The Cooper Effect
The Chicago Bears have a Michigan problem. They also have in part a 1990s Ohio State problem — just not the current Ohio State.
The Bears lost to the Packers on Sunday. It was their fourth straight loss to the Packers. The last time the Bears defeated the Packers was on 12/16/2018 at Solider Field.
Now for the real depressing news.
Remember that infamous Halloween storm that rolled off Lake Michigan in 1994? (See also One Of Chicago’s Worst Halloweens, 10/31/1994.) The Monday Night Football game where both the Packers and Bears could barely move the ball against the prevailing Lake Michigan gale? Since that game, which of course the Bears lost 33-6, the Bears’ record is 13-42 against the Pack. A .236 win percentage since Halloween, 1994. Even so, the Brett Favre led Packers were able to drop 33 points in the chaos of that meteorological disaster. The Bears offense looked as over matched as the Edmund Fitzgerald, could only muster 6 points, and one has to contemplate if the weather had anything to do with their offensive struggles?
Which brings me to my point. The Bears rarely defeat the Packers. Take out Favre, insert Rodgers, and the outcome is the same. Coaches, general managers, and front office personnel come and go at Halas Hall and the same problems persist. Year after year after year. The Bears can’t beat the Packers. Nothing we don’t know. So that brings me to my point.
The John Cooper Ohio State Buckeyes of the 1990s were quite different than Buckeyes of present day. John Cooper’s record at OSU is in fact fairly impressive at 111-33-4. Definitely much better than his Bears counterparts. Cooper is second on the all time wins list behind legendary Woody Hayes (Urban Meyer is 4th for the younger generation). There’s just one problem. Cooper had a 3-8 Bowl record, and went 2-10-1 against Michigan. The 111, while impressive, wasn’t enough for him to keep his job. In the end his dismissal had everything to do with the struggle against Michigan. You have to defeat your rival. In Michigan you have to beat Ohio State, and in Columbus you have to beat Michigan. It is just the way. The post-season 3-8 Bowl record didn’t help either. Nobody cares about regular season wins — they are expected, but the money is paid for what you do in the playoffs. Fast forward to present day and current Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh. Since his hiring by Michigan in 2014, Harbaugh is currently 107-49 in spite of coming off a rough abbreviated COVID season of 2-4. However, Harbaugh is also experiencing The Cooper Effect. He has gone 0-5 against Ohio State. The first coach in the rivalry to lose five straight games (Cooper was able to manage a tie).
So what does this have to do with the Bears? They need to re-focus their agenda. Perhaps, in lieu of attempting to fix too many things at once maybe they need to start focusing on the Packers. Work to defeat the Packers … and defeat them consistently. None of these one-offs. Get a front office, coaches, general managers, assistants to the traveling secretaries, to emphasize the rivalry. Put pictures of Rodgers and the Green Bay logo around the offices if that’s what motivates you. Sounds sacrilege, but it’s time to take the rivalry seriously. If you can start beating the Packers consistently, one of the premier teams that are in the playoffs each season and legitimate Super Bowl contenders, then you in turn will start making the playoffs on a regular basis and be on your way to becoming a legitimate contender. Beat your rival and the other goals will start falling into place. The Packers don’t wonder if they are going to be in the playoffs each season. They don’t take the regular season lightly, but they do what is required and everyone in the front office has bought into the plan. If there’s a plan with the Bears it’s difficult to find as it seems to switch week to week. From the outside looking in it looks like they’re making it up as they go.
I am well aware the Bears are in the playoffs, and will be facing the Saints on Sunday. The Bears backed into the playoffs with a Cardinals’ loss. They could have punched their own ticket by defeating the Packers and not worry about the scoreboard. Again, that did not happen for the fourth straight time. Assuming the Bears can knock off the Saints, and barring an unforeseen upset of Green Bay by somebody, eventually at some point they will have to play the Packers…again…at Lambeau Field, and they’ve yet to prove they can defeat Rodgers and company anywhere let alone on their own frozen tundra. So from that perspective the problem isn’t fixed.
My advice to Halas Hall is, come what may this playoff season, start working on beating your rival consistently. When you do that you’ll be on the right track. If you have a team that can beat the Packers consistently it’ll be able to take on any other football team as well. Otherwise you’ll be continually under the influence of The Cooper Effect.
[Author’s note: record data via https://www.footballdb.com, https://en.wikipedia.org.]