Script Ohio

Tradition. The Horseshoe. The Best Damn Band In The Land.  Scarlet and Gray. The Ohio State University.

Without question, tradition shapes the game experience at Ohio State University. Every fan we talked with before the game valued the history of the school and its importance on gameday in Columbus.

The Ohio State stadium experience begins during pregame as highlight films showcase moments from current and former Buckeyes. The brand new video board in the south endzone gives fans, students, and recruits the ability to see the traditions that tailgaters mentioned to us during our interviews with them. Memorable touchdowns, legendary coaches, intimidating music, along with the dramatic band entrance from the north tunnel and the iconic dotting of the “I” in the script Ohio set the stage for the game versus the Cal Golden Bears.

As the teams took the field for kickoff, “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes filled the stadium, inciting the “Buckeye Bounce” in the student section.  The energy in the stadium early in the game was high, but as the game progressed, definite improvements could have been made.

During the game, the stadium atmosphere became too scripted. When Cal had a 3^rd down, “Hell’s Bells” rang over the speakers. If Ohio State kicked off, “Seven Nation Army” played every time.  Adding some variation to the playlist would have kept the crowd more energized and avoided the habitual feel on 3^rd downs and kickoffs.

The most notable omission from the stadium atmosphere was the under-utilization of the video board. While replays are a great asset for the fans to enjoy, greater potential exists to boost the stadium energy. In a back-and-forth game, where momentum can shift on a single play, the home team needs to do everything it can to keep it on their side. With about 3 minutes left in the first quarter, Cal scored a touchdown on 3^rd and 18. During the ensuing media timeout, the video board only showed game stats, no recorded music was played, and the band only played a brief song at the end of the time out. This was a perfect opportunity to use the video board to OSU’s advantage by showing an Ohio State pump up video to bring some positive energy to the stadium. A similar situation arose in the 4^th quarter when Cal took the lead for the first time, 21-20. Ads on the video board, and a generic filler song from the band, did next to nothing to excite the crowd.

Ohio State, however, did not grow into a national football brand without reason. The tradition and history of the football program undoubtedly created a unique atmosphere in the stadium. Outfitted in the recognizable combination of scarlet and gray, over 100,000 fans packed the stadium to be a part of the Ohio State experience. Before crucial defensive third downs, and after a Buckeye TD, the OSU faithful showed great enthusiasm and support towards their team by standing and cheering as the Buckeyes held off the Golden Bears.  All things considered, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Columbus, and can’t wait to see how this experience compares to other schools around the country.

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