The Scarlet & Gray that runs through my veins was inherited from both parents. My Mom went to Ohio State for one semester before she dropped out due to the chaos at Kent State. Dad didn't go to college. Instead, he fought in WWII. He's 94, my Mom is 66, I'm 35. To say the least, I have an interesting family dynamic. I remember my parents watching games my entire life. My Dad used to say, "the whole damn neighborhood can hear your mother yelling at the TV" every Saturday.
I graduated from Wright State in 2003. They have no football team and originally started as a satellite campus for tOSU. So, while it's not my alma mater, I feel I can call myself a tOSU grad twice removed (or something like that). Enough to claim the football team.
Funny enough, I didn't really watch much college football until 2002, when I moved from Ohio to DC for an internship. I missed my parents dearly and it became a very personal tie to them and my home state. It was also the year the Buckeyes just happened to play for the BCS Natty. The game was exhilarating. After that I was hooked. I began analyzing rankings, watching the games of every other team above us, or the ones below that may be a threat. Never missed a tOSU game. All of the sudden, I was the one the "whole damn neighborhood" heard.
After I moved back to Ohio from 2008-2013, I scored tickets from a gentlemen on Craigslist for 2 seasons. I knew the seats were good, but never realized how good until he told me he was a faculty member. We were lucky enough to be seated around the 45 yd. line.. Made some pretty great memories taking my Mom, where we could together scream as loud as we wanted with great enthusiasm.
In 2013, I met my husband in Columbus (born and raised Buckeye). Oddly enough, he was there for a couple months visiting from the DC area where he'd lived since 2002. I moved back there and we spent the most glorious 2014 season cheering the Buckeyes to another NC. We lived in a small, cold apartment in Baltimore, which is where the 'lucky blanket' comes into play (along with a laundry list of other superstitions I have).
Got married last year and moved down to Tampa, FL last September. My parents now live here as well. I wish I could say every year I moved to a new state, the Buckeyes went on to a Championship.
Although, 2016 will be the first FULL season we've lived down here....