In Ohio, being a Buckeye fan is often less of a choice and more of a birthright.
For as long as I can remember, Ohio State football has been part of my life.
Some people discover their favorite team later in life. Others adopt a team because of a parent, a friend, or where they eventually settle down. For many of us who grew up in Columbus, Ohio, there was never really a decision to make. We were Buckeye fans from the beginning.
The Horseshoe wasn't just a stadium on television. It was part of the landscape. It was part of our neighborhood. It was part of our identity.
Growing Up in the Shadow of Ohio Stadium
I grew up close enough to Ohio Stadium that game days were impossible to ignore.
Long before television contracts turned college football into an all-day national event, Saturdays in Columbus had a unique rhythm. Traffic patterns changed. The streets filled with fans dressed in scarlet and gray. The smell of tailgate grills drifted through the air.
And if the weather and wind were right, you could hear the crowd from home.
As a kid, there was something magical about hearing 100,000 fans erupt in celebration and wondering what had just happened inside the stadium. Sometimes we would listen to the game on the radio and hear the crowd cheering before the announcer described the play.
You didn't need a ticket to know Ohio State football was happening. The city itself told you.
The Woody Hayes Years
Some of my earliest football memories came during the Woody Hayes era.
For young fans growing up in central Ohio during that period, Woody Hayes wasn't just a football coach. He was an institution. He was larger than life.
Looking back, I probably didn't appreciate the significance of living through the end of one of college football's legendary coaching careers. At the time, he was simply the coach of the Buckeyes.
But even as a child, you understood that Woody mattered.
The stories, the traditions, and the expectations surrounding Ohio State football were already deeply ingrained in the culture of Columbus.
Walking to the Horseshoe
One of the most memorable experiences I had as a young fan came through Scouting.
As a Boy Scout, I had opportunities to serve as an usher at Ohio Stadium.
For a football-obsessed kid, this felt like being handed the keys to the kingdom.
What makes the memories even stronger is that I could walk from home to the stadium.
Imagine being a young Buckeye fan and having the chance to walk into one of the most iconic venues in college football, not as a spectator but as someone helping the event take place.
I don't remember every game. I remember the feeling. The buzz around the stadium. The sight of the crowd pouring through the gates. The anticipation before kickoff. And the realization that I was lucky enough to experience it firsthand.
Surviving the Earl Bruce and John Cooper Years
Being a Buckeye fan has never been easy.
That's something younger fans who grew up during the modern championship era sometimes struggle to understand.
I lived through the Earl Bruce years.
I lived through the John Cooper years.
There were good teams. There were talented players. There were exciting moments.
But there was also frustration. A lot of frustration. Especially every November.
Ohio State would often enter the Michigan game with a better team, a higher ranking, and greater expectations, only to watch an entire season unravel in one afternoon.
Year after year, Buckeye fans found themselves asking the same question: “How can we be this good and still lose to Michigan?”
The Cooper era produced outstanding players and impressive records, but for many fans, it also produced some of the most painful memories in the rivalry's history.
That frustration made what came later even sweeter.
Living on Campus During the 1990s
I attended Ohio State during the early and mid-1990s.
If you lived on campus during that era, you experienced a side of Ohio State football that's difficult to describe to anyone who wasn't there.
Every significant victory seemed to create an impromptu party somewhere near High Street. Students poured into the streets. The celebrations grew larger. And occasionally they grew a little too large.
There were nights when riot police appeared. There were nights when tear gas was used. There were nights when common sense took a back seat to college enthusiasm.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend recreating those moments today. But they were certainly memorable.
Those experiences became part of the larger Ohio State story and part of what made being a student there unique.
The Wedding I Missed
Every fan has a story that makes non-sports people shake their heads.
This is mine.
At one point, I skipped my cousin's wedding to attend the Ohio State-Michigan game.
Was it the correct family decision? Probably not.
Would I make the same choice today? My wife would strongly advise me not to answer that question publicly.
But that's the power of this rivalry.
For Buckeye fans, Ohio State-Michigan is not simply another football game. It's an event. It's tradition. It's history. It's family.
Ironically, it's probably why many family members still haven't fully forgiven me.
The Day Everything Changed
I was fortunate enough to be inside Value City Arena for a moment that changed Ohio State football history.
The introduction of Jim Tressel.
Most Buckeye fans remember the famous speech. The confidence. The promise. The declaration that Ohio State fans would be proud of their team when they traveled to Ann Arbor.
At the time, it felt bold.
Looking back, it became prophetic.
After years of frustration, Tressel fundamentally changed the trajectory of Ohio State football.
The Championship Years
One of the greatest rewards of being a long-time fan is eventually seeing the breakthrough.
For me, that happened in multiple eras.
2002, Jim Tressel: After decades of waiting, Ohio State finally climbed back to the top of college football. The double-overtime victory against Miami remains one of the greatest games I've ever watched.
2014, Urban Meyer: The third-string quarterback story. The playoff run. The dominant championship performance against Oregon. It was one of the most improbable title runs in college football history.
2024, Ryan Day: For fans who have lived through multiple generations of Ohio State football, that championship reinforced a remarkable reality. Ohio State's expectation is no longer simply competing for championships. The expectation is winning them.
More Than Football
People who aren't from Ohio sometimes struggle to understand what Ohio State football means to the state.
It's not just sports.
It's memories. It's family traditions. It's Saturdays with parents and grandparents. It's marching bands and tailgates. It's friendships formed in dorms and neighborhoods. It's stories that span generations.
When I look back on my life as a Buckeye fan, I don't primarily remember scores.
I remember hearing the crowd from home. Walking to Ohio Stadium as a Boy Scout. Experiencing campus celebrations during the 1990s. Witnessing Jim Tressel's introduction. Living through the heartbreaks and championships alike.
The players change. The coaches change. The stadium gets renovated. Generations come and go.
But for many of us who grew up in Columbus, one thing remains constant.
We'll always be Buckeyes.