Buckeye Football Glossary

Are you new to Buckeye football?  Are you a fan of another team that wants to know about Buckeye traditions?  Or are you a fan who has always wanted to know the significance of something but could never find out?  In any event, this is a place where you can look to find out the meanings or stories behind certain words, phrases, individuals, or traditions that are commonly used by Buckeye fans (or at least it will point you in the direction you need to go to find out).  There are a lot of things that could be added here, so if we left something out that you feel should be here, please e-mail us and let us know!

Across the Field:  This is the Buckeye fight song that you will commonly hear played throughout football games.  Also known as "Fight the Team."  Click here for lyrics, history behind this song, and a downloadable version you can listen to.

Block O:  Block O is the student cheering section that you see at home athletic events.  There is much more to it than that though; click here for the Block O home page. 

Paul Brown:  One of the greatest figures in football history, Paul Brown coached at OSU from 1941-1943.  He had a short but very successful stay as the team won it all in 1942.  The amount of accomplishments he had in his lifetime were staggering, and his contribution to football cannot be understated.   

Brutus Buckeye:  Brutus is the lovable official Ohio State mascot who can be seen at sporting events.  Click here to see what he looks like (in case you don't know) or to see what he used to look like (you gotta see that one if you don't know).

Buckeye:  The word "buckeye" can refer to either a shrub or tree of the horse-chestnut family or the hard, poisonous nuts that can be found on them.  The tree is the state tree of Ohio, and the word can also refer to a resident of the state of Ohio.  Click here to learn more about why Ohioans and the Ohio State sports teams are called Buckeyes.

Buckeye Grove:  Buckeye All-Americans are honored outside the south side of the stadium in Buckeye Grove.  A buckeye tree is planted there in honor of each OSU All-American.

Buckeye Leaf:  Refers to the stickers placed on the helmets of the Ohio State football players.  If a player makes a good play, he is awarded with a Buckeye Leaf sticker to place on his helmet.  If a player's helmet is completely covered with these stickers, that probably means he's a pretty good player!  

Captains' Brunch:  After every homecoming game, all the Buckeye captains meet Sunday at noon for a brunch.  This tradition dates back over 60 years, and it was originally called the Captains' Breakfast.

Carmen, Ohio:  This is the stirring alma mater of The Ohio State University.  Try hard not to hold back the tears when it is played!  Click here to learn more about it.

Howard "Hopalong" Cassidy:  OSU's third Heisman winner, this wonderful RB was an All-American in 1954 and 55 and won the Heisman Trophy in '55 with 964 yards and 15 TDs.  

Eddie George:  The most recent OSU Heisman Trophy winner.  Eddie was not even mentioned as a candidate to win the award in 1995, but his breakout year won the voters over.  He holds OSU single-season records for yards (1,927) and touchdowns (24) as well as the record for most yards in a single game (314).   

Archie Griffin:  The only player to ever win the Heisman Trophy twice, Archie won it in 1974 and 1975.  He is OSU's all-time leading rusher with 5,177 yards and was the Big Ten's all-time leading rusher until just recently.  Today, Archie is very visible within the program as he is the Associate Athletic Director at OSU.

Hang On Sloopy:  To most, this is a 1965 rock hit from the band The McCoys.  But to Ohio State fans, this song means Buckeye football!  Click here to learn more about it and how it got to be that way.

Woody Hayes:  There is not enough room on this page to say everything there is to be said about Woody, but maybe the best way to put it is that he still embodies Ohio State Football for many people.  He coached Ohio State for 28 years, from 1950-1978.  His reign was the best of times-- Ohio State was a feared national powerhouse-- and the worst of times-- his legendary temper would eventually cost him his job.  During his tenure though, OSU enjoyed a level of prosperity on the field like they never have.

Horseshoe:  Nickname given to Ohio Stadium, the home stadium of the Buckeyes, due to it's horseshoe-like shape.

Les Horvath:  In 1944, Les won the first of the six Heisman Trophies that OSU players have won in the past.  Horvath did it all in 1944 as he played QB, RB and DB to help OSU go unbeaten and win the Big Ten crown. 

i-Dotter:  The grand finale of the Script Ohio (see below), this is when a senior sousaphone player prances across the field to become the dot on top of the "i" in the Script Ohio.  Only three non-band members -- Woody Hayes, Bob Hope, and James "Buster" Douglas -- have ever dotted the i.  Click here to know more.

Vic Janowicz:  The Heisman Trophy winner in 1950 (OSU's second), Vic ran the ball and kicked and punted the ball for the Buckeyes.  Vic has been called the greatest athlete in OSU football history.  

Le Regiment:  This is the name of the driving march that is played during the formation of Script Ohio.  Click here to learn about the history behind this song as well as a downloadable version.

Neutron Man:  This is the nickname of perhaps Ohio State's most famous and lovable fan.  Neutron Man is the guy you see from time to time who is wearing a 00 jersey, a buckeye necklace and a scarlet & gray beret.  He got his nickname back in the 1980s when he used to get up and dance when the OSU band played the song "Neutron Dance" by the Pointer Sisters.  

Ramp Entrance:  One of the band's more famous traditions.  Click here to learn more.

Scarlet & Gray:  The official school colors of The Ohio State University.  These were chosen back in 1878.  Black and Orange were the original school colors, but Scarlet and Gray were chosen when it was discovered that Princeton already picked black and orange.

Script Ohio:  Perhaps the most famous and popular tradition that surrounds Ohio State football as well as the trademark of the marching band.  The band starts in a triple block O formation and then unwinds to form a cursive spelling of the word "Ohio."  It is something that is really pointless to define in words; you have to see it.  Click here for pictures and history.

Senior Tackle:  A tradition where the seniors line up in the practice before the last game and hit the tackling sled for one last time. 

Silver Bullets:  The nickname given to the Ohio State defense by defensive coordinator Fred Pagac.

Skull Session:  The name given to the last-minute practice session that the band holds right before football games.  They are held in front of thousands of people and serve as a great way to fire up the fans.  Click here to find out more.  

Chris Spielman:  An all-time favorite, this hard-nosed linebacker embodies Ohio State football as well as the game itself.  Revered everywhere for his spirit and intensity.  Was a two-time All-American at OSU and enjoyed a very good NFL career that was cut short due to injury.

TBDBITL:  Acronym for "The Best Damn Band In The Land," which is the motto of the Ohio State marching band. 

Victory Bell:  After every home win, a bell is rung from the southeast tower of Ohio Stadium.  This is the Victory Bell.