The 11W Community Interview is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people. You submit the questions, vote on them, and then we pass the best of the bunch on to the biggest names in the world of Ohio State athletics.
A few weeks ago, we sought your questions for former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce. You responded with questions that were solid and many and today, Coach Bruce is back with answers. Because if there's anything Eleven Warriors is great at, it's connecting Hall of Fame coaches with guys that go by turd_bucket online.
What was the mood in the locker room before your final Michigan game? What about after the game? – THE
Earle Bruce: The mood was of apprehension and silence thinking about the game. We had our hands full in the first half with Michigan leading. In the second half, the tide changed when Michigan fumbled the ball, and from then on it was all Ohio State as we went on to win, 23-20. The players played their hearts out to see me go out with a bang.
What are some of the bigger, less obvious differences between how recruiting was done in the 70s and 80s and how it’s conducted now? – BrooklynBuckeye
EB: In the 70s and 80s we recruited one class at a time, focusing on seniors – a little on juniors, but not much. During that time, there were more great Ohio players to choose from.
What are your thoughts on the national perception that the Big Ten has fallen behind other power conferences? If you agree with the perception, what can the league do to fix this? – cplunk
EB: The league can do several things to improve. One would be make sure you are hiring big-time talented coaches that have recruiting talent.
Earle Bruce's 'Buckeye Wisdom' on sale now.
Of all the players you coached in Columbus, who would you say best epitomized Ohio State football? Why? – ogama843
EB: There are too many to mention, however, a few that come to mind are: Chris Spielman, Cris Carter, Keith Byars, Pepper Johnson, Jim Lachey, Mike Tomzak, Kirk Lowdermilk, and John Frank. Each of these guys possessed the mental and physical toughness needed to be excellent football players. They were all leaders, talented and disciplined student athletes.
It seems like Colorado State hired you to be a disciplinarian, but fired you when you got tough. Is that a fair assessment? – Bobo Buckeye
EB: The President hired me in 1989 to bring discipline back to the program, and we did that. Unfortunately he left CSU for Alabama. The new president came in and discipline was not a word in his vocabulary. Things further changed when they brought in a new athletic director. Toughness was not a priority for either of them, and let me go in 1992. I was coach there for four seasons.
Since only a handful of people know what it’s like to be the head coach at Ohio State, how often did you seek Woody’s counsel? What about Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer, or even John Cooper – how often did they seek your advice? – TatumRuled
EB: I talked to coach Hayes a lot. He was my coach and mentor when I played at Ohio State. I never talked football to John Cooper in his time at OSU. Both Tressel and Urban coached with me at OSU, and at times I have talked to both of them. However, they are both extremely successful coaches at Ohio State, so what is there to say, except...Stay on Course!
What are your recollections of your time in Massillon and what is your impression of Ohio high school football, players and coaches today? – Whoa Nellie
EB: I was lucky to have great talented players and coaches at all the high schools I coached at in Ohio – Massillon , Salem, Sandusky and Mansfield. My impressions today are that there are tough, fast and disciplined players and coaches.
Woody often said that television would destroy the game. How do you feel about that today? – NW Buckeye
EB: Television has a huge effect on college football today. There is so much money involved. College football games should be played between 12:30-3:30. 8:00 p.m. games are all about the money.
Given your relationship with Urban Meyer, was it difficult watching his Gators rout the Buckeyes in the national championship game? – buckeyeEddie27
EB: I did not want to watch a rout or a defeat! We (OSU) were not a good match for this Gators. We did not block any of the number 90s – defensive line, nor did we pressure Tebow any of the last nine minutes of the game.
What is the most overlooked fundamental taught to players today? – Alex Boones Liver
EB: Tackling
The 1987 team suffered three losses by a combined 10 points. Does that team go undefeated with Cris Carter on the roster? – turd_bucket
EB: Yes! There was a great chance that we would have won all our games that season, he was a difference maker.
What was your relationship with Bo Schembechler like? – Oyster
EB: Bo and I had a great respect for one another. We both knew what it was like to lead top programs and the dedication and pressure. We had a honest relationship when it came to recruiting. From that a friendship grew. Bo was the first phone call I accepted after I was fired from Ohio State.
What was your favorite non-football Ohio State moment during your time in Columbus? Whether it be something from another sport, on campus, etc. – nburns18
EB: The Band! TBDBITL! They are great and our relationship was great! I am a proud honorary band member.
You’ve spoken before of nearly leaving Woody’s staff to get into the fast food business. How serious did those thoughts get? – 11W Staff
EB: Very serious in 1970-71. But then I got the head coaching job at University of Tampa in 1972.
Many thanks to Coach Bruce for taking the time to answer these questions. His new book, Buckeye Wisdom: Insight and Inspiration from Coach Earle Bruce, is available now.
Coach Bruce will be a guest of honor at the 2nd annual Gold Pants Social presented by Eleven Warriors on Friday, Nov. 28, 2014. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
