As a college freshman who had never been to Ohio, I was uninformed but quickly became immersed in their football culture. Especially in the early to mid-1960’s, Ohio could make the argument with Pennsylvania and Texas that they played the very best high school football in the nation. Florida was a non-factor with a population that had not yet grown to its current numbers or status. The shift in national demographics bears this out. When the industrial regions of Ohio and Pennsylvania mined coal, produced steel, and did other heavy manufacturing that supported the major industries in the United States, high school football was king and with Texas, were the national hot spots for stocking college rosters. Now, the statistics indicate that among the BCS schools, from 2004 through 2008, Florida outpaced all other states with 981 football scholarships granted, followed closely by Texas with 974, California at 826, Georgia with 481 and then, more or less limping in with 362 scholarship players, Ohio. Pennsylvania followed their neighbor with 281. More revealing is the fact that per capita the fall off in quality Division 1 players in the shuttered Ohio-Western Pennsylvania region has been startling. My memories of the area’s greatness has however, remained intact. The late night-early morning drive that passed nearby Uniontown, PA reminded me of Minnesota’s Sandy Stephens and Bill Munsey (to a lesser extent, Bill’s brother Harry better known as “Chuck” Muncie, see HELMET HUT http://www.helmethut.com/College/California/Muncie.html  ), and Nebraska’s Ben Gregory, all former Red Raiders.  

Thinking of the great coaches brought me back to Friday night, October 15th of 1965. The University Of Cincinnati had suffered an unexpected 14-3 loss to cross town rival Xavier the week before but righted the ship against Gary Lyle and George Washington University ( see HELMET HUT http://www.helmethut.com/Dr.Ken38.html ) on the 15th. A 49-6 pounding from Tulsa on October 23^rd, sealed the deal on what officially became “a disappointing season” but the 13-3 victory over GW was the focus on that fifteenth day of the month. Few away from UC however, were concerned with that specific game as the nation’s eyes were fixed on the match-up between Ohio State and Michigan State the following day. When one thinks of Big Ten rivalries or “big games” OSU vs. Michigan immediately comes to mind. Ohio State has a long and venerable history that includes exciting series with other schools but the annual clash with the hated Wolverines is at the top of the list. Michigan State has a football history that does not have to take a back seat to any of the nation’s other programs, dotted with many All Americans and their own heated rivalries with Michigan and Notre Dame. In 1965 however, the game between the Spartans and the Buckeyes would prove to be ground breaking. In the final year of Ohio State’s usual nine game schedule, the Buckeyes had lost the opener 14-3 to North Carolina, won their next two games, and came into the Michigan State game confident of victory. The backfield was loaded with Don Unverferth at QB and backs Tom Barrington, Will Sander, and Bo Rein. The offensive line was typical for Hayes’ grind-it-out offense with center Ray Pryor and guard Doug Van Horn leading the charge. The “names” however were in the linebacking corps, with a very tough Dwight “Ike” Kelley, an All American who was a special teams’ maniac for the Eagles for six seasons and Tom Bugel. The Spartans had a powerhouse with many players whose identities would be household names the following season. Charles “Bubba” Smith, George Webster, Clinton Jones, Gene Washington, and others were directed by quarterback Steve Juday Even at this early juncture of the Big Ten schedule, there was the possibility that the game would determine the conference champion and it did!