Ohio Stadium

Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total Illinois 0 0 0 0 0 • Ohio St 0 14 0 0 14 Date: October 4 Location: Ohio Stadium

at Indiana

1 2 3 4 Total • Ohio St 7 7 10 0 24 Indiana 7 7 0 8 22 Date: October 11 Location: Memorial Stadium

at Purdue

See also: 1986 Purdue Boilermakers football team

Ohio State Buckeyes at Purdue Boilermakers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Ohio St	6	9	17	7	39
Purdue	0	3	0	8	11

at Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 6:15 p.m.
• Game weather: Clear • 53 °F (12 °C) • Wind E 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
• Game attendance: 68,737
• Referee: Otho Kortz
• Ohio State Football Archives

Game information
Ohio St Jim Karsatos 11/17, 190 Yds, 2 TD Bryant 24 Rush, 129 Yds Cris Carter 7 Rec, 118 Yds, TD Purdue Doug Downing 23/48, 289 Yds, TD, 2 INT Medlock 9 Rush, 33 Yds Brunner 5 Rec, 93 Yds

Brown's interception return set a Big Ten record.[2]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP OSU PUR 1 8:04 14 69 Ohio St 21-yard field goal by Matt Frantz 3 0 1 1:55 11 32 Ohio St 22-yard field goal by Matt Frantz 6 0 2 10:36 12 92 Ohio St Cris Carter 3-yard touchdown reception from Jim Karsatos, 2-point pass failed 12 0 2 1:05 11 50 Ohio St 22-yard field goal by Matt Frantz 15 0 2 0:02 8 61 Purdue 23-yard field goal by Jonathan Briggs 15 3 3 13:00 3 65 Ohio St Nate Harris 37-yard touchdown reception from Jim Karsatos, Matt Frantz kick good 22 3 3 9:11 Ohio St Interception returned 100 yards for touchdown by Dave Brown, Matt Frantz kick good 29 3 3 1:03 8 56 Ohio St 21-yard field goal by Matt Frantz 32 3 4 11:59 12 77 Purdue Caleb Bonds 3-yard touchdown reception from Doug Downing, 2-point run good 32 11 4 10:11 5 73 Ohio St Jamie Holland 23-yard touchdown reception from Tom Tupa, Matt Frantz kick good 39 11 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 39 11

Minnesota

1 2 3 4 Total Minnesota 0 0 0 0 0 • Ohio St 14 3 10 6 33 Date: October 25 Location: Ohio Stadium

Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total • Ohio St 0 21 7 3 31 Iowa 7 0 3 0 10 Date: November 1 Location: Kinnick Stadium

See also: 1986 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
31–11–2	1985	W 22–13

Northwestern

1 2 3 4 Total Northwestern 0 3 3 3 9 • Ohio St 10 7 3 10 30 Date: November 8 Location: Ohio Stadium

Wisconsin

1 2 3 4 Total • Ohio St 17 10 0 3 30 Wisconsin 0 10 7 0 17 Date: November 15 Location: Camp Randall Stadium

Michigan

See also: 1986 Michigan Wolverines football team and Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry

#6 Michigan Wolverines (9–1) at #7 Ohio State Buckeyes (9–2)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Michigan	3	3	13	7	26
Ohio St	14	0	3	7	24

at Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny • 55 °F (13 °C) • Wind 10 S
• Game attendance: 90,674
• Referee: Tom Quinn

Game information
Michigan Jim Harbaugh 19/29, 261 Yds, 2 INT Jamie Morris 29 Rush, 210 Yds, 2 TD Jeffrey Brown 5 Rec, 54 Yds Ohio St Jim Karsatos 15/27, 188 Yds, 2 TD, INT Vince Workman 21 Rush, 126 Yds, TD Cris Carter 7 Rec, 75 Yds, 2 TD

Matt Frantz missed a 45-yard field goal that would have given Ohio State the lead with 1:01 remaining in the game. Chris Spielman had 29 tackles in defeat.

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP MICH OSU 1 10:47 10 45 4:06 Ohio St Carter 10-yard touchdown reception from Karsatos, Frantz kick good 0 7 1 4:18 13 45 6:20 Michigan 32-yard field goal by Gillette 3 7 1 3:03 3 80 1:14 Ohio St Workman 46-yard touchdown run, Frantz kick good 3 14 2 6:47 8 63 3:19 Michigan 34-yard field goal by Gillette 6 14 3 8:53 14 83 6:02 Michigan Morris 4-yard touchdown run, Gillette kick good 13 14 3 5:26 9 65 3:22 Ohio St 27-yard field goal by Frantz 13 17 3 3:53 4 76 1:27 Michigan Morris 8-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass incomplete 19 17 4 12:46 8 85 4:19 Michigan Wilcher 7-yard touchdown run, Gillette kick good 26 17 4 9:42 4 56 1:18 Ohio St Carter 17-yard touchdown reception from Karsatos, Frantz kick good 26 24 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 26 24

vs. Texas A&M (Cotton Bowl)

1 2 3 4 Total • Ohio St 0 7 14 7 28 Texas A&M 3 3 0 6 12 Date: January 1 Location: Cotton Bowl

Main article: 1987 Cotton Bowl Classic

See also: 1986 Texas A&M Aggies football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–0	1970	W 56–13

1987 NFL draftees

Player	Round	Pick	Position	NFL club
Cris Carter	4	3	Wide receiver	Philadelphia Eagles
Sonny Gordon	6	157	Defensive back	Cincinnati Bengals
Jamie Holland	7	173	Wide receiver	San Diego Chargers
Scott Leach	9	234	Linebacker	New Orleans Saints
Jim Karsatos	12	322	Quarterback	Miami Dolphins

References

1. 1987 Ohio State Football Media Guide
2. Eugene Register-Guard. 1986 Oct 19. Retrieved 2019-Sep-23.

Win/Loss statistics

• Ohio State Historical Scores

Draft data

• Ohio State Drafted Players