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130 things to look forward to in 130th season of Ohio State football

From tailgates to superstitions, from trash talk to the Skull Session, we’ve got a lot to look forward to this season!

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NCAA Football: Rose Bowl Game-Ohio State vs Washington Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the 2019 season, you will be seeing a lot of celebrations for the 150th year of college football. However, that is not the only anniversary being commemorated this fall. The Ohio State Buckeyes are also celebrating the 130th season of OSU football.

In honor of this special anniversary, members of the LGHL staff broke down the 130 things that we are most excited about for the season.

So, check out our list, and let us know what you are most looking forward to with college football being back.


1.) The Start of the Ryan Day era

Change doesn’t happen too often at Ohio State. Ryan Day is only the 25th head coach in the 130 years of OSU football, and he is tasked with keeping up the tradition of excellence, and making sure that the Buckeyes are once again contenders on the national stage. — Geoff Hammersley

2.) TBDBITL

In The Rock’s voice

“Finally, the band has come back... to Ohio Stadium.”

DJ or no DJ, The Best Damn Band in the Land will still be doing “Script Ohio” — and dot the ‘i’ seven times inside The Horseshoe, and that’s what really matters. — Geoff Hammersley

3.) Tailgatin’

Whether you’re at Varsity Club, Out-R-Inn, in the parking lot, or your backyard, there’s truly nothing better than tailgate food and cornhole on a Saturday afternoon. — Tia Williams

4.) Perfect football weather

The current forecast for Saturday’s kickoff is sunshine and high 70s with light wind. It’ll be a perfect morning for your aforementioned tailgating and the best way to kick off an awesome season! — Meredith Hein

5.) Stadium “O-H-I-O”

There’s something really special about hearing an entire crowd ringing O-H-I-O in a circle all the way around Ohio Stadium. Most of the time it is loud enough to be heard even on the TV broadcast. The only thing more special is getting it done on the road in the oppositions stadium, especially in Ann Arbor. — Gene Ross

6.) Skull Session

After first being held in 1957, Skull Session is still being held at St. John Arena two hours before Ohio State home games. If taking in TBDBITL with over 10,000 fellow Buckeyes doesn’t get you hyped for kickoff, then nothing will. — Brett Ludwiczak

7.) Sevyn Banks

It feels like a crime that Sevyn Banks doesn’t have uniform number seven, but that one will be worn by Teradja Mitchell. You can find Banks wearing number 12 this season, and you’ll likely see the sophomore cornerback wrecking havoc on the special teams units. During his freshman season, Banks’ big moment was blocking a punt and returning it 33 yards against Michigan. — Brett Ludwiczak

8.) Closing the gap

After moving ahead of Texas last year for second-most NCAA football wins all-time, Ohio State will now set their sights on Michigan. The Buckeyes currently have 911 wins all-time, while the Wolverines are 42 wins in front of Ohio State, entering the 2019 season with 953 wins. — Brett Ludwiczak

9.) Brutus

He’s the greatest mascot in the world. And he’s ours. Gotta love that nut. — Meredith Hein

10.) Swag

Nike always has new swag each season. From t-shirts to shoes to bowl gear. I seem to always add at least one new shirt to the collection every season.

By the way, you can by the new Nike Pegasus shoes here:
Men’s Air Zoom Pegasus 36
Women’s Air Zoom Pegasus 36

Geoff Hammersley

11.) Black Out the ‘Shoe

Ohio State will be decked out in all black uniforms for the 2019 Homecoming Game against Michigan State on October 5th. Fans will likely be asked to follow suit. — Tia Williams

12.) Being Glued to the TV

From the noon games to watching Hawai’i play at midnight, it’s time to be glued to a TV all day for 12 Saturdays. — Geoff Hammersley

13.) Yurcich’s Strategy

Mike Yurcich had a West Coast — and high scoring — offense at Oklahoma State. Now with a different OSU, and a new quarterback, it’ll be interesting to see what this Buckeye offense does when it’s clicking on all cylinders.

14.) Garrett Wilson

He was highly recruited, and may be an instant-impact player for Zone 6. Really, we could be seeing something special when he catches the ball. — Geoff Hammersley

15.) “College Gameday”

ESPN’s “College Gameday” will more than likely take place at an Ohio State game this season. Whether on the road or in Columbus, I want to see Lee Corso don the Brutus headgear — Geoff Hammersley

16.) Speaking of CFB shows...

FOX has their own college football show, too, and it’ll feature Urban Meyer, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. Competition makes everyone better, so it’ll be cool to see what they do. — Geoff Hammersley

17.) Cool new shirts from Homage

Vintage and awesome, the latest apparel harkens back to the fondest memories of being an Ohio State fan. Check out the newest styles here. — Brett Ludwiczak

18.) College Football Playoff debates

College football is one of the best sports on the planet because every touchdown in every game is important. Who beat what school and by how many? Does this one-loss school deserve to get in over this unbeaten team? Do conference championships even matter? Lets get nuts! — Gene Ross

19.) The Memes

There’s gonna be some good ones. Like this one:

Geoff Hammersley

20.) NFL-caliber quarterbacks

Ohio State has always been a hotbed of NFL talent, but traditionally that skill hasn’t extended to the quarterback position. Now, however, fans can watch Dwayne Haskins on the Washington Redskins. — Meredith Hein

21.) Ohio Against the World

One of Ohio State’s best traditions — all the haters. With a new head coach and QB, the rest of the world will be watching and waiting for the Buckeye’s downfall this year. My guess is, they’ll be proven wrong (again). — Tia Williams

22.) Paul Keels

The voice of the Buckeyes. “Big Daddy” is entering his 22nd season calling games for the Ohio State Radio Network, and there’s just nobody better. — Brett Ludwiczak

23.) Buckeye Leaves

Ohio State