 Hess's squads would not enjoy a .500 record again until 1973, when the 'Cats were 5–5 with a 14–12 upset of the Northwestern.The 1974 and 1975 teams were 6–5 and 5–5–1, respectively, and built up to the successful 1976 season.In Hess's second to last year, Ohio managed a 7–4 mark, including a 6–2 record against MAC foes.