Alabama Crimson Tide ©	Ohio State Buckeyes
The Kickoff Classic Played August 27, 1986 at Giants Stadium East Rutherford, New Jersey

  

 

Teams' Belt Records

 

Team	Belt Reigns	Overall Record				Home Record				Away Record				Neutral Record
		W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT	W	L	T	PCT
Alabama ©	2	11	3	0	.786	5	2	0	.714	4	0	0	1.000	2	1	0	.667
Ohio State	3	13	5	1	.711	6	1	1	.813	6	0	0	1.000	1	4	0	.200

 

The 5^th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of coach Ray Perkins opened the season against the 9^th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes of coach Earle Bruce.  Alabama's All-SEC PK Van Tiffin hit 3 field goals & QB Mike Shula threw a touchdown pass to WR Albert Bell early in the 4^th quarter as the Crimson Tide retained The Belt with a 16-10 win over the Buckeyes.  Alabama played without All-American LB Cornelius Bennett due to injury but the kicking game was the difference in the score as Tiffin hit his three field goal attempts while Ohio State’s PK Pat O’Morrow, a freshman in his first game, missed 3 field goal attempts.  Tiffin hit a 38-yard field goal in the 1^st quarter while a low snap foiled the first attempt by O’Morrow.  The Buckeye kicker's second attempt was short from 42 yards.  Tiffin connected from 44 yards early in the 2^nd quarter as the Crimson Tide pushed the lead to 6-0.  Ohio State got on the board when WR Jamie Holland took a reverse handoff 26 yards for a touchdown giving the Buckeyes a 7-6 lead at halftime.  In the 3^rd quarter, Alabama turned the ball over 3 straight times but Ohio State could only get a 37-yard field goal from O’Morrow.  The biggest blow for the Buckeyes came after Alabama's RB Kerry Goode fumbled the kickoff after O’Morrow’s field goal giving Ohio State the ball at the Alabama 10-yard line.  On the next play, Buckeyes’ RB George Cooper fumbled the ball back to the Crimson Tide.  Early in the 4^th quarter, Alabama drove 75 yards with Shula throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Bell giving the Crimson Tide a 13-10 lead with 9:33 left.  After forcing Ohio State to punt, Shula led a drive that ran more than six minutes off the clock with Tiffin hitting a field goal from 28 yards with 1:02 to play as Alabama took a 16-10 lead.  Ohio State last hopes ended without a score at the Crimson Tide's 18-yard line even after they got 2 extra plays with no time left when Alabama's LB Derrick Thomas was called for pass interference on successive plays.  Buckeyes' QB Jim Karsatos final pass attempt was high in the end zone & All-American WR Cris Carter unable to make the catch.  Shula had just 83 yards passing with a touchdown but 2 interceptions while All-SEC RB Bobby Humphrey was held to 50 yards rushing.  Karsatos threw for 191 yards but 2 interceptions while Carter had just 3 catches for 56 yards in the loss.  Alabama finished the season 10-3; ranked 9^th nationally while the Buckeyes finished 10-3, Big Ten Co-Champs & ranked 7^th nationally.  Ohio State would play for The Belt again in 2003.