O-H-I-O

Today was the season opener for the Buckeyes. It's pretty sacred around these parts. Even though this season isn't looking like a championship team and the early games are not much of a challenge, there is something about football season in Columbus that is unexplainable to those on the outside. I've found it is hard to explain, even to people who live here now, but either didn't go to OSU or didn't grow up in the area. They just don't get what the big deal is about and it's hard for the rest of us to put into words.

I have to admit, I'm not much of a football fan, but I am a Buckeye fan. I have had twangs of guilt and longing all day because I wasn't on campus. Alas, there were weeds to be pulled and living rooms to organize. In the not so distant past, each Saturday during football season was spent either on campus or at a sports bar watching each game. My life is different now, but how much fun those days were! Arriving early for prime tailgating spots and staying late after the game was over, making new friends, and running into old friends were all part of those days.

I think, for me, the game watching is as much about the game as it is the community spirit accompanying it. The collective roar of the crowd, the hugs and high-fives at a good play or win are the best moments in college football. And the sudden intake of breath, the blinked back tears, and the silence that goes along with a bungled pass or tough loss is something you learn to live with: it's all part of the game. It takes a born and bred Buckeye to understand.