"We're on the banks of the Olentangy River in Columbus, Ohio."
From Ramzy:
"That phrase hits your brain with a unique cadence. You may have said or thought these words while describing Ohio Stadium, either in passing or while cracking your first tailgating beer on a brisk October morning. Perhaps you even changed the inflection of your voice to make it little folksier than usual. Onnnn the bankkkksss of the OLEN-TAN-GEE."
I'll never forget my first Ohio State game as a student. The No. 2 Buckeyes were coming off a win over Indiana on the road and returning home for a major clash against Baker Mayfield and the #5 Oklahoma Sooners. The Buckeye defense held Mayfield in check in the first half, taking a 3-3 tie into the locker room.
The second half, more particularly the fourth quarter, was a very different story. The Sooners won 31-16 and the student section was empty well before the end of the game, something I didn't think was possible.
"It was sad," aerospace engineering major and soon-to-be-sophomore Jay Fields said. "That was my first Ohio State game ever, not just as a student. For it to end like it did was upsetting. Not exactly how you want to start off your tenure."
A few weeks later, it seemed like the scenario was flipped. The Buckeyes, after getting themselves into a 28-10 hole, roared back to defeat the then-No. 2 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions by a meager one point, thanks to a historic fourth quarter from senior quarterback J.T. Barrett.
Linebacker Chris Worley riding high on students who stormed the field after the Buckeyes defeated the Nittany Lions
The rest of the home season was just as fun. Ohio State obliterated Michigan State and Illinois in back-to-back weeks to earn a trip to Indianapolis, where they won the Big Ten Championship.
Debates then raged all night as to whether Ohio State or Alabama would make the college football playoff. After the Crimson Tide received the berth, campus was somber. Dining halls were quiet. It was simply... dead.
But with a new season comes new optimism. Dwayne Haskins is under center, ready to lead the Buckeyes back to the "promised land." Then a bombshell drops: Ohio State has placed coach Urban Meyer on paid indefinite leave, relating to his handling (or lack thereof) of the Zach Smith situation. Suddenly, both Ohio State's football coach and thereby the future of the program are in limbo.
"I don't know what to expect," said Fields. "It's a hard situation. It's so close to the season, but we have no idea what is going to happen. I bought season tickets. Hopefully, this gets resolved and we have a clearer idea of what will happen."
The Ohio State Class of 2021 (the soon-to-be-sophomores) have a group chat with over 1,100 members. Needless to say, the chat has been nothing but Urban Meyer news for the last few days. Some want him to come back. Some want the university to terminate him. Some are indifferent. Seemingly representative of the university as a whole, the group chat is diverse.
Urban Meyer raising the Cottpn Bowl Championship Trophy
It's a sticky situation, for sure. Nobody really knows how it will end. But for the thousands of students who purchased season tickets, clarity is appreciated.
I'm living in Lawrence Tower this year. It's the dorm on Lane Avenue that used to be a Holiday Inn. There's a pizza place in the lobby. The rooms are slightly larger than normal dorms. But that's not it's best feature.
Lawrence Tower is right smack in the middle of Lane Avenue. So, for about seven Saturday's every year, it's the spot to be. The police use Lawrence as a base of sorts, to try and control the 100,000 people or so who converge on the banks of the Olentangy to watch the Buckeyes play football.
But that doesn't mean Lawrence students can't join in the fun. There's tailgate lots aplenty right across the street. You can see the masses flock into St. John Arena for Skull Session right out your window. And, off in the distance, the Horseshoe awaits. Lawrence Tower is special. It's the place to be when the Buckeyes host Tulane, and when they host Michigan.
Jay Fields recently switched his major from biomedical engineering to aerospace engineering. He took 18 credit hours last semester. He's scaling that back to 16 this time. It was too much for him.
A good thing about Ohio State is that you can buy football tickets whether you're taking the bare minimum amount of hours (12), or the maximum (18). Whether you're an aerospace engineering major or a dance major, you can file into Ohio Stadium on a Saturday and watch some football as a student... but it doesn't last forever.
"One thing that has stuck with me through this is that I won't be a student for the rest of my life. Last year was great. But at the same time, I'm a quarter of the way done. It'll be over as soon as it starts, basically," Fields said.
Fields bought football tickets again this year, but considered purchasing just the Big Ten package, since the Buckeyes have no marquee out-of-conference foes at home this year. His loyalty won out, though, and he bought the full-season plan.
Like many students, he'll be in the south stands this year cheering on the Buckeyes. Whoever the coach may be.
