Joe Menzer - Buckeye Madness: The Glorious, Tumultuous, Behind-the-Scenes Story of Ohio State Football

G ROWING UP as a sports nut in Ohio, you cannot escape the shadow of Ohio State University football. It fits that the Ohio State mascot is a nutbut a dangerous one. If eaten, the buckeye nut can be detrimental to your health, so its better to look at it rather than to consume it. Ohio State football, on the other hand, is all-consuming once one chooses to enter the world of these beloved Buckeyes. I grew up in Hamilton, Ohio, between Dayton and Cincinnati, but had relatives in Columbus who actually would dress me up in Ohio State football gear when I would visit as a small child. I still have at least one picture in my possession to offer as proof. Im still not sure if I should thank my Uncle Bill and Aunt Louise and all my older cousins for that, or not. The outfit came complete with helmet and even one of those oversized OSU parka-type coats that the actual players sometimes wore on the sidelines, and it dwarfed me. But I felt big in it, even at age six or seven or whatever I was at the time, and like every other kid in Ohio, at some time or another, I pretended to be an Ohio State football player throttling Michigan whenever I was in it.

My idea for this book came as I watched the 2002 Buckeyes win the national championship with an improbable upset of the heavily favored Miami Hurricanes in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. It seemed to me that they had reached back into the past to land a coach in Jim Tressel, who was an unabashed Woody Hayes disciple, after wandering in the college football wilderness under a coach who appeared to be a decent guy, but simply never understood the traditions of Ohio State football.

This book could not have come about if not for the generosity of men like Archie Griffin, Jim Karsatos, and Chris Spielman, who willingly gave time from their busy lives for interviews. Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in the history of college football, has been described as one of the nicest men in sportsand he did not disappoint during an interview that ran long because he didnt want to stop telling stories. The candid Karsatos, a former Ohio State quarterback, is a member of the respected radio broadcast team. Spielman now serves as head coach of the Arena Football Leagues Columbus Destroyers, but has never stopped bleeding scarlet and gray. Like Karsatos, he may disagree with some of what goes on with the Buckeyes now and thenand hes free in expressing his opinions on a local Columbus radio showbut he also fervently believes in the integrity of the program and its traditions.

This book is the story of how the program evolved in the years between Woody Hayess last true national championship in 1968 and the championship run in 2002, and beyond. It is the story of all the young men who played at Ohio State during that time, and all the extraordinary and sometimes eccentric men who coached them. It is the story of Hayes, one of the most fascinating and complex men in sports during the twentieth century; of Earle Bruce and his struggle to follow in the legendary Hayess football cleats; of John Cooper and his pitfalls against Michigan, plus his failure to understand the true depth of college footballs greatest rivalry; of Jim Tressel and the current state of college football, filled with challenges away from the field that Hayes never could have comprehended.

There are stories both humorous and sad, sometimes heroic and occasionally tragic. They encompass the truly glorious, though often tumultuous, behind-the-scenes story of Ohio State football.

In addition to those listed above, my heartfelt thanks go out to Steve Snapp of the OSU sports information office, Curt Hunter of the Columbus Destroyers, and a long list of former Buckeye players and coaches too numerous to list here. I do want to offer a special thanks, though, to Dave Foley, Mark Lang, Dom Capers, Fred Pagac, Scott Zalenski, Drew Carter, Chris Gamble, and Ed Sidwell. All were most helpful in piecing certain stories together and placing bits of history in proper context and order. There also were many others who helped from the enemy perspective as well, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe DeLamiellure, Mike Trgovac, Rodney Peete, and Richard Williamson. Several members of the Ohio State 2002, 2003, and 2004 teams also deserve thanks for their cooperation. And as always I must thank the public relations staffs of several NFL teams, but especially that of the Carolina Panthers. I am proud to call Charlie Dayton, the Panthers director of communications, a friend. Thanks also to Chance Brockway and Chance Brock-way Jr. of Brockway Sports Photos for providing the terrific photos inside this book.

There have been many previous books written about the Buckeyes that proved helpful in my research. All are listed in the bibliography, but there is perhaps no better book about Woody Hayes than Woody Hayes: A Reflection written in 1991 by former Columbus Dispatch sports editor Paul Hornung, who shares a last name and a passion for football with his namesake who starred at Notre Dame and for the Green Bay Packers. Also useful was Jerry Brondfields Woody Hayes and the 100-Yard War and a number of other books, including What It Means To Be a Buckeye , edited by Jeff Snook.

I also owe thanks to sports editor Terry Oberle at the Winston-Salem Journal for allowing me to continue my book pursuits when not covering the Panthers for the newspaper. And I hope that this book meets the high expectations of my colleague at the Journal , one of the biggest Buckeye fans I know, John Delong, who also happens to be related to a darn good former OSU tight end, Ben Hartsock.

No book I do could take shape without the always encouraging words and never-ending assistance of my agent, Shari Wenk. And I have never had an easier or more effective editing team to work with than Bob Bender and Johanna Li at Simon & Schuster.

Finally, I thank my wife, Sarah, for her patience when I had none left, and for her unwavering belief in me. I thank our four wonderful childrenAndrew, Elizabeth, Emma, and Michaelwho stayed out of my office most of the time when they were supposed to and who quit dribbling basketballs in the garage whenever I demanded it for the sake of overcoming writers block. I thank Ted and Nancy Sardinia for helping out with the kids and for talking us into taking some time out at the beach, which proved to be a surprisingly productive place to sneak in some workand for Mel and Gladys Bartlett for offering us their place on the surf. Next time Ill leave behind a copy of this book for Mel, who coincidentally happens to be an avid Ohio State fan. (They really are everywhere .)