Six years into the John Cooper era, the "outsider" from Tennessee hadn't earned much benefit of the doubt from Ohio State fans as his program endured five losses to Michigan and one tie even if his 1993 squad went 10-1-1 on the way to No. 11 ranking in the final AP Poll.
Heading into the 1994 season, fans were rightfully extremely skeptical of Cooper's ability to win The Game – or any big game for that matter – especially as the preseason AP Poll had the Wolverines slotted No. 5 while the Buckeyes checked in at No.