Growing up a Buckeye

Growing up in a family of all girls, football wasn’t regularly played on the television in our house, unless it was to watch a Lions loss on Thanksgiving Day.

I was a sophomore in high school and had a boyfriend on the football team. Granted, I could comprehend what a touchdown was, but after every game I faithfully told by boyfriend he did an amazing job with a fake smile on my face. Truthfully, I had no idea if he had or not. Quite frankly, he could have played the worst game of his entire life and I could have watched it without realizing he was. I think he was quite aware of my ignorance, but chose to ignore it.

By my junior year of high school, it was time for a change. I wanted to understand the game completely and my friend Chris took me under his wing.

It was Sept. 10, 2005 and he sat me down early that Saturday and turned on his favorite football team’s second game of the season.

It was that day that my secret love for Buckeye football began.

The Ohio State University played Texas that day, and while the Buckeyes eventually lost the game, it didn’t matter. Chris patiently described plays that were occurring, and I watched Troy Smith effortlessly find Ted Ginn Jr. for a perfect pass countless times.

I was captivated by more than just the excellent football team, but the dedication of the fans and their incredible stadium, “The Horseshoe”.

Already being an MSU fan as well, it was easy to relate to their rivalry and certain dislike for Michigan football.

I watched the team faithfully through my senior year of high school. I shouted my excitement at my friends, who sported Wolverines apparel, when Ohio State beat them at home in November of that year.

My favorite player, Troy Smith, won the Heisman Trophy that year. But I also had to endure people raising their arms to form a crocodile mouth my way for about a week after they lost to Florida for the National Championship.

That loss also sparked my hatred for all Florida teams and I felt great dismay when Ginn was drafted to play for the Miami Dolphins.

When I came to MSU as a freshman, I had the chance to fulfill a recent dream I had acquired. It was to watch an Ohio State game in “The Horseshoe” itself.

Being a OSU fan is not something I publicly promote here on campus.

Don’t get me wrong — you will see my screaming at every home game in Spartan Stadium. But that year, I would be going to Columbus, Ohio, and to the embarrassment of the friends who accompanied me, I would be sporting a Ohio State jersey.

A 6 a.m. bus ride began our departure to Columbus. The trip was everything I thought it would be.

It was Ohio State’s homecoming game. The roads, sidewalks, fields and streets were covered with scarlet and gray mobs of people. Fans were sporting buckeye necklaces for luck and scarlet faces. Before the purchase of my Ohio State jersey I was sporting a gray MSU football shirt.

A friend and I encountered a group of Ohio State alumni who were tailgating before the game. I can’t remember how the conversation started, but it led to us comparing fans. They told us their idea of the usual MSU fan was loud, boisterous and almost rude.

One man remembered a time when he was in East Lansing for a football game and endured shouts and curses from the Spartans fans. I instantly pictured the chant “A—h—-” being shouted at this man sporting a red jersey.

The Ohio State fans I encountered in Columbus, were, indeed, respectable. I suppose they would have treated me differently if I were a Wolverine fan. But the Ohio State alumni wished us luck in the game before we parted.

Now, I cannot even begin to describe the overwhelming exhilaration of being inside their stadium. It was massive. The marching band? Disturbingly perfect, I mean, they can form the formation of the word “Ohio” in cursive. Cursive!

Jim Tressel approached the field in his “uniform” consisting of a gray sweater.

That’s when I realized that Ohio State was prestigious and classy.

As I listed to the crowd roar “O-H-I-O” around the horseshoe, I realized this school was a part of something larger — it was all about tradition and respect.

Their helmets sparkle gray and you can pick out the most outstanding players by how many buckeye stickers a helmet wielded.

People treasured their tradition and they took their reputation seriously.

Perhaps all those things combined led to my loyalty to the Buckeyes. And face it, they are pretty darn good.