War As They Knew It

Ohio state football coach Woody Hayes had such pronounced hatred for his rival, Michigan, he refused to buy gas in the state. In Ohio, this made him a hero but in 1969, when his protege Bo Schembechler took over Michigan's coaching job, Hayes' hatred would fuel the most bitter and legendary rivalry in sports. It lasted 10 years and led to the coach's tragic, televised downfall. Rosenberg follows this rivalry as it progressed and intensified on and off the field. Not only does he bring behind-the-scenes insight into Big 10 football in the Hayes era but he also provides unique cultural perspective. He sees Hayes' downfall not just as the end of an era but as the death of a generation. Hayes' violent temper couldn't survive in the media-dominated 70's and Schembechler and Michigan's pioneering marketing machine thrived. For theatre, tension and cultural resonance, no other coach-to-coach relationship in the history of American sports can match Hayes and Schembechler - they built Hall-of-Fame careers both with and against each other. Rosenberg brings new information, enlightening reportage, and impeccable writing to this incredible American story.