Ohio Football Topic
Topic: What is Coach Solich's "signature" win at Ohio?
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Mark Lembright '85
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Posted: 6/12/2014 12:42 PM
I've pondered this question for awhile.  If you had to answer, what win was Solich's biggest win while here at Ohio?  The potential answers are many, and I'm sure I haven't thought of them all.

For me, the signature win was against Penn State.  I'm sure the Pitt victory will get a lot of votes, but in my opinion, while that win's very memorable, it wasn't Ohio's biggest win.  Pitt was rather mediocre that year, and let's face it, that win wasn't that big a deal nationally, at least not nearly as it was to us Ohio fans.  Nationally as I recall, it got sort of a ho-hum reaction. 

The Penn State win on the other hand, was in the national spotlight as that was Penn State's first game after the sex scandal and first post-Joe Pa game for Penn State.  Plus, Penn State was actually pretty decent that year, finishing with a rather respectable 8-4 record.  Winning at their house in front of 100,000 rabid fans was a huge accomplishment, IMHO.
cbarber357
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Posted: 6/12/2014 1:04 PM
That Penn State game was a great game to watch. It and the basketball game against Toledo at the convo last year are two of my favorites.
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Posted: 6/12/2014 1:05 PM
Mark Lembright '85 wrote:expand_more
I've pondered this question for awhile.  If you had to answer, what win was Solich's biggest win while here at Ohio?  The potential answers are many, and I'm sure I haven't thought of them all.

For me, the signature win was against Penn State.  I'm sure the Pitt victory will get a lot of votes, but in my opinion, while that win's very memorable, it wasn't Ohio's biggest win.  Pitt was rather mediocre that year, and let's face it, that win wasn't that big a deal nationally, at least not nearly as it was to us Ohio fans.  Nationally as I recall, it got sort of a ho-hum reaction. 

The Penn State win on the other hand, was in the national spotlight as that was Penn State's first game after the sex scandal and first post-Joe Pa game for Penn State.  Plus, Penn State was actually pretty decent that year, finishing with a rather respectable 8-4 record.  Winning at their house in front of 100,000 rabid fans was a huge accomplishment, IMHO.


I agree that the correct answer is Penn State, but I disagree about the Pitt game.  While Pitt went on to have a ho-hum year, at the time, that win was a huge splash nationally.  Solich at Ohio was a big story, Wannstedt at Pitt was a story, and the way the game ended, plus being the only college game on that Friday night, made for a great national story.
A-townBound
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Posted: 6/12/2014 1:08 PM
For me Solich's "signature win" and "biggest win" are not synonymous.

Biggest Win - Penn State

Signature Win - Pitt (put his signature on the Ohio program and marked the beginning of great things to come)

 
Last Edited: 6/12/2014 1:09:33 PM by A-townBound
L.C.
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Posted: 6/12/2014 2:04 PM
Deciduous Forest Cat wrote:expand_more
I agree that the correct answer is Penn State, but I disagree about the Pitt game.  While Pitt went on to have a ho-hum year, at the time, that win was a huge splash nationally.  Solich at Ohio was a big story, Wannstedt at Pitt was a story, and the way the game ended, plus being the only college game on that Friday night, made for a great national story.

Add into that the fact that Wannstedt was Steve Pederson's first choice for a coach to replace Solich, and you had an extra element to that game, and an extra irony in the Ohio win. The thing about the Pitt win, however, was that it was sort of a flukey win, depending on not one, but two pick-sixes from Byrum, on top of a TD returned for a touchdown by Pitt. The Penn State win was much more of a workmanlike game. Ohio just went into Penn State, and won the game. Yes, Ohio had one flukey TD, but even without it, Ohio was the clear winner.

