ESPN REPORT: Woody Hayes of the woody watch state sets to leave the team if He is not provided with….
Unbelievably, Ohio State Buckeyes coach Nick Saban began his coaching career with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Under then-head coach Earl Bruce, the future Hall of Fame helmsman was the secondary coordinator for the Buckeyes in the early 1980s.
Even though Saban went on to win three of his five games against Ohio State while leading both Alabama and the Michigan State Spartans, he will always have a particular place in his heart for Columbus. Recalling his days with the Buckeyes, Saban thought of a quote from former coach Woody Hayes that he heard in the locker room.
“We were playing Michigan the last game of the year and we were 17-point underdogs, and Michigan was undefeated, No. 1 in the country,” recalled Saban. “Every team member had a pretty bad attitude. Coach Hayes came out and spoke with the players because we were lacking energy. “Without extreme adversity, there can be no great victories in life,” he declared.
Then, according to Saban, Hayes likened their impending matchup with the Wolverines to the US’s island-hopping operation against the Japanese in World War II.
“He talked about the war in the Pacific being the greatest military victory of all time, because of Pearl Harbor,” recalled Saban. “And he took into account everything that went against us, like our losing records and our 17-point deficit. However, since all of these variables were working against us, we had a fantastic chance to win big.”
According to Saban, Hayes’ words dramatically turned around the locker room’s morale. Every Buckeye was prepared to shock everyone and prove they could defeat the Wolverines when Hayes finished.
“The whole attitude of everybody on the team, the whole organization, completely changed, turned around,” stated Saban. “The game was won 14–9. It was a terrific lesson, but they also had a great time. Furthermore, what do you know? I’ve been playing games for 37 years, and no matter how many I play, I can never forget that particular game. That tale is one that I will never forget, and it remains one of my all-time favorite victories.”
