What do you think?
Rate this book
1968: The Year That Saved Ohio State Football
1968 begins in the mens' room of an exclusive Columbus restaurant and ends two years later in The Rose Bowl, an unwitting but flawless metaphor for Ohio State University's rise to the pinnacle of college football. Between these two events occurs one of the great adventure stories in the history of the sport.
Against a backdrop of national turmoil and international crises, Coach Wayne Woodrow Hayes uncharacteristically brings into his lagging program new young coaches and an impressive bunch of extraordinary kids, including the first significant number of African-Americans.
There is an irreverent military school lineman who begins the school's lifting program by bringing his own weights, a Brooklyn fullback who can't believe Ohio's open spaces, a running back with New Jersey street-gang cred, and a homegrown quarterback with a bad back and an unassailable talent.
All of them labor under the shadow of Hayes, the promethean figure who would leave an indelible legacy as one of the century's great coaches- sly, mercurial, pugnacious, maddeningly contradictory, a larger-than-life figure who carries the football ambitions of an entire state on his beefy shoulders.
1968 is a rich tapestry of scenes and stories throughout an incandescent season, including some of the best football dialogue ever written. In scene after scene, the raw intensity of an unforgettable season pulls the reader along to its breathless climax in Pasadena when the Super Sophs take on one of college's greatest running backs.
It s a story that has everything- great drama, achievement, colorful characters, and the complex unfolding of Woody Hayes's multifaceted personality.
Near the end of a chaotic decade, the Buckeyes provide a badly needed feel-good lift to an entire state. And just as Woody predicted, they found themselves a large, inextricably bound family, tied forever by the commonalities of blood literally theirs sweat, tears, laughter, and, of course, their near-miraculous season.
Against a backdrop of national turmoil and international crises, Coach Wayne Woodrow Hayes uncharacteristically brings into his lagging program new young coaches and an impressive bunch of extraordinary kids, including the first significant number of African-Americans.
There is an irreverent military school lineman who begins the school's lifting program by bringing his own weights, a Brooklyn fullback who can't believe Ohio's open spaces, a running back with New Jersey street-gang cred, and a homegrown quarterback with a bad back and an unassailable talent.
All of them labor under the shadow of Hayes, the promethean figure who would leave an indelible legacy as one of the century's great coaches- sly, mercurial, pugnacious, maddeningly contradictory, a larger-than-life figure who carries the football ambitions of an entire state on his beefy shoulders.
1968 is a rich tapestry of scenes and stories throughout an incandescent season, including some of the best football dialogue ever written. In scene after scene, the raw intensity of an unforgettable season pulls the reader along to its breathless climax in Pasadena when the Super Sophs take on one of college's greatest running backs.
It s a story that has everything- great drama, achievement, colorful characters, and the complex unfolding of Woody Hayes's multifaceted personality.
Near the end of a chaotic decade, the Buckeyes provide a badly needed feel-good lift to an entire state. And just as Woody predicted, they found themselves a large, inextricably bound family, tied forever by the commonalities of blood literally theirs sweat, tears, laughter, and, of course, their near-miraculous season.
- GenresSportsNonfiction
301 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 29, 2009
This was an excellent book -- very well-written and insightful about the many depths of a football season in general, and a team I idolized as a kid, in particular. Woody Hayes was a complex character and an excellent coach.
October 25, 2010
A great read about a great team. It helped me to understand that the only thing standing in the way of a couple more championships for the 68 "super sophs" was Woody's stubbornness.
December 27, 2018
Much better than I anticipated. Not just a book for an Ohio State fan...but a great read for anyone who loves college football & wants to learn how it was operated back in the day. One also learns that there is much more to Woody than the football coach. His humanity was priceless...& his impact on others is still passed on today.
January 4, 2021
Great look inside a great season!
This book covers everything. You get first hand points of view from parents, players, coaches, opponents, journalists, even a President! All these accounts give the reader a much more complete picture of this team and the legendary coach who led them.
This book covers everything. You get first hand points of view from parents, players, coaches, opponents, journalists, even a President! All these accounts give the reader a much more complete picture of this team and the legendary coach who led them.
January 24, 2016
This is a must-read for any Ohio State football fan, especially anyone old enough to remember Woody Hayes. Filled with wonderful inside stories about the "super sophs," everything from their recruiting to their forty-year anniversary. And even some gripping replays of the games that made the season. Who would believe that Purdue was the team many thought would ruin a perfect season? (I remembered sitting in the Stadium as I read Hyde's account of that game. Wow!) And of course stories about Bo and That Team Up North.
Hyde does an excellent job of revealing Woody in all his complexities--caring deeply for his players, many stories about going out of his way to provide help when needed, but very, very tough, punching players repeatedly, "firing" assistant coaches publicly after a failed play. Even as one who has loved Woody for years, I flinch at some of the harsh stories and find myself amazed that he escaped punishment for as long as he did.
A wonderful walk down Memory Lane. My thanks to David Hyde.
Hyde does an excellent job of revealing Woody in all his complexities--caring deeply for his players, many stories about going out of his way to provide help when needed, but very, very tough, punching players repeatedly, "firing" assistant coaches publicly after a failed play. Even as one who has loved Woody for years, I flinch at some of the harsh stories and find myself amazed that he escaped punishment for as long as he did.
A wonderful walk down Memory Lane. My thanks to David Hyde.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews