Even those to most fans, the Buckeyes-Trojans game is a mere appetizer to the national semi-finals, to those of us that grew up on these two teams battling on New Years Day, the only thing that is missing from this is the San Gabriel Mountains peeking over the Rose Bowl.
Jerry's World in Texas just doesn't possess the same beauty or tradition compared to that.
Still, just seeing those classic uniforms (and I do hope the Buckeyes use those classic uniforms!) against each other again in an important game brings back lots of memories.
In that spirit, the 1969 Rose Bowl was a natural choice, especially since I didn't have any of the other games available to watch!
Watching the game, the one thing that stands out other than the production values (more on that later) of the broadcast is this- the game is slow.
That doesn't mean that it isn't fun to watch and that doesn't mean that it isn't well played, it just means that it is far slower than the game that we watch every weekend today.
Compare it to going to your local high school game and judging the speed and hitting against the top college teams or the NFL, there is no comparison and with almost fifty years in between this game and today- there isn't much in common here either.
Now let's be fair if we took the same athletes of today and subjected them to the training beliefs of the day, taking those huge steps back and conversely put these players under the advanced techniques of today-I think the athletes would be roughly the same.
The advances in athletes usually come along as we learn about better nutrition, better training habits, advances in so many different areas and that makes the difference between eras.
I wish I could say the same for the offenses because that is where you do see a huge difference and where the game has advanced a great deal.
The passing game is very primitive and the passers in this game- Rex Kern for Ohio State and Steve Sogge for USC both showed the type of passing skills that would likely be lucky to see them start at the Division II or III level.
The play calling isn't very creative and is a sign of the times in football, if not the country- bland, basic and wait for a mistake by the opponent.
I'm not sure a John McKay or especially a Woody Hayes offense could win big in today's game running such offenses.
I'd say the closest reminder of someone in today's game to these offenses would be the offense of someone like Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, who wins enough to keep Iowa competitive, but not enough to make them national title contenders year in and year out.
While watching the game, there are only two players that stand out that I see and say "yep, he could play in today's game and do well"- one of each side of the ball and one from each team.
On defense from the Buckeyes, safety Jack Tatum and representing the Trojans none other than Orenthal James Simpson at running back.
Tatum could certainly thump on an even level with the best of today's hitters, but I'm not sure you could play him at safety all the time and he might wind up being like the Browns are finding out with Jabrill Peppers- he might not have a true position in today's game and only on a good team where you could move him around for use in certain situations for his best use.
In other words, In some formations,Tatum could be in the box as an extra linebacker and in others used at safety as another defensive back, but would likely be exposed if he played in either position full time.
Still, I could see Tatum being a solid player in today's game, if not the standout that he was in his time.
As for O.J. Simpson- Simpson would have been a star in any era that he played and there are only a few players that you can truly say that about.
Big enough (6'1 210) and fast enough that his game would have easily translated on its own merits even before the previously noted advances in athletic preparation-there is no doubt in my mind that this O.J.Simpson would at least be on the level of the better NFL backs in today's game and assuming he had the benefits that today's athletes have, he'd be the best back in the game.
Through all the craziness over the last two decades of the O.J. Simpson saga, it has become very easy to forget just how good of a running back O.J. Simpson really was.
The other funny thing was the television and not just the primitive colors and graphics either.
Curt Gowdy talked about the Ohio State fans singing "Hold Out Sloopy" and told lots of stories about O.J. Simpson and his best friend, a defensive lineman that you might remember better as a driver of a White Bronco named Al Cowlings with my favorites being Cowlings wrestling with Simpson until Simpson left crying and discussing with a chuckle how Simpson stole his then-wife from Cowlings, who was with Cowlings then as his girlfriend!
Ah,the good ole' days of sports television.
Hope you enjoyed a look back at the 1969 Rose Bowl.
Back tonight with a review of the latest encounter between the Buckeyes and Trojans...
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