Before Ohio State beat Tennessee in the first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff in December, the last time an SEC team traveled north to take on the Buckeyes was in 1988, when LSU made its first trip to Columbus.
The Tigers came into the matchup as the No. 7-ranked team in the country riding a 14-game road winning streak and were expected to take care of Ohio State in John Cooper’s first season leading the Buckeyes. That seemed to be the case for nearly the first 58 minutes of the game before Ohio State decided to stun the college football world.
When the SEC travels north to Columbus, good things seem to happen for Ohio State.
Before Ohio State beat Tennessee in the first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff in December, the last time an SEC team traveled north to take on the Buckeyes was in 1988, when LSU made its first trip to Columbus.
The Tigers came into the matchup as the No. 7-ranked team in the country riding a 14-game road winning streak and were expected to take care of Ohio State in John Cooper’s first season leading the Buckeyes. That seemed to be the case for nearly the first 58 minutes of the game before Ohio State decided to stun the college football world.
After LSU quarterback Tommy Hodson found receiver Alvin Lee for a 55-yard touchdown to give the Tigers a commanding 33-20 lead with 4:29 left in the game, Ohio Stadium began to clear out, as many members of the OSU faithful in attendance figured they would start their trek home a little early a week after Ohio State was embarrassed by Pittsburgh on the road, 42-10.
But that was when the Buckeyes began to play their best football of the season and shocked both the remaining fans in attendance and the rest of college football.
“Maybe we started celebrating too soon,” LSU cornerback Jimmy Young said at the time. “They set us up for the kill and they got us.”
Ohio State cut the lead to 33-27 with a 10-play, 59-yard touchdown drive capped by a 5-yard score by Carlos Snow with 1:56 remaining, his second touchdown of the game.