To me one game marked a beginning, and a promise of more good things to come, while the other simply was a statement that Ohio is a real team that on any given Saturday might beat anyone.
Bobcats1991
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Posted: 6/12/2014 2:53 PM
If I could only pick regular season wins, then the Penn State game would be my pick. However, with how PSU came into that season, that first bowl in school history looks that much greater. Here's to hoping OUr boys can come out this year and shock the world!
Mark Lembright '85
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Posted: 6/12/2014 4:46 PM
Great responses!  I wish I could have included a MAC Championship as an option but hopefully that happens in the near future, fingers crossed.  We win one of those and it instantly becomes Solich's signature win IMHO.
Pataskala
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Posted: 6/12/2014 7:55 PM
I know a "signature win" is one that puts a program on the map, and the wins mentioned are huge, but I think maybe the biggest win in Solich's tenure might have been vs WMU in '06.  The Cats were 2-3, had lost three in a row, and were coming off a pretty miserable showing at home vs BG (thanks in no small part to a Dispatch article on discipline problems with the program the morning of the game).  Solich instilled an "us against the world" attitude in the team, and they responded with a solid win in Kalamazoo.  That was the first of seven straight wins and launched Ohio into the MACC game.  Without that win, the '06 season might've been a disaster -- and things might've been a whole lot different at Ohio the past eight years.
perimeterpost
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Posted: 6/12/2014 8:01 PM
This might be a trick question but I don't know if Frank has had a signature win. He's had some important wins but I don't know if any one win is the clear high water mark to point to.

Let me flip the question around- Does Solich have a signature loss?

List of potential signature losses in chronological order-

2008- 26-14 @ #3 Ohio State. Sure, we had no business winning this one, but we almost pulled it off. Almost.

2009- 21-17 Marshall, LCP Bowl. A 6-6 Herd team with no head coach against 9-3 Ohio. Have to win that one.

2010- 28-6 @ Kent St. Last game of the season, win and we're in the MACC. 4 win Flashes with a coach who is resigning after the game blows our doors off and Fiami sneaks into Detroit instead.

2010- 48-21 Troy Bowl game. Getting embarrassed by Troy caused Frank to retool the offense that lead to TT's success. Maybe signature loss in a good way?

2011- 23-20 NIU MACC. How?? Why?? others worth noting- 1pt loss at UB and 3pt loss during homecoming vs Ball. We were legitimately within reach of a 13-1 season.

2012- 23-20 @Fiami. We're 7-0 and ranked going in, you know the rest.

2013- 26-23 CMU during homecoming. Have to win that one.

2013- All of Nov MACtion. Outscored 123-16. Not cool.


Do any of these losses define the Solich era more than any of his wins?
perimeterpost
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Posted: 6/12/2014 8:12 PM
Dark horse signature win nominee for Solich-

9/12/2009 @North Texas 31-30 2OT

Players and coaches have pointed to this game as a key turning point for the program when the players began to really believe that they could win every game they played. Solich's record at Ohio before the North Texas game was 23-27, it's 42-23 since.
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Posted: 6/12/2014 11:13 PM
My favorite game all-time, bar none, is Pittsburgh. I think it more has to do with what preceded it (40 years of losing) than the game itself, though the finish was unbelievable. But after that game, I had hope that we could actually start to compete in football. Not to mention the atmosphere was unlike anything I had ever seen at Peden. We have gotten spoiled since then, no doubt.
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Posted: 6/12/2014 11:20 PM
Pataskala wrote:expand_more
ISolich instilled an "us against the world" attitude in the team, and they responded with a solid win in Kalamazoo. 


WMU game was actually at home. I remember getting sunburned as bad as ever that day, but the win sure was nice.
Mike Johnson
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Posted: 6/13/2014 9:07 AM
I voted for the Pitt game. Lynne and I were there and when it ended Lynne was so pumped she jumped up and high-fived. Plus it was on ESPN.

The Penn State game was a close second. I was in France at the time, and I remember my excitement when I logged on and saw a headline: Bobcats Top Lions.

The next day it was gratifying when I picked up the International Herald Tribune and USA Today International and both included stories on the game!
OUcats82
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Posted: 6/13/2014 10:19 AM
perimeterpost wrote:expand_more
This might be a trick question but I don't know if Frank has had a signature win. He's had some important wins but I don't know if any one win is the clear high water mark to point to.

Let me flip the question around- Does Solich have a signature loss?

