It was one for the Ohio State football trivia books, what happened in Michigan Stadium yesterday.

    John Cooper became the first OSU coach to lose a fourth straight game to Michigan and earn a three-year contract extension on the same day.

    After OSU athletic director Jim Jones told the world about the extension before the game, the 18th-ranked Buckeyes went out and got popped 31-3 by the fourth-ranked and Rose Bowl-bound Wolverines, who wrapped up the Big Ten title.

    Jones said it was important for everyone to understand that the status of Cooper, in th furth year of his original five-year contract, did not hinge on how the Buckeyes (8-3, 5-3 and Hall of Fame Bowl-bound) did yesterday.

    Good thing.

    "We got our butts kicked," OSU outside linebacker Jason Simmons said.

    The main kick came during 4:10 of the second quarter, when the Wolverines (10-1, 8-0) zoomed from a 7-3 advantage to a 24-3 lead. Two Ohio State turnovers-- quarterback Kent Graham's sixth interception of the year and Carlos Snow's first fumble of the season-- led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Jesse Johnson and a 37-yard field goal by J.D. Carlson, respectively.

    The Heisman Trophy favorite Desmond Howard did his thing. Taking an OSU punt at the 7, he dodged right, cut up, then left, and zommed up the left sideline for the TD. At 93 yards, it wa the longest punt return in Michigan history.

    "What he did today was storybook," Michigan coach Gary Moeller said.

    What he did was put an exclamation point on the most lopsided Michigan win over Ohio State since the 58-6 drubbing Paul Bixer's only OSU team took in 1946. That was the second of four striaght losses to the Wolverines, the last time that had happened until yesterday.

    How does it feel?

    "I would think it would be frustrating if you lose four years (in a row) to Michigan," Cooper said, sarcastically.

    But yesterday, he had a valid excuse. Michigan whose only loss was to third-ranked Florida State the third game of the year, went in as a 14-point favorite.

    "We got beat by a good football team," Cooper said. "Michigan is every bit as good as advertised."

    Michigan scored on its first possession, converting a fake field goal attempt into a first down at the 1, with fullback Bernie Legette diving over from there. Thus, the Wolverines never trailed in posting their 50th win in the 88-game series.

    OSU kicker Tim Williams, who had missed from 46 yards at the end of the Buckeyes' first drive, cut the lead to 7-3 with a 50-yard field goal with 12:32 left in the second quarter. It was set up by a Mark Williams fumbel recovery at the Michigan 48.

    Kirk Herbstreit replaced the uneffective Graham at quarterback in the second half and directed the Buckeyes on two long, fruitless drives in the third quarter. One ended with him being sacked for 10 yards on fourth-an-5 from the Michigan 20.

    The other, a 17-play sojourn from the OSU 17 to the Michigan 2 during which the Buckeyes converted on 2 fourth downs, ended when Snow lost his second fumble of the day. It was raining, and he never had a grip.

    Between those two drives, Howard pulled off another big play, his diving catch of a 50-yard pass from Elvis Grbac setting up a 5-yard TD run by freshman Tyrone Wheatley.

    There would be no OSU comeback. The Michigan defense, led by Butkus award finalist Erick Anderson, saw to that.

    "They played exactly the way they've played all year long, and did a great job," OSU offensive coordinator Elliot Uzelac said of the Michigan defense. Ohio State had the ball for 33:54 but was outgained 323 yards to 233. In the Buckeyes' three losses this year, they scored a combined 19 points.

    "The turnovers really turned the thing around and hurt us badly, and took us out of our offense," Uzelac said. "We had two turnovers right in succession, and then the long punt return. That really helped them and really hurt us."

    OSU defensive coordinator Bill Young said the defense didn't do its job in giving the offense enough opportunites.

    "We need to give them better field position," Young said, "You don't generally move the football on great football teams... and this Michigan team is the best football team we've faced in the four years we've been here."

    Moeller-- in his second year in place of Bo Schembechler-- didn't argue.

    "I guess if you're 10-1, you're happy. I am," he said. "I have as fine a group of kids as any coach could have. I'm honored to be the coach of Michigan."