The passion for Ohio State football stirs strong this week as the Buckeyes gear up for one of the biggest nonconference games in years. On Saturday night third-ranked OSU travels to No. 14 Oklahoma.
Rod Gerald, Ohio State’s starting quarterback in 1976 and 1977, knows that passion well. He was the starter on Sept. 24, 1977, when Ohio State lost a 29-28 decision to the Sooners in one of the most incredible games ever played at Ohio Stadium. That game featured a dramatic Oklahoma comeback from a 28-20 deficit with two minutes remaining, and is considered a college football classic.
OSU fell behind 20-0 in the first quarter, ripped off 28 unanswered points, then gave up a TD, an onside kick, and the game-winning, 41-yard field goal all in the final 120 seconds.
Gerald, 59, a former supervisor for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, lives near his native Dallas. He shared his thoughts on that encounter on the eve of another clash between the college football titans.
Question: Coach Barry Switzer’s Oklahoma squad was ranked No. 3, Ohio State was No. 4 going into that shootout. What were your general impressions of that 1977 Oklahoma game?
Answer: Being from Texas, knowing the reputation of Okie, I knew the game would be tough.
Question: Do you have any regrets personally about that game?
Answer: I was too hyped, too much coffee (before the game). It took me some time to adjust. Before we could hiccup it was 20-0 (Oklahoma led in first quarter). Our linemen, my best and closest friends, tried hard to snap me out of the hell hole. Every play failed because of my inability to relax and play the game. I prayed to God, took aspirin and felt 100 times better.
Question: What was Woody Hayes’ gameplan for that matchup?
Answer: We had more power and just as much speed. Neither would throw and both coaches were set on pounding the other team into submission before opening the option game to finish off any hopes of winning.
Question: What was Woody like with a 20-0 deficit?
Answer: Surprisingly, Woody did not panic. That was a blessing. It was a good sign to go out and finish the plays with (Ron) Springs, (Jeff) Logan, Ray Griffin, the fullback that scored (Joel Payton). In other words, with Woody calm and a nation-leading defense, momentum changed. With Buckeye Nation, Sloopy, Brutus, electricity brother!
Question: How did Ohio State flip the script so dramatically after a horrendous first quarter?
Answer: That was the magic of the Horseshoe. No. 1, Woody stayed calm and I came back to earth. The offense geared up to score fast, we had a great D and a stadium filled with Scarlet and Gray. It was The Nation, Buckeye Nation.
Question: What was your reaction when Uwe von Schamann kicked the game-winning 41-yard field goal?
Answer: The backup QB (Greg Castignola) stepped in perfectly and threw what was to be the game-winning TD. I was already getting undressed (after being knocked out of the game) and listening for victory bells. That was all I remember, then teammates’ dejected faces.
Question: That seemed like a very hard-hitting game. All-American linebacker Tom Cousineau was knocked out in the first quarter. You led Ohio State back to take a 21-20 lead and then an injury sidelined you for the rest of the game. Oklahoma quarterback Thomas Lott was knocked out, and running backs Billy Sims, Kenny King and Elvis Peacock were all hobbled as well. Was that the hardest-hitting game you played?
Answer: Okie hit hard. Tackling a player high is considered dirty because of the concussion factors. I got a concussion from getting tackled around the head. Then Greg took over.
Question: Is that a tough memory because of the dramatic loss or a thrill to have played in such an exciting and memorable classic?
Answer: The memory of the loss haunts me and because the game was epic, it’s talked about — a lot. Losing and playing too hyped are memories I’d like to forget.
Question: What do you think of Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes chances on Saturday night in Norman?
Answer: Urban Meyer, because he’s an Ohioan, its hard to explain but players from Ohio generally play better than out-of-staters. Coach enjoys the challenge of getting the very best players from Ohio first. He gets the best of everything, so I feel they will win and there will be no questions afterwards.
Go Bucks!
