| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 21 Ohio State | 14 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| No. 8 Syracuse | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
Ohio State is 4-2 against Syracuse and 1-0 in the Carrier Dome.
BACKGROUND
The Buckeyes entered this game with a 2-0 record and ranked No. 21 in the country. Ohio State opened the season with a 20-19 win over Louisville. The Cardinals had a chance to win with 33 seconds left in the game, but were unable to convert a 2-point conversion.
The second game of the season added more concerns to the Buckeye faithful as Ohio State won an uninspiring game against Bowling Green. This marked the first time Ohio State played an in-state school since the 76-0 slaughter of Western Reserve in 1934. After the Buckeyes defeated BG 17-6 many were skeptical that Ohio State could beat the 8th ranked Orangemen of Syracuse. Especially because Syracuse defeated the Buckeyes 24-17 in the 1992 Hall of Fame Bowl a few months earlier.
Eddie George rushed for 3 touchdowns against Syracuse He finished the 1992 season with 5 TDs.
OHIO STATE PLAYERS
- Eddie George ran for a game-high 3 touchdowns.
- Kirk Herbstreit completed 10/19 passes for 154 yards, and a touchdown.
- Robert Smith rushed for a touchdown.
- Brian Stablein caught a touchdown in the first quarter for the game's first score. The Buckeyes had gone 29 straight quarters without a touchdown pass.
SYRACUSE'S PLAYERS
- Marvin Graves completed 12/25 passes for 158 yards and 4 interceptions. Graves was sacked six times in the game.
- Shelby Hill led the Orangemen with 122 yards receiving for and average of 17.4 yards per reception.
-
Qadry Ismail was knocked out of the game on a failed two-point conversion attempt in the third quarter.
The Buckeyes kept The Missile grounded.
KEY TO THE GAME
Per nytimes.com:
Ohio State's greatest accomplishment on the day was disarming Qadry Ismail, the Orange's notorious missile. The wide receiver was reduced to spectator status by a bruising Ohio State secondary that suffocated his pass routes and a defensive line that barely allowed Graves to catch his breath.
QUOTABLE
John Cooper after the game:
"I've been in coaching a long time and I've never been prouder of a team. Our players got really fired up. They got tired of everybody saying we didn't have any speed." nytimes.com
Syracuse quarterback Marvin Graves:
"We just got whipped, that's what it came down to." nytimes.com
THE REST OF THE STORY
After the impressive road win over Syracuse the Buckeyes would lose the next two games. Ohio State finished the 1992 season with a loss to Georgia in the Florida Citrus Bowl and a record of 8-3-1. The 1992 season was also the year Gordon Gee made his infamous statement after the 13-13 tie against That Team.
MY THOUGHTS OF THE 1992 SYRACUSE GAME
After watching Ohio State struggle in the first two games of the season against teams with less talent I was hoping the Buckeyes would play better against Syracuse. It might be hard to believe now, but the Carrier Dome was a tough place to play in the late '80s and early '90s. The Ohio State offense was explosive in this game and it made me optimistic that the 1992 season would end with the Buckeyes playing in Pasadena. Unfortunately, those dreams were dashed over the next two weeks.
| Oppontent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No. 8 Louisville | W | 20-19 |
| Bowling Green | W | 17-6 |
| at Syracuse | W | 35-12 |
| at Wisconsin | L | 16-20 |
| Illinois | L | 16-18 |
| Northwestern | W | 31-7 |
| at Michigan State | W | 27-17 |
| at Iowa | W | 38-15 |
| at Indiana | W | 27-10 |
| No. 6 That Team | T | 13-13 |
| No. 8 Georgia* | L | 14-21 |
| Total | 8-3-1 | 271-158 |
| Big Ten: 2nd Place | 23-13 |
*1993 Florida Citrus Bowl
THIS WEEK'S ARTICLES
The Rundown
Recruiting Recon: NIU's Offense
Recruiting Recon: NIU's Defense
Tale of the Tape: NIU
NEXT ARTICLES
This Date In Ohio State History (Sat)
The Ohio State Effect (Sun)
