Woody Hayes was notoriously paranoid.
His elevated suspicion was both renown and largely reserved for That Team Up North. But as he began what would become the twilight of his coaching career, he opened the locker room doors to his program for documentary filmmakers to capture the world of Ohio State football, which was completely under his control as the 1977 season began.
Woody Hayes: Football Coach was a rare, inner sanctum documentary produced by the BBC during what turned out to be Woody's penultimate season in coaching. It offered unprecedented access into the program. The film captures the preparations for the season and culminates in the season opener, which was against the Miami Hurricanes. The two programs had never met previously.
The entire documentary is atop the article, but the most common segment that's remained relevant in the nearly 50 years since it was shot involved Hayes' speech on apathy:
As one might expect from the BBC, the film did not function as a promotional piece with cobbled highlights or university-sanctioned publicity - instead, it was a character study of Hayes’ temperament, philosophy, leadership and worldview.
It does not sugarcoat or shy away from Woody's authoritarian approach to program operation, focusing on the premium he placed on discipline, self-sacrifice for the team, education, moral purpose, mental acuity, structure and - as captured above - eradicating apathy.
Click play below to start the documentary where Woody is conducting Friday night bed checks prior to the Miami game. From that point forward, you'll be treated to the entire game day (and season opening) operation on campus at Ohio State 48 seasons ago.
Woody's directive to his defense prior to kickoff was centered around stopping the Canes' offense:
We want to get off to a fast start, and everything we do - we want to put pressure on them...get on that damn passer, don't give him a chance to pass. And don't give a sucker a break.
The Buckeyes did not give Miami any breaks, shutting out the Hurricanes 10-0 and holding them under 200 yards of offense. New Year's Eve will mark the two programs' sixth meeting, with Ohio State opening as a 10.5-point favorite.
