Hi, my name is Trixie, and I AM an Ohio State Buckeyes fan.  I have been for as long as I can remember. I don’t make any apologies about my fandom for The Ohio State Buckeyes.  I cheer for them regardless of they are playing or what sport except when they play my beloved Texas Tech Red Raiders.  And when they played the Bobby Knight coached Indiana Hoosiers back in the day.  Other than that, I love the Buckeyes.

From the time I was born, the Buckeyes were it.  My father loved the Buckeyes.  He love them until the day he died.  That was his team. I remember his tales about the Buckeyes and the Woody Hayes days.  Whenever there was a Buckeyes football game on television, nothing else mattered.  Of course this was in a time when there wasn’t ESPN or College Game Day.  I remember tuning into ABC on Saturdays to see if my Daddy’s Buckeyes would be on television.  I remember listening to one of my favorite college announcers Keith Jackson calling the games.  As a Buckeyes fan, you developed your hatred for that university from Ann Arbor early on.  I still have this hatred for Michigan even today.  I never cheer for them.  I didn’t openly root for them when they played that university from Austin, TX in the 2005 Rose Bowl but I didn’t want them to lose to that team from Austin.  They didn’t win (oh darn).  But my hatred of that team from Austin is slightly deeper than my hatred of that team from Ann Arbor.  Ohio State vs Michigan was a tradition in our household.

As I mentioned, my father passed on his love of the Ohio State Buckeyes to me.  The only time I got to see them play live was in the 1987 Cotton Bowl against the Texas A&M Aggies.  Ohio State won that day 28-12!  I still have the pennant my parents bought me on that day.  My first year at Texas Tech University, his beloved Buckeyes played my Red Raiders.  This was probably the first time, I did not cheer for OSU.  We almost beat them.  Of course, my father needled me about the game.  The only time I can remember him not cheering for the Buckeyes, was when the TTU Lady Raiders played the Lady Buckeyes in the NCAA Women’s National Basketball game back in 1992. In case you didn’t know, TTU won that day.  It was my turn now to needle my dad.

The Buckeyes won the football championship in 2002.  I was so excited that I could share this moment with my father.  The last time his Buckeyes had won the national championship was in 1970, the year I was born.  Coincidence, I think not.  We talked about the game on numerous occasions.  When we would talk during football season, he would always ask me if I watched the Buckeyes and how my Red Raiders did.

My bucket list of sporting events, is to see a OSU vs Michigan in Columbus.  If I ever get the chance, I will take my daddy’s ashes with me.  This is the only way I am able to see the game with my father now.  My father died in April 2011.  I didn’t watch any Buckeyes football games during the  fall 2011 season except for the OSU vs Michigan game.  I didn’t have the strength to even turn games on that football season.  I didn’t have my father.  Who would I talk to about the Buckeyes?  But I had to watch the OSU/Michigan game.  I didn’t want to let him down.  I knew he would be watching from heaven.  Ohio State lost that day, but for the first time all season I was able to watch the Buckeyes again.

I would like to think my daddy would have been very excited about Urban Meyer being the Buckeyes coach. He has brought Ohio State back to prominence after the scandal under Jim Tressel.  Oh for those who don’t know OSU won their 8th national title in 2014.  Even though I do not like Michigan, I think the OSU/Michigan rivalry is back when Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh.  It may not reach the level of intensity as it was in the Woody Hayes/Bo Schembechler days, but it’s going to be fun to watch.

I miss my Daddy.  I still watch Ohio State any chance I get.  I would like to think he tunes in every Saturday with me to watch from above.  I miss not be able to talk to him about the game.  I would love to pick his brain about what he thinks of the new playoff system or any other sports item.  I would like to think he is sitting somewhere discussing Ohio State with Woody Hayes.  I bet those are interesting conversations.

I miss and love you Daddy.  Here’s hoping the Ohio State Buckeyes are back in the National Championship game this year.  Go Bucks!  Beat Michigan!