List of potential signature losses in chronological order-

2008- 26-14 @ #3 Ohio State. Sure, we had no business winning this one, but we almost pulled it off. Almost.

2009- 21-17 Marshall, LCP Bowl. A 6-6 Herd team with no head coach against 9-3 Ohio. Have to win that one.

2010- 28-6 @ Kent St. Last game of the season, win and we're in the MACC. 4 win Flashes with a coach who is resigning after the game blows our doors off and Fiami sneaks into Detroit instead.

2010- 48-21 Troy Bowl game. Getting embarrassed by Troy caused Frank to retool the offense that lead to TT's success. Maybe signature loss in a good way?

2011- 23-20 NIU MACC. How?? Why?? others worth noting- 1pt loss at UB and 3pt loss during homecoming vs Ball. We were legitimately within reach of a 13-1 season.

2012- 23-20 @Fiami. We're 7-0 and ranked going in, you know the rest.

2013- 26-23 CMU during homecoming. Have to win that one.

2013- All of Nov MACtion. Outscored 123-16. Not cool.


Do any of these losses define the Solich era more than any of his wins?


I think the 2011 MACC collapse is at the top of the list for me and a win in that game would have taken Solich's tenure here from being good to great, if using our overall history as a measuring stick.   If you bring a program its first conference championship in 40+ years you get my vote as being successful. 

I won't speak for everyone on here but a MACC in football would be a feather in his cap that most of us could probably live off of/fall on and enjoy over and over, especially after having to swallow a lot of the other bitter pills listed above.  How many on here have gone back to watch the end of the Pitt game, highlights of PSU, Spud Bowl, Independence Bowl, Marshall wins etc.  Those wins are no less sweeter for me now than they were when they actually happened.  

Imagine if that 2011 MACC had ended with some kind of big, signature play that went for the winning score or even better, if we would have went wire to wire with the lead and not folded like a lawn chair.  Much like Byrum's pick six, we would always reminisce about say Tettleton's 40 yard scramble, Lavon's circus catch in the endzone etc. The overall credit for any of that would go to Solich.  Since it didn't happen I think disappointment/criticism is justified and deserved.

Overall though we need to thank and credit Frank for giving us the standards and expectations that we have. Three of my four undergrad years were coached by someone whose name is now a past-tense verb that pops up from time to time on here.  I endured a lot of bad football, and rushed the field once to celebrate the end of a losing streak. 

 


 
Last Edited: 6/13/2014 10:22:02 AM by OUcats82
PA Bobcat Fan
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Posted: 6/13/2014 10:28 AM
I voted for the Penn State win. 2 quality teams that matched up well, playing great football for 4 quarters.
The Pitt game was 4 quarters of really bad football and we happened to win.
El Gato Roberto
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Posted: 6/13/2014 1:00 PM
I wasn't thinking about games won in the bright spotlight.  My signature games are either the North Texas win as a turning point.  and the un-doing of Marshall while wearing Black Jerseys.
Jeff McKinney
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Posted: 6/13/2014 2:23 PM
I agree with El Gato.  The signature win for me was the 43-7 demolishing of the Herd while wearing the black jerseys.  Talk about getting a huge albatross of our backs!
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Posted: 6/13/2014 2:49 PM
Jeff McKinney wrote:expand_more
I agree with El Gato.  The signature win for me was the 43-7 demolishing of the Herd while wearing the black jerseys.  Talk about getting a huge albatross of our backs!

What a minute guys, is Marshall really our SuperBowl? 

 
C Money
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Posted: 6/13/2014 3:20 PM
Penn State is the most high profile, and thus probably the "signature" win.


Tater Bowl was probably the best for the program, getting the 0-fer bowl monkey off our back.


44-7 was my personal favorite.....and includes maybe my personal favorite Bobcat football memory.....it's the end of the 3rd quarter, and the student section had pretty much cleared out except for a few pockets of fans. I stand up and raise 4 fingers, because yes let's keep this up. LaVon is on the sidelines dancing, looks up right at me, nods his head, and raises 4 fingers. OH HELL YES LET'S KEEP THIS UP!!!!!


