Big Ten Countdown 73: Ohio State - Michigan Controversy And Osborne Begins

I always enjoy how time can muddy events, for good or bad. Osborne became a great coach and Nebraska icon, deserving of all the acolades that have been heaped upon him, but apparently lost in the mists of time are some realities about that hiring and first coaching year. I was teaching at NU that year and counted several starting players among my students—it was an interesting time. First, the hiring process—history makes it appear Tom was preordained to be Devaney’s successor, and he may have been in private, but that’s not the way it went down in public. In public there were 2 strong candidates, Osborne, Devaney’s rather quiet, academic Offensive Coordinator, and Monte Kiffin (yes that Monte Kiffin), his fiery, in-your-face Defensive Coordinator. A sizable fanbase (and a large number of players) wanted Kiffin, whose style in the lockerroom was more akin to Devaney’s. In the end it was apparently left up to Devaney alone and he chose Osborne, but he also convinced Kiffin to stay on as Osborne’s Defensive Coordinator. (Kiffin would stay until he got the head coach job at NC State a couple years later). As for Osborne the head coach that first year? I remember asking some of my players about that and they were polite. Everyone respected the man, and his football knowledge, but his low key demeanor in the lockeroom—after a more animated Devaney—was almost sleep-inducing they said. I remember them telling me that several times before a game Tom would give them his pre-game lockerroom talk and they would sit respectfully trying not to doze off, then Tom would leave. They said after a few minutes Monte Kiffin would come in, yell and scream and pump them up so they could go out and kick some butt. I always thought that an interesting anecdote. None of this was told in disrespect, and the same stories were told to me by all of the 11 or so players, including starters, on that team. Whether Tom ever modified his lockerroom style I don’t know, but he clearly knew how to mold winning teams both on the field and in the classroom and, as an educator, I’ve always appreciated that.

“It was implied that Michigan State voted with the Buckeyes to get back at Michigan for voting against them joining the Big Ten in 1949”

That is simply sour grapes from Michigan. Left unsaid by the Wal-Verine nation is that MSU’s athletic director at the time was actually a Michigan grad!

And why should MSU be criticized for voting as they did? Why is the Spartan vote discussed when the votes of none of the other schools in the league get mention?

In fact, if Michigan State did vote for OSU, then they had good reasons — such as, maybe, BECAUSE MICHIGAN HAD LOST THEIR QUARTERBACK AND WOULD BE PLAYING SOME SCRUB IF THEY’D ADVANCED TO THE ROSE BOWL!!!

The vote was an obvious choice, and the fact that Michigan people are still crying about it shows that someone other Michigan State should “get over it.”

As the story states, OSU was the higher rated team, the game was being played in Ann Arbor giving them that edge, and again, Michigan had just lost its quarterback.

And of course, the Rose Bowl result rather shows who belonged, as Ohio State comfortably defeated Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl.