This is the first column in a short series on Ohio State Buckeye traditions and rituals. Hopefully, this will provide some answers for those of you who have wondered:
What is a Buckeye? What’s so special about them?
- or -
How do the Buckeyes uniforms always look so good?
There isn’t a more passionate group of fans in all of college football than Ohio State Buckeye fans. Here’s part of the reason why…
School Colors. Ohio State’s school colors are Scarlet and Gray. To this point, Ohio State’s school colors have never included red, crimson, or garnet, contrary to what certain TV announcers may believe. The Ohio State University was originally established as Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the original school colors were orange and black. In 1878, the name of the institution was changed to Ohio State University, and the colors were also changed to the present combination. Scarlet and Gray were chosen because no other university was using that combination, while orange and black were forsaken because that had already been adopted by Princeton.
The Buckeye. This is the symbol and nickname for The Ohio State University, and indeed, Ohioans at large. The tree from which buckeye nuts come from is native to Ohio, and can be found in large numbers in the Ohio River Valley (as well as the yards of Ohio State fans). The nut is about the size of a quarter in circumference, and is a rich dark brown, with a single, dime-sized tan patch. It is this coloring which gives the buckeye its name, as the nut resembles the eye of a deer.
To the uninitiated, this may sound like the lamest idea for a mascot ever. Well, consider this: The buckeye tree is one of the most resilient in all of Ohio’s forests. Settlers found the tree to be the hardest to kill among all they encountered continuing to sprout branches even after they had been harvested and their timber put to use. The buckeye tree is highly adaptable, and grows in places where other trees cannot. Also, the buckeye nut is mildly poisonous.
The buckeye became a symbol of Ohio and Ohioans during the presidential election of 1840, when William Henry Harrison used the buckeye as a symbol for his campaign. The term has been used to refer to Ohio State athletics since the early 20th century, and was officially adopted by the university in 1950.
Many people, Ohio State fans included, consider the buckeye to be a good luck charm. Indeed, many buckeye nuts will be making the trip to San Antonio with Ohio State fans. Many carry them in their pockets, on keychains, or wear them as necklaces. Items such as these made from buckeye comprise a healthy cottage industry in the state of Ohio.
Brutus Buckeye. Brutus is the energetic mascot and symbol of Ohio State athletics. Brutus came about in 1965, and the name was selected in a campus-wide contest. He has taken on several forms since then, with earlier versions looking much like a giant buckeye with legs.
The current Brutus Buckeye has a buckeye for a head, and is much more energetic and athletic than previous versions. Brutus can be found at pretty much every major Buckeye sporting event. He enjoys activities such as leading chants, carrying giant flags, celebrating touchdowns, chokeslamming Bucky Badger, and making fun of Wolverweenies.
Buckeye Leaves. This tradition was started in 1968, when coach Woody Hayes and trainer Ernie Briggs overhauled the appearance of Ohio State’s football uniforms. They added the “Buckeye Stripe” on the sleeves of the jersey, which is believed to be the first instance that teams incorporated that idea into the design of their uniforms. They also added Buckeye Leaf stickers for the helmets, which were given to the players for exceptional play. When Hayes started the tradition, the decals were larger in size than they are now, and they were awarded almost arbitrarily mostly for individual accomplishments.
Over the years, the stickers have grown smaller in size. Nowadays, Buckeye Leaves are awarded somewhat for individual play, but mostly for offensive, defensive, and special teams units accomplishing specific goals. Also, every team member receives a Buckeye Leaf for a win, or two Buckeye Leaves for a Big Ten win.
The Horseshoe. Its official name is Ohio Stadium. It’s also referred to as the “Horseshoe” or “the ‘Shoe”, due to it’s distinctive open-ended design. It perhaps the most recognizable symbol of The Ohio State’s football team. The stadium was opened in 1922, and it held a capacity crowd of 66,210 people. It was argued by some at the time of it’s construction that the capacity should have been limited to roughly 35,000, as they were not able to foresee sufficient interest in football at Ohio State to necessitate a greater capacity. Needless to say, if these same people were to see the Horseshoe on a contemporary autumn Saturday, they would be in complete awe (just as many fans visiting from other schools are).
Since the stadium’s opening, it has underwent many changes. A large bleacher was added in the open end of the stadium (known as the South Stands), which brought the capacity of the stadium to the low-90,000s. A few years ago, a major renovation was undertaken which shored up the deteriorating concrete structure and also expanded the capacity. Luxury boxes were installed, and the temporary (and perilously wobbly) South Stands were replaced with a larger, more stable bleacher structure. A larger state-of-the-art scoreboard was added. The track that surrounded the football field was removed, and the field itself was lowered by roughly 14 feet. Seats were added between the old field level seats and the new field level, and also to the top of the upper deck around the entire stadium, except for the very north end, where the old rotunda was maintained. Currently, Ohio Stadium is the fourth-largest on-campus stadium, trailing M*ch*g*n Stadium (M*ch*g*n), Beaver Stadium (Penn State), and Neyland Stadium (Tennessee). The present-day Ohio Stadium has held crowds of over 105,000 people, and is regarded throughout college football as one of the loudest and most intimidating places to play.
This is a 3 part piece by jlb1705. Find other information about OSU Traditions in JLB's other articles.
Ohio State Traditions: Buckeye Football
Ohio State Traditions: The Band, the Music, and Game-day Atmosphere
Ohio State Traditions: Buckeye Symbols & Icons
Find other articles (including these) concerning the Alamo Bowl at O-State's "Bowl Central"
O-State's Bowl Central
What is a Buckeye? What’s so special about them?
