Buckeye Madness: The Glorious, Tumultuous, Behind-the-Scenes Story of Ohio State Football (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "JIM TRESSEL'S fiery eyes flashed as he scanned the young men dressed out in scarlet and gray Ohio State football gear that sat or stood,..." (more)
Key Phrases: Rose Bowl, Big Ten, Woody Hayes (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This history of the Ohio State Buckeyes opens with their national championship in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, then backtracks to the glory days of the team's greatest leader, Woody Hayes. With the volatile, demanding coach front and center, the story has its strongest momentum—but Menzer is careful to show that it wasn't all upbeat. The legendary undefeated team of 1968 and the consecutive Heisman trophies of running back Archie Griffin in '74 and '75 are matched by Hayes's physical abuse of his players during practice and encouragement of the dangerous "chop-block" tackling technique. Hayes was eventually fired for attacking an opposing player during a game, and his successors found it hard to live up to his reputation or his skills, especially when it came to the school's rivalry with the Michigan Wolverines. Though Menzer, a sportswriter (The Wildest Ride) and Ohio native, tries his best, the second half of his chronicle falls just short of the standard set by the first. Recruiting scandals and boorish behavior by star athletes, even when well reported, just don't have the same dramatic impact as Hayes's obsessive discipline of his players. Buckeyes fans, however, will likely be satisfied just to relive that era. B&w photos.
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Product Description

The Ohio State Buckeyes, one of the most storied college football programs in the nation, have a rich and colorful history that spans more than a century. In Buckeye Madness Ohio native Joe Menzer tells the exhilarating story of the Scarlet and Gray from the days of Woody Hayes in the late 1960s to Jim Tressel and OSU's recent national championship.

In the fall of 1968, Hayes's Buckeyes went 10-0 and won the national championship -- a feat that the Buckeyes wouldn't repeat until January 2003, when an underdog OSU team upset the heavily favored Miami Hurricanes in an epic double-overtime national title game. In between those championships, scores of outstanding players took the field in Ohio Stadium, such as the legendary Archie Griffin, the last (and likely the only) player to win the Heisman Trophy twice. Ohio State fans will enjoy Menzer's descriptions of such Buckeye greats as Rex Kern, Chris Spielman, and Heisman winner Eddie George, among many others, along with his accounts of some great, and not-so-great, Ohio State teams in recent decades. Menzer explains how the game has changed in the years since Woody Hayes called the plays, and especially how the coaches themselves have had to change as concerns about off-the-field activities grew in importance. Hayes's immediate successors -- Earle Bruce and John Cooper -- were very different personalities from the incendiary Hayes; Tressel is a throwback to the Hayes era in many ways, yet he must deal with different issues as dictated by the changing times.

But as Buckeye Madness makes clear in some unforgettable anecdotes, one thing will never change: the Ohio State-Michigan game remains the greatest rivalry in college football, a date circled months in advance on calendars in Columbus and Ann Arbor.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st ed edition (August 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074325788X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743257886
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #890,155 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Buckeye Fan's Delight, September 2, 2005

By	Robert E. Daley "Buckeye Bob" (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Everyone who is interested in Ohio State football will enjoy Buckeye Madness. This promises to be a good year for OSU. Buckeye Madness will give you the background you need to to enjoy the season fully.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I CUT MY TEETH ON OHIO STATE FOOTBALL STORIES! GREAT READING!, November 13, 2005

By	Betty L. Dravis "[e-mail], autho... (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

As a young girl growing up in Ohio--many suns ago--I still remember my three brothers, my father and multi-uncles arguing the pros and cons of good old Ohio State football! So when I saw this book on Amazon, I just HAD to get it.

Wow--what memories it brings back!

I now live in Silicon Valley, and out here in the Golden State, we're always rooting for the 49ers and the Raiders, with three-fourths of my large family being 49ers fans, the other quarter rooting for the Raiders. Imagine the fun we have!

Now that my memory has been refreshed on Ohio Buckeye Madness, I can now toss in a good old Ohio State football story. It's invigorating to be reminded of one's ROOTS! (pun intended)

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars osu, August 27, 2005

By	David J. Vernarsky "buckeye fan" (ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

this book is very good reading if you are a huge buckeye fan like myself.