Seven In A Row, And Counting

Yesterday, on a cold and blustery day in Columbus, the Ohio State Buckeyes pulverized the Michigan Wolverines, 37-7.  The win in The Game was the seventh in a row for Ohio State over its archrivals.

Buckeye bagpipers at French Field House

At Ohio Stadium it was a festive atmosphere from start to finish.  A troupe of bagpipers walked among the tailgaters at the French Field House lot playing Carmen Ohio.  Brutus rode by, hanging out of the window of a pickup truck and pumping up the raucous crowd.  Inside the Horseshoe the 105,000 fans also had their game faces on, heckling and booing the Michigan band, cheerleaders, fans, and anyone else who dared to wear maize and blue.

When the game finally began, Ohio State started slowly.  Michigan, on the other hand, moved the ball.  Then the Ohio State defense forced a crucial turnover, Ohio State finally broke through to score 10 points, and when Michigan answered with its one touchdown Jordan Hall broke Michigan’s back with a return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff.  After that it was no contest.  The Buckeyes methodically ground up the Wolverines, forcing two more turnovers and pounding Michigan on the ground.  The only thing that kept the game even remotely close was the absurd refereeing, which punished college kids for making the “O” sign and negated Boom Herron’s brilliant 99-yard touchdown run with the worst downfield holding call in college football history.

The team and band sing Carmen Ohio after the win

Although Michigan has struggled this year, this nevertheless was an impressive win for the Buckeyes.  The offense did not play its best game, yet still Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron, Dane Sanzenbacher, DeVier Posey, and their teammates scored 30 offensive points — and could easily have scored more if Coach Tressel had not called off the dogs in the fourth quarter.  The defense, on the other hand, played one of its best games.  It held the high-powered Michigan offense to its lowest point total of the season and pretty much shut down the Wolverines after they scored their lone touchdown.  The Buckeyes clearly wanted to contain Denard Robinson, and for the most part they succeeded.  When Robinson went out with an injury, every Buckeyes fan breathed a sigh of relief.  Although Tate Forcier is a decent quarterback, he is a much easier player to defend.

At the end, as we listened to the team sing Carmen Ohio and looked at the scoreboard memorializing a decisive victory over the Wolverines, it was a sweet moment.  Beating Michigan never gets old.

Stalking Brutus

Here’s a weird codicil to the story about the Ohio University mascot who tried to tackle Brutus Buckeye at the start of the OSU-OU game:  it turns out that the OU mascot always planned to do just that, and indeed tried out for the job of OU mascot last year with the ultimate goal of tackling Brutus at the start of Saturday’s game.  The guy who wore the Bobcat mascot uniform for OU at the game, Brandon Hanning, isn’t even a student at OU any longer.

Who knows where the Bobcat guy could be lurking in the future?  Brutus could be innocently buying groceries, only to get blasted by the Bobcat lurking behind one of the produce bins, or he could be hoisting a beer at a campus establishment and look up only to see the Bobcat bearing down on him, teeth bared.  If I were Brutus, I’d consider getting a restraining order.

Mascot Love

The Buckeye Nation is up in arms because the Ohio University mascot, Rufus the Bobcat, tried to tackle Brutus Buckeye as the Ohio State team took the field on Saturday, and then engaged in some roughhousing in the end zone.  Not surprisingly, Brutus — like any rugby shirt-wearing stud — easily shook off the cat’s foul and unwelcome embraces.  Nevertheless, Ohio University has apologized for the unseemly mascot behavior.

I wouldn’t make too big a deal out of the Bobcat’s antics.  After all, the OU mascot is a feline.  Ohio State fans just should be grateful that the Bobcat didn’t scratch someone’s eyes out, start yowling, mark its territory on the  50-yard-line, or otherwise use the Horseshoe as a big litter box.

Should Brutus Buckeye Be Updated?

The current Brutus

Every true Ohio State fan knows Brutus Buckeye.

In his current incarnation, Brutus is a muscular figure with a two-tone buckeye nut head that has human features.  He wears a Block O cap, a scarlet and grey striped rugby shirt with “Brutus” emblazoned across the chest, and scarlet sweat pants.  Ever discreet, he sports a strategically placed Ohio State towel at his midsection.  Brutus helps the cheerleaders lug the big Ohio State flag as they run down the field when the team enters before a football game, and he regularly interacts with the cheerleading squad, members of the band, Ohio State athletes, and diehard Ohio State fans during games and at tailgates.  In Columbus, at least, he is a popular figure.  It isn’t unusual to see Brutus Buckeye decals on cars around town, for example, and many Buckeye fans have a photo taken with Brutus prominently displayed at their home or office.

An early Brutus

Brutus Buckeye wasn’t always an athletic human figure, however.  When I first started going to OSU football games in the early ’70s, Brutus was a big Buckeye nut with eyes and legs and not much else.  He couldn’t carry a flag because he had no arms.  However, he could do an amusing little dance, his comparatively tiny legs boogieing away under that enormous nut head.  He also could somehow spin the head, which was cool.

I’m not sure how long Brutus has had his current incarnation.  It’s 20 years, at least.  Does anyone even wear rugby shirts anymore?  I therefore pose the question:  Should Brutus be updated?