In old Ohio (Columbus) there’s a team,
That’s known thru-out the land;
Eleven warriors, brave and bold,
Whose fame will ever stand,
And when the ball goes over,
Our cheers will reach the sky,
Ohio Field will hear again
The Buckeye Battle Cry.
Think about the last time you felt young. Like really really young. Like you were a kid again. I am willing to bet you are thinking of a memory of being young. This might consist of driving through your hometown and recalling something you did at an earlier age. Maybe it was the spot on the Oval that you used to hang out at (and skip class in the process!) It could be seeing an old friend that you haven’t seen in ages.
You get the point. Those are memories of when we once were young. As we come hurdling towards fall once again a lot of things start to change. The leaves turn colors. The weather gets cooler. Everyone start drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes. BUT the best thing that happens is that College Football returns. Most importantly, my Buckeyes play once again and that is what makes me feel young again.
For all my Buckeye brethren, we have a very unique season ahead of us. The uniqueness of this season has everything to do with the 9 Unit Strong Freight Train that rolled through the College Football Playoff last year. Urban’s voice yelling “MAXIMUM CAPACITY” should resound through your soul as you read that…..along with fond memories of 85 yards through the heart of the South (S/O to Eleven Warriors for the apparel.)
I would argue that at the turn of every Fall season, we all feel a special tug at our hearts no matter if we are in Columbus or not. When Buckeye Football comes roaring back to life. This is because Buckeye Football makes us feel young again. Think back to your very first resounding Ohio State memory. Mine is the Penn State game back in 2000. It was pouring down rain the entire game and my mom and I were sitting in the south stands just soaking wet and quite miserable. We ended up leaving at half so that we could actually see what was happening in the game (and watched the rest at my aunt’s house)…but I do remember watching the game through the downpour thinking “this is what happiness is supposed to feel like.”
I, along with all Buckeyes, have profound memories of watching the Eleven Warriors, brave and bold. Football Saturdays were the only days my parents could ever get me to do all my chores before 8:30am. This way I would be able to watch College Gameday, and then watch my Buckeyes for those glorious three hours every Saturday in the fall. From watching the players walk into the stadium, to seeing the Best Damn Band In the Land, to all the camaraderie during a Football Saturday in Ol’ Columbus Town. That is what makes me feel young again.
Despite the countless times I have seen Script Ohio, or the drum major’s backbend, or Brutus going absolutely bonkers on the sidelines, I still get goosebumps and a profound sense of awe. Normally, it is new experiences that give you a sense of awe and a jolt of unmatched energy, such as the first time you rode a looping roller coaster. Buckeye Football succeeds at bringing back that awe and energy to an unmatched level, year after year.
The energy inside Ohio Stadium when one of the Buckeyes cross that goal line and we get the first 6 points of the year is impalpable. The passion from those fans and this great university is a reflection of the passion that has stretched from Woody Hayes, to Earle Bruce, to Jim Tressel, and now Urban Meyer. The underlying passion and energy that is shown for this program is not about individual players, but for what the program and university stands for. It is easy to show this passion each week for such a great university.
I asked some friends this question: “What is the one thing you look forward to each and every Buckeye football season?” I got answers ranging from emojis (the Trophy Emoji…#DefendGr8ness), “winning”, tailgating, talk of being back with the boys, the stadium atmosphere, and one friend asked “How do you pick just one?”
The answer is that you can’t pick just one. There is too much tradition and excellence embedded in each Autumn Saturday on the banks of the Olentangy. That is what it is like to feel young again.
I recently found a song on Spotify Radio titled “Young Again” by an EDM artist (Joey Bosa would be proud) named Hardwell. He asks at one point “Will we ever feel young again?”
Well Mr. Hardwell, if you come on down to Columbus, OH. on the banks of the Olentangy at the shrine we call the Horseshoe…you’ll get your answer.
C’mon Buckeyes…today is the day we will feel young again.
GO BUCKEYES. BEAT VT.
One Buckeye's Thoughts 