Ohio State University - Makio Yearbook (Columbus, OH)

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woody ' s boys surpass great expectations, break records, overwhelm all foes but one It is difficult to discuss the 1969 Ohio State football season without letting superlatives get the upper hand. The majority of the players connprising the 1968 Rose Bowl winning team returned, and there was no reason to think that their talents had diminished or that they would not repeat the perfect season record of the pre- vious year. Unprecedented national press coverage predicted the Buckeye rampage and then, as the team began to make the original fore- casts sound modest, sportswriters found themselves grasping for adequate exclamations. Quarterback Rex Kern, fullback Jim Otis, and defensive back Jack latum seemed to head the Bucks in the publicity department, but it would be unfair as well as in- accurate to say that the team was dominated by any one or two in- dividuals. With one exception. Using a calm, steady hand, Coach Woody Hayes molded the talents of his individual players into a team marked with agility and great power. Never taking a vic- tory for granted, HHayes refused to let his players make the mis- take of overconfidence. In the opening match, Ohio State overwhelmed Texas Chris- tian by a score of 62-0, the high- est number of points for a Buck- eye squad since 1950. An incredi- ble 562 yards were racked up by State, with Kern completing five of eleven passes for I 10 yards and rushing for 78 yards. For an encore, the Bucks traveled to Washington and a 42- 14 win. State got off to a slug- gish start, having to punt the ball away twice after unsuccessful drives. However, midway in the first period Kern ran a perfectly ex- ecuted option play around the right end, cut inside and streaked downfield for a 64-yard touch- down run. Fullback Jim Otis and back-up quarterback Ron Macie- jowski scored the other touch- downs. Back on home ground the next Saturday, Ohio State trounced Michigan State, predicted to be one of the toughest teams of the season, by a score of 54-21, the most points ever scored against Michigan State Coach Duff Daugherty ' s rugged defense. Despite the fact that Minnesota outpassed and outgained Ohio State, the Bucks still managed to win by a 34-7 margin. The game was saved by Buckeye recovery of five Minnesota fumbles, break- ing up long Gopher offensive drives. Apparently, Hayes corrected the team ' s problems, for the next Saturday Illinois fell to State 41-0. The defense especially shone, giv- ing up only eight first downs, al- lowing only 70 rushing and 86 passing yards, recovering four Illinois fumbles and Intercepting one pass. Away from home the next weekend. State methodically pounded Northwestern 35-6. Otis made one exceptional run around the left end for 25 yards in the fourth quarter. He also caught the first passes of his c areer, catching two for 17 yards, one of which was a 12-yard touch- down pass. Wisconsin proved no match for State ' s powerful offense as the 62-7 Buckeye victory showed. While Maciejowski and third- string quarterback Kevin Rusnak led Ohio State to a new single- game total offense high. Buckeye defense grabbed two Badger fumbles and intercepted two passes. Playing the next Saturday on snow-covered home turf. State slammed Purdue, their top con- ference foe, by a score of 42-14. Mike Phlpps, the much-praised Boilermaker quarterback, proved no problem for Ohio ' s pass de- fense. Middle guard Jim Still- wagon led the devastating Buck pass rush, forcing five intercep- tions and 26 Incompletions. Buck- eye offense was equally awesome, accumulating 436 yards total. The Purdue victory marked the 1 7th-stralght conference win for the Bucks and the 22nd straight all-game victory. But all good things must come to an end, and on November 22 at Ann Arbor, Michigan, they did. Whether overconfidence or sim- ply not-up-to-par playing was the reason, the final game of the sea- son ended at Michigan, 2 — Ohio State, 12. In post-season awards, Buckeye players got what they had earned — lots of well deserved recogni- tion. Jim Otis was named by his teammates as most valuable and Ohio State dominated the various All-American compilations. In retrospect, the season was a bit unfair. None of the teams, except Michigan, seemed even a reasonable match for the Buck- eyes. In the Centennial Year for college football, Ohio State ' s 1969 team gave its fans an excit- ing and memorable season, one that the coming century of Buck- eye gridders will have to hustle to top. 30