Also, Illinois 2006 > Pitt 2005. Come at me bro. Dion's pick-6 to win is an all-time classic Bobcat moment, but if it hadn't been at home and on ESPN on a weeknight (#MACtion) how many would know about it? Given the way the seasons played out, the Illinois win was more important (building upon the WMU win to roll on to an East title) than beating Pitt at home (only to get stomped by VaTech the next week).


Man, is it football season yet?
fansince49
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Posted: 6/13/2014 5:12 PM
I believe that the victory over WMU was in Athens, not Kalamazoo.
colobobcat66
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Posted: 6/14/2014 9:06 AM
perimeterpost wrote:expand_more
This might be a trick question but I don't know if Frank has had a signature win. He's had some important wins but I don't know if any one win is the clear high water mark to point to.

Let me flip the question around- Does Solich have a signature loss?

List of potential signature losses in chronological order-

2008- 26-14 @ #3 Ohio State. Sure, we had no business winning this one, but we almost pulled it off. Almost.

2009- 21-17 Marshall, LCP Bowl. A 6-6 Herd team with no head coach against 9-3 Ohio. Have to win that one.

2010- 28-6 @ Kent St. Last game of the season, win and we're in the MACC. 4 win Flashes with a coach who is resigning after the game blows our doors off and Fiami sneaks into Detroit instead.

2010- 48-21 Troy Bowl game. Getting embarrassed by Troy caused Frank to retool the offense that lead to TT's success. Maybe signature loss in a good way?

2011- 23-20 NIU MACC. How?? Why?? others worth noting- 1pt loss at UB and 3pt loss during homecoming vs Ball. We were legitimately within reach of a 13-1 season.

2012- 23-20 @Fiami. We're 7-0 and ranked going in, you know the rest.

2013- 26-23 CMU during homecoming. Have to win that one.

2013- All of Nov MACtion. Outscored 123-16. Not cool.


Do any of these losses define the Solich era more than any of his wins?

Ouch! You've got some really painful losses, and I'd rather not be reminded of them when we're trying to look at the positive. Probably the makings if another thread.
Monroe Slavin
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Posted: 6/14/2014 2:13 PM
perimeterpost wrote:expand_more
This might be a trick question but I don't know if Frank has had a signature win. He's had some important wins but I don't know if any one win is the clear high water mark to point to.

Let me flip the question around- Does Solich have a signature loss?

List of potential signature losses in chronological order-

2008- 26-14 @ #3 Ohio State. Sure, we had no business winning this one, but we almost pulled it off. Almost.

2009- 21-17 Marshall, LCP Bowl. A 6-6 Herd team with no head coach against 9-3 Ohio. Have to win that one.

2010- 28-6 @ Kent St. Last game of the season, win and we're in the MACC. 4 win Flashes with a coach who is resigning after the game blows our doors off and Fiami sneaks into Detroit instead.

2010- 48-21 Troy Bowl game. Getting embarrassed by Troy caused Frank to retool the offense that lead to TT's success. Maybe signature loss in a good way?

2011- 23-20 NIU MACC. How?? Why?? others worth noting- 1pt loss at UB and 3pt loss during homecoming vs Ball. We were legitimately within reach of a 13-1 season.

2012- 23-20 @Fiami. We're 7-0 and ranked going in, you know the rest.

2013- 26-23 CMU during homecoming. Have to win that one.

2013- All of Nov MACtion. Outscored 123-16. Not cool.


Do any of these losses define the Solich era more than any of his wins?

Note that I did not post the above...though most of youse probably think that I did.  But it's a correct post until MACC.

SIgnature play:  Lavon's grab at the goal line to set up Tettleton's walk in TD to get the first bowl game win.  If we don't get that play and get that win, things could be a lot different.

 
OhioStunter
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Posted: 6/14/2014 5:54 PM
A-townBound wrote:expand_more
For me Solich's "signature win" and "biggest win" are not synonymous.

Biggest Win - Penn State

Signature Win - Pitt (put his signature on the Ohio program and marked the beginning of great things to come)

 


I wanted to say this, but you said it better.
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