The Four Faces of Ohio State's Mt. Rushmore

I wholeheartedly agree that Woody, Chic, and Archie should be faces one through three on the Buckeyes Mt. Rushmore, but Spielman's a head-scratcher for me. Yeah, he was a great linebacker (with a Lombardi Award to boot) but he had the misfortune, at least by Buckeye Nation's standards, of playing on some mediocre teams back in the '80s. Unless Adam was deliberately trying to even the selection between the offense and defense, there are about two or three other people I would rather see on Ohio State's Mt. Rushmore.

My first thought was replacing Spielman with Paul Brown, the supreme overlord of football in Ohio. Unfortunately, Brown wasn't the Buckeyes' coach long enough to truly establish a legacy like Francis Schmidt before him and Hayes, after the Wes Fesler debacle.

Others argued that Jim Tressel should be on the fourth face but I'm hesitant, despite really liking his personna and emphasis on developing character as much as talent. I don't always agree with his conservative play-calling or his unbreakable loyalty to mediocre offensive and defensive coordinators.

Then we've got Vic Janowicz, Ohio State's first Heisman winner. Here's a guy who even received praise from Woody in his first year of coaching (remember that this was a time when the players and most of Columbus was ready to banish Woody from Central Ohio): "He was not only a great runner, but also passed, was a placekicker and punter, played safety on defense and was an outstanding blocker. Janowicz epitomized the 'triple-threat' football player."

And then there's the first Heisman winner of the Hayes Era, Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, who, as a running back, averaged at least one touchdown per game in his college career. In addition to his 1955 Heisman Trophy, Cassady was also a Maxwell Award recipient and was the Associated Press Athlete of the Year.

So who is the fourth face on Ohio State's Mt. Rushmore? Personally, I'd go with Cassady who in addition to the hardware and accolades previously mentioned, also helped the Buckeyes win their second national title in 1954, the first of many during the Woody Hayes era.

Also, when in the hell is Ohio State finally going to get a Woody Hayes statue? The athletic center tie-in is nice, but the man and his legacy are long overdue for a bronzed likeness near the rotunda of the Horseshoe.

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