{"product_id":"1968-the-year-that-saved-ohio-state-football-9781933197609","title":"1968: The Year That Saved Ohio State Football","description":"\u003cp\u003e1968 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 Universitys 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 schools lifting program by bringing his own weights  a Brooklyn fullback who cant believe Ohios 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 centurys great coaches--sly  mercurial  pugnacious  and 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 colleges greatest running backs.Its a story that has everything--great drama  achievement  colorful characters  and the complex unfolding of Woody Hayess 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45656579637301,"sku":"ByrdShop_1933197609","price":21.17,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781933197609.jpg?v=1781979028","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/1968-the-year-that-saved-ohio-state-football-9781933197609","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}