ROSE BOWL BOUND
Ohio State demolishes Tennessee, 42-17, and advances to the Rose Bowl to face top-seeded Oregon.
From a statue and helmet sticker to a chance to dot the 'i' in Script Ohio, Archie Griffin's week has been full of memorable moments. The latter of those three occurred at halftime of Ohio State's season opener against Akron.
Griffin is the 15th non-band member to dot the 'i' in Script Ohio. Others to participate in the tradition include Ohio State president Novice Fawcett (1971), band composer Richard Heine (1974), comedian Bob Hope (1978), band director Jack Evans (1979), band director Paul Droste (1983), Hayes (1983), ticket director Robert Ries (1985), boxer Buster Douglas (1990), Ohio State president Gordon Gee (1995), golfer Jack Nicklaus (2006), Sen. John Glenn and Annie Glenn (2009), entrepreneur Les Wexner (2011), marching band director emeritus Jon R. Woods (2011) and Earle Bruce (2016).
Before Griffin dotted the 'i' on Saturday, Ohio State marching band director Christopher Hoch said Griffin earned his selection because he has dedicated his life to Ohio State athletics.
“We are super excited and honored to have him be a part of this tradition,” Hoch said on July 25. “While I didn’t have the opportunity to watch Archie play at Ohio State, I remember my dad talking about him as a legend and how great of a person he was."
Archie Griffin just dotted the i. #B1GFootball on CBS pic.twitter.com/HnWwaJPsW8
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 31, 2024
Sousaphone player Nick Pisanelli echoed his director's sentiments.
“As a sousaphone player, dotting the “i” is the highest honor one can achieve,” Pisanelli said. “It’s a dream many of us have had for years, one that we work hard for each day as a member of this band. It takes unrelenting dedication to finally be able to live that dream. ... Archie Griffin embodies that same spirit, and on the 50th anniversary of his first Heisman Trophy, we felt it was an easy decision to ask him to share this honor with us. He’s living proof that hard work, determination, and passion can take you anywhere."
