I'm going to weigh in on the topic that Dry introduced: your most vivid memory of something Ohio State with your father.
I will start by giving some background: my father grew up on a farm in southern W. Va and played high school football in the early 40S. In those years, in that location, it was 7 on 7. He went to college in Kentucky (Berea) and (upon graduation) was drafted into the Army. He still talks about that awful, snowy weekend in a "pup tent" around Thanksgiving, 1950. We Buckeyes remember it today as The Snow Bowl.
He was discharged in 1952, married my mother in June, and together they drove to Columbus where he had been offered a grad assistant position in the engineering department. His brother took him to his first OSU football game that November ... against Michigan. It was OSU's first victory over Michigan in quite a while, and my father was hooked.
My first memory of anything Buckeye was being with him up in the rafters of St. John Arena during the Lucas/Havlicek era.
But the most vivid memory was the 1968 Purdue game. We were in C deck (Dad always said that there was never a bad seat in C deck) and everything was great. I remember Jack Tatum's hits on Mike Phipps and Leroy Keyes. I remember Bill Long scoring our one offensive touchdown. I also became aware of my father (every so often) shouting, "Go big team!" In my mind, it seemed that every time my Dad yelled that cheer, the Buckeyes would do something positive.
Deep down, aren't most all of us a little bit superstitious? I decided right then and there that I was going to be Woody's "12th man." For the rest of the game, under my breath, I whispered, "Go big team."
Over the years, I've accumulated many Buckeye memories. I've enjoyed raising my son as a Buckeye, and was blessed to be sitting with him at the huge OSU basketball victory over Illinois.
Thanks for giving me this opportunity to remember. Many people my age have lost a parent(s). I'm blessed that both are still alive. But regardless, we all still have our memories.