- or -
How do the Buckeyes uniforms always look so good?
There isn’t a more passionate group of fans in all of college football than Ohio State Buckeye fans. Here’s part of the reason why…
School Colors. Ohio State’s school colors are Scarlet and Gray. To this point, Ohio State’s school colors have never included red, crimson, or garnet, contrary to what certain TV announcers may believe. The Ohio State University was originally established as Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the original school colors were orange and black. In 1878, the name of the institution was changed to Ohio State University, and the colors were also changed to the present combination. Scarlet and Gray were chosen because no other university was using that combination, while orange and black were forsaken because that had already been adopted by Princeton.
The Buckeye. This is the symbol and nickname for The Ohio State University, and indeed, Ohioans at large. The tree from which buckeye nuts come from is native to Ohio, and can be found in large numbers in the Ohio River Valley (as well as the yards of Ohio State fans). The nut is about the size of a quarter in circumference, and is a rich dark brown, with a single, dime-sized tan patch. It is this coloring which gives the buckeye its name, as the nut resembles the eye of a deer.
To the uninitiated, this may sound like the lamest idea for a mascot ever. Well, consider this: The buckeye tree is one of the most resilient in all of Ohio’s forests. Settlers found the tree to be the hardest to kill among all they encountered continuing to sprout branches even after they had been harvested and their timber put to use. The buckeye tree is highly adaptable, and grows in places where other trees cannot. Also, the buckeye nut is mildly poisonous.
The buckeye became a symbol of Ohio and Ohioans during the presidential election of 1840, when William Henry Harrison used the buckeye as a symbol for his campaign. The term has been used to refer to Ohio State athletics since the early 20th century, and was officially adopted by the university in 1950.
Many people, Ohio State fans included, consider the buckeye to be a good luck charm. Indeed, many buckeye nuts will be making the trip to San Antonio with Ohio State fans. Many carry them in their pockets, on keychains, or wear them as necklaces. Items such as these made from buckeye comprise a healthy cottage industry in the state of Ohio.
Brutus Buckeye. Brutus is the energetic mascot and symbol of Ohio State athletics. Brutus came about in 1965, and the name was selected in a campus-wide contest. He has taken on several forms since then, with earlier versions looking much like a giant buckeye with legs.
The current Brutus Buckeye has a buckeye for a head, and is much more energetic and athletic than previous versions. Brutus can be found at pretty much every major Buckeye sporting event. He enjoys activities such as leading chants, carrying giant flags, celebrating touchdowns, chokeslamming Bucky Badger, and making fun of Wolverweenies.
Buckeye Leaves. This tradition was started in 1968, when coach Woody Hayes and trainer Ernie Briggs overhauled the appearance of Ohio State’s football uniforms. They added the “Buckeye Stripe” on the sleeves of the jersey, which is believed to be the first instance that teams incorporated that idea into the design of their uniforms. They also added Buckeye Leaf stickers for the helmets, which were given to the players for exceptional play. When Hayes started the tradition, the decals were larger in size than they are now, and they were awarded almost arbitrarily mostly for individual accomplishments.
Over the years, the stickers have grown smaller in size. Nowadays, Buckeye Leaves are awarded somewhat for individual play, but mostly for offensive, defensive, and special teams units accomplishing specific goals. Also, every team member receives a Buckeye Leaf for a win, or two Buckeye Leaves for a Big Ten win.
The Horseshoe. Its official name is Ohio Stadium. It’s also referred to as the “Horseshoe” or “the ‘Shoe”, due to it’s distinctive open-ended design. It perhaps the most recognizable symbol of The Ohio State’s football team. The stadium was opened in 1922, and it held a capacity crowd of 66,210 people. It was argued by some at the time of it’s construction that the capacity should have been limited to roughly 35,000, as they were not able to foresee sufficient interest in football at Ohio State to necessitate a greater capacity. Needless to say, if these same people were to see the Horseshoe on a contemporary autumn Saturday, they would be in complete awe (just as many fans visiting from other schools are).
Since the stadium’s opening, it has underwent many changes. A large bleacher was added in the open end of the stadium (known as the South Stands), which brought the capacity of the stadium to the low-90,000s. A few years ago, a major renovation was undertaken which shored up the deteriorating concrete structure and also expanded the capacity. Luxury boxes were installed, and the temporary (and perilously wobbly) South Stands were replaced with a larger, more stable bleacher structure. A larger state-of-the-art scoreboard was added. The track that surrounded the football field was removed, and the field itself was lowered by roughly 14 feet. Seats were added between the old field level seats and the new field level, and also to the top of the upper deck around the entire stadium, except for the very north end, where the old rotunda was maintained. Currently, Ohio Stadium is the fourth-largest on-campus stadium, trailing M*ch*g*n Stadium (M*ch*g*n), Beaver Stadium (Penn State), and Neyland Stadium (Tennessee). The present-day Ohio Stadium has held crowds of over 105,000 people, and is regarded throughout college football as one of the loudest and most intimidating places to play.
This is a 3 part piece by jlb1705. Find other information about OSU Traditions in JLB's other articles.
Ohio State Traditions: Buckeye Football
Ohio State Traditions: The Band, the Music, and Game-day Atmosphere
Ohio State Traditions: Buckeye Symbols & Icons
Find other articles (including these) concerning the Alamo Bowl at O-State's "Bowl Central"
O-State's Bowl Central
