Ohio State Buckeyes History

Scarlet and Gray

Ohio State’s official school colors since 1878, Scarlet and Gray were chosen by a group of three students in a lecture room in University Hall because “it was a pleasing combination...and had not been adopted by any other college,” noted selection committee member Alice Townshend Wing.

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“The Best Damn Band in the Land” is the 225-member, all-brass Ohio State Marching Band that formed in 1879 as a military band. Also known as “The Pride of the Buckeyes,” the band perhaps is best known for the incomparable Script Ohio. Another band tradition of note is the “skull session,” a warmup concert/pep rally in St. John Arena, open to the public before every home football game.

Script Ohio

The signature formation of the Ohio State Marching Band performed before, during halftime or after home football games.

Each time the formation drill is performed, a different fourth- or fifth-year sousaphone player has the privilege of standing as the dot in the “i” of “Ohio.”

At exactly 16 measures from the end of “Le Regiment,” the drum major struts out toward the top of the “i,” with a senior sousaphone player high-stepping a couple of paces behind. As the crowd’s cheering crescendos, the drum major stops and dramatically points to the spot, and the sousaphone player assumes the post of honor, doffs his or her hat and bows deeply to both sides of the stadium.

Woody Hayes and Bob Hope are among the select few non-band members who have had the honor of dotting the “i.”

School Songs

Ohio State proudly boasts an alma mater (Carmen Ohio), two fight songs (Across the Field and Buckeye Battle Cry) and a state rock song (Hang on Sloopy).

Buckeye Battle Cry
In old Ohio there’s a team
That’s known thru-out the land;
Eleven warriors, brave and bold,
Whose fame will ever stand.
And when the ball goes over,
Our cheers will reach the sky,
Ohio field will hear again
The Buckeye Battle Cry –

Drive! Drive on down the field,
Men of the scarlet and gray;
Don’t let them thru that line,
We have to win this game today,
Come on, Ohio!
Smash through to victory.
We cheer you as you go:
Our honor defend
We will fight to the end for O-hi-o.

Across The Field
Fight the team across the field,
Show them Ohio’s here
Set the earth reverberating
with a mighty cheer
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Hit them hard and see how they fall;
Never let that team get the ball,
Hail! Hail! the gang’s all here,
So let’s win that
old conference now.

Carmen Ohio
Oh! Come let’s sing Ohio’s praise,
And songs to Alma Mater raise;
While our hearts rebounding thrill,
With joy which death
alone can still.
Summer’s heat or Winter’s cold.
The seasons pass,
the years will roll;
Time and change will surely show
How firm thy friendship O-hi-o.

Hang on Sloopy
“Hang On Sloopy,” a song performed by Ohioans, The McCoys, evolved into Ohio State’s game day anthem and eventually the state of Ohio’s official rock song. Buckeye fans heard it for the first time at the Oct. 9, 1965 OSU-Illinois game and it has rocked the stands ever since.