Former OSU coach speaks at banquet

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Former Ohio State University football head coach Earle Bruce is still a fiery supporter of the Buckeyes, as he demonstrated Tuesday evening when he spoke to a large crowd of OSU alumni and friends at the new Wassenberg Art Center.

Bruce, who coached the Buckeyes from 1979 to 1987, compiling a record of 82-26-1 and beating “that team up north” five times, was also an Ohio State football player, but had a career-ending injury prior to joining the Buckeyes’ varsity team in 1951.

He was fired during his final season with the Buckeyes after going 5-4-1, but was allowed to finish out the season, where he again beat Michigan to finish 6-4-1 that season.

Bruce had lots of compliments for the Buckeye offense’s efforts this past Saturday, singling out Carlos Hyde, who rushed for more yards than any other player in the history of the OSU-Michigan series, and Braxton Miller, who passed for two TDs and rushed for more than 100 yards.

It was his wins against Michigan that he best remembered, though, since those are the games that Buckeye teams are remembered for. “You can play against all those other teams, and play hard, and play good, but if you don’t play against Michigan hard and good, you’re not a great football player at Ohio State,” Bruce told the crowd. “That’s the one that tells you whether you can walk the streets of Broad and High or go to the back alleys … for a year.”

He also said he was looking forward to the match-up against Michigan State this coming Saturday, noting the match-up between the Spartans, who have the No. 1 defense in the NCAA, versus Ohio State’s No. 2-ranked offense.

However, the former OSU coach, who also had a successful high school coaching career, with 82 wins, 12 losses and three ties in 10 seasons, including two undefeated seasons and consecutive state championships at Massillon High School in 1964 and 1965, didn’t have much good to say about the Buckeyes’ defensive effort against Michigan.

“We will not win this game (against Michigan State) if our defense plays the way it did against Michigan,” Bruce said, noting the Buckeyes will need to tackle better and make big plays on defense to earn a victory against the Spartans.

The former OSU coach also reminisced a bit about his coaching days with the Buckeyes, where his assistant coaches included Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio, Alabama Coach Nick Saban, former USC and current Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll, former OSU coach Jim Tressel and current Buckeyes Coach Urban Meyer.

The former OSU coaching legend ended the talk with his hope that parents would continue to let their kids play football, which he called the best of all sports.

The OSU Alumni Club of Paulding and Van Wert Counties hosted the event, which also included an auction of OSU memorabilia, including photos donated by Bruce showing him with Ohio coaching legends Paul Brown and Woody Hayes, as well as with Urban Meyer. The money raised went to provide scholarships for OSU students.