excluding Bo, of course.
that if Hayes had been winning in recent years they wouldn'y have fired him, and i think that was true. Grew up in Ohio and it is almost a child like mentality from the fan base in their inability to acknowledge certain negative truths about their program....recent case in point, Jim Tressel. They seem to genuinely believe that what he did wasn't a big deal, and that the media wanted to take Ohio State down because OSU are the Yankees of college football, etc.
His dedication to run meant for really stale games built on winning conservatively. You can watch an Ara's era game on ESPNC and it still has some suspense. The replays of 1960s and 70s OSU vs Michigan "classics" are stale and repetitious iterations of slow guys butting heads. Same 3 plays every time and a question of who tackled worse that day.
The only suspenseful parts are when Woody Hayes team falls behind near the end and has to throw. Suddenly it becomes clear that the OSU qb don't have a clue what to do, which is why their comeback fails.
some place very hot right now, and in the end that's all that matters.
For all the wrong reasons.
Mostly scared of playing Ara.
Woody was nuts. I'm surprised he didn't carry a pocketful of D batteries for plays that came past his sideline. Watch this. I mean, it is a Trojan and all, but its still technically wrong and bad sportsmanship and all that.
by shoving a camera into the face of an LA Times photographer at that same game. He really was nuts.
Ed Hall actually ran out on the field to tackle an opposing player who had broken free on a kick return. Fairfield University vs Western New England College. The year was 1978.
Do not ask me how I remembered that.
In the early 50's Rice (yes, Rice) was playing Alabama. The Rice running back took a handoff on their own five, broke free and was running down the sidelines for a certain 95 yard TD when his counterpart on Alabama leaped off the bench and tackled him sometime after he crossed the 50. Rice was awarded the touchdown.
the Alabama player seemed pretty remorseful for what he had done. The best part of that tackle was the player immediately getting off the field and hiding among his teammates.
It should be noted this kind of play is not considered cheating to Alabama fans.
It was mentioned by football nerds after the Superbowl when, I think Flacco, joked about coming off the sideline to stop the kick return.
Murder, yes, but divorce, no.
Both my parents went to OSU when Woody coached, and my mother said he was a nice guy, but watching him on TV he was out of control. My father pretty much said the same thing but they both still love him. Personally, I think he was a good coach, but tend to think he was a bit overrated. All OSU fans care about is winning, and don't care who it's against. This coming year's schedule is good evidence. I point out to OSU fans that their schedule is pathetic, and they say well we can only play who's on the schedule. I respond, well your team makes the schedule so that is a pretty lame excuse. Then they just bring up how Alabama beats us and they were the "only undefeated team in football." OSU fans are the most childish, ignorant, and asshole fans you will meet.
were Fr. Hesburgh and Woody Hayes.
Woody was responsible for the greatest video I've ever seen.
The Father
Son
And Holy Ghost
My life is now complete.
Now they don't even do that. Now they run up a big record playing 8 home game a year against a weaka$$ conference and beating up on MAC conference and 1-AA teams. No wonder their record against the SEC in bowl games is 1-10, and they had to forfit the one.
credit for playing Texas and USC in recent years. Most schools (especially in the SEC) aren't willing to schedule OOC teams that are traditionally tough to beat. Some SEC schools aren't willing to leave the Southeast region of America to play anybody.
because he didn't give Woody a standing ovation before he spoke at a coaching clinic. The way he tells it, he almost got fired.
This clinic was after the punching incident. Every one at the coaches clinic was on their feet, but my dad stayed seated in protest.
So, Woody was still very much loved in Ohio and coaching circles even after it was clear that he was a lunatic.
I said to my relatives in the room, "That'll be it for Woody. He's done."
As described below, he had explosive fits of rage that can't be explained as anything but childish or sad. He also took the Michigan hatred to wild extremes that seem odd for someone at that level. It was Steve and Barry's leather coat wearing fan extremes.....of course, Ohio State fans eat that craziness up for breakfast. Most don't recognize how childish most of it sounds.
He was alternatively a great American and by all accounts a very honest man. And he could obviously coach football. But, it should never be forgotten that he was afraid to play Notre Dame, and that is why the 2 schools didn't meet until after his firing/death.
"Because I couldn't go for three!"
In the 1968 OSU-Michigan game OSU won 50-14 (or something like that; I am sure of the 50. It is the 14 I can't remember. It was a blow out). OSU scored to make the score 48-14.....and Woody went for two! People thought he was rubbing it in...and he was. He hated Michigan with a white hot passion. He ALWAYS rooted against Michigan; even the Rose Bowl. None of this "conference" crap like now ("SEC! SEC! chants at games).
There was a good documentary on Woody in the mid 1970s---it might have been done by NFL films. They showed him talking to his team in the locker room about the dangers of parties and marijuana. It was a hoot.
You have to fast forward to the last few minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZCnocVvhgA
that featured TV announcers Bill Fleming and Johnny Lujack. Woody spoke, and the main thing I remember him saying was "We don't throw the ball around like they do at places where they lose."
Personally I didn't have any problems with him. He worked hard at his job and was honest. Like others however, he stayed around too long.
As the Buckeyes were going into the locker room at halftime during one of the Rose Bowls where they faced USC and OJ Simpson, Hayes grabbed Lou by the collar and almost choking him, yelled, "Why did OJ Simpson run the ball against us for 90 yards for a touchdown?!"
Lou said, "Because that's all he needed to score?"
One of Lou's favorite stories on the rubber chicken circuit.
on Lou. They are quite alike.
in fits of anger he was known to beat himself about his head and face with his fists.
#feartheturtle
decided not to attend OSU. He did not want to have to play against them.
is still dead.
The fans' attitudes towards Woody were basically cast in stone before Ara's appearance on Campus.
Ara graduated in '46. Woody did not coach Miami unitl '49, He was at Denison for three years before Miami.
playing ND a a "needless exhibition." Bo was a rank amateur in comparison to Woody.
He didn't want the Catholic OSU fans to jump ship and back Notre Dame in any game.
In the 1960's when ND and OSU were the top teams, the sports editor of the Plain Dealer wanted to stage a charity game at Municipal Stadium between OSU and ND. Woody never responded.
I read in one of his books that he convinced a recruit to attend ND over a southern school because of the education.
He was pretty outspoken, and I don't recall any hostile ND quotes. I have read several books about him. He just felt that there was no upside to playing ND for Ohio St. I don't he meant as a slight either. It was more about protecting Ohio recruiting .
"Kritter" (who, BTW, is Alex Welch's uncle) was down to choosing between Ohio State, Kentucky and ND.
He decided against Ohio State and called Hayes to tell him so.
Hayes wished him good luck and asked which schools he was still considering.
Heimkreiter replied Notre Dame and Kentucky (who did have a good team then).
Hayes after a bit of an incredulous silence then said "Well, go to Notre Dame, son!"
There is no doubt he admired ND.
We've only played them 5 times: 1935, 1936, 1995, 1996, and the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.
Then again, the 1978 MIchigan game broke a 35-year gap in the series, and was the only meeting between the teams while Hayes coached at OSU.
racious alive look how high Crable is!
the series. Grwoing up in SB in the %0's and 60's, there was a far greater antipathy towards Ohio State and Hayes than Michigan. Everyone rooted for Michigan over OSU....and MSU over U of M
Bill Shakespeare's son was once the President of the Downtown Athletic Club.