Back to the Roots

[crazedbuckeye333]

Excellence. Tradition. People.

It’s the motto we, as Buckeye nation, have followed for decades.

It rings in the soul of every single fan to step into Ohio Stadium, and it shadows all of our movements (and it’s printed on those little red bracelets you can buy).

Ask an average fan of NCAA football (who lives outside the stateliness of Ohio and Michigan) about Ohio State and more times than not, “excellence, tradition, people†are not the three adjectives you’ll hear.

Dirty, cupcake, Chokers?

Fake, arrogant, jailbirds?

I empathize with the Joker from the new hit, The Dark Knight.

Two years ago we were the toast of College Football. We were that one prolific school that even in the twilight of the Clarett scandal, were viewed as the epitome of the “excellent†school in athletics. We were the one football powerhouse that still valued academics and developing players for the pros.

What happened?

Now we see things like, “I hope Ohio State makes it back to the title game, and gets crushed again.†We see a general hatred for the Buckeyes.

We see signs proclaiming, “The SEC – It’s not for everyone,†and comparisons to the Yankees as the evil dynasty and the Buffalo Bills for losing in championship games.

Our fans used to just be foreseen as true, passionate, loyal and humble. Now? It seems like if we don’t win the title the season was a bust.

But let’s stop the charade, and get back to what Ohio State stands for.

That doesn’t begin with Pryor or Laurinaitis or Tressel. It doesn’t initiate with Archie or anyone else in the offense. That starts from the outside, from the soul of Ohio State - with the fans.

It starts with respecting the school and its players, and then on winning. It starts with screaming “IO†after a hearty “OH†win or loss.

You may ask why I brought up the rest of the nation hating us. The reason I did such a thing when I’m only focusing on our own fans is to once and for all say, “Hey nation – stick it.â€

Buckeye fans have always been the best in college sports – cheering just as loud for Block O and all of their chants, Script Ohio, Fight the Team, the Buckeye Battle Cry, Carmen Ohio and the Best Damn Band in the Land just as much for Archie, Eddie and Beanie.

I want to get back to that. I want to get back to when Buckeye fans put Ohio State, and all that it means and all of her tradition, before winning. I want fans to live by “our honor defend we will fight to the end for O-HI-O†again.

Sure, we all want a championship, in fact I’ve dreamed about that moment from birth, and didn’t get to truly experience the 2002 title game.

But that’s not my first wish for this season of football. No – it is for Buckeye fans to reach back to their roots and find the passion, and not just the score outcome. I want fans to remember why they are Buckeye nation, and cheer because of that.

Howdo you it? Simple.

That great moment comes when you care more about the “iâ€, than the W.

 

[ScarletMerica]

Beautiful! It's so true that the fans really do need to see that most schools could only dream of having the success that we have come to overlook. Great article crazed. Can't wait for more to roll in.

 

[seismicmike]

*seismicmike wipes tears out of his eyes*

crazed, man, you make my blood boil! You are so right man. We've been so wrong. Winning is all well and good, and it's fun to smack down other teams - especially scUM, but you know what you're right. I've been in a funk ever since the '05 Texas game, I guess. Ever since that game it's been like, "Win or I'm not proud of being a Buckeye". Where in the world does that come from? Being back in the state helps a TON, and you know what you're right. Screw you, ESPN. Screw you Mark May and Kirk Herbstreet. Screw them all. Long live the Bucks. We are so much bigger than National Championship games. We are even bigger than scUM games. We are Ohio State. It doesn't matter how much we lose - we're bigger. We can lose the NC game this year, and we can still be proud. Why? Because we're never going away.

People keep implying that the talent isn't coming our way in recruits - like it's all going to the SEC or something. Despite the fact that raw talent means really nothing without excellent coaching (see all the comments on John Cooper), but I think Pryor just proved them wrong. There seems to be an unspoken belief that if we keep losing big games, recruits who want to win won't come here. I'm sorry, if you're coming here because you want to win, go somewhere else. Seriously.

You don't go to Ohio State to win. Not really. Not as your primary motivation. Oh sure it's fun and you like it. But do you know why you go to Ohio State? It's the tradition. It's all those things Crazed talked about. Your number one motivation for going to Ohio State isn't to win, it's to go to Ohio State! And they can't take that away from us. No puke in the can SEC school can ever rival that. Not even USC has that draw. Ohio State is by far (in my completely biased opinion) the most storied and most richly traditioned school in the nation, and everyone knows it. Every boy born in the Midwest knows it in his bones the moment he pops out.

You don't go to Ohio State for the wins and for the championships. It's not about bowl games and roses. It's not even about scUM. It's about the Scarlet and the Grey. It's about the Horseshoe. Block O. Skull Sessions. The Best Damn Band in the Land and the Best Damn Fans in the Land!

Our honor defend, we will fight to the end for O-HI-O!!!

 

[ScarletMerica]

I thoroughly enjoyed that responce mike!

Really as fans we have been spoiled by our success recently. Where is our die hard fan-ism that was bestowed on us even as we lost to scUM through those many years? Where is our pride knowing that even though we haven't won those national titles, we more than had the potential to win them. Yes we lost but, hey, we made it there two years running and 3 times in 6 years. I, as a fan, am damn proud to know that we will never go away. Ohio State is ALWAYS in contention for conference and national titles. Our players are always in contention for national honors. What more could we ask for? Our players stay for senior years not only because they want to come back and win, but because they love our tradition, our fans, our coaches, and just everything about Ohio State. No other school can even come close to the amount of loyalty and beauty that is Ohio State and it's fans. Everything about Ohio State is wonderful. Look at all the storied tradition we have and all the alumni. What more does Buckeye nation need? We are the best there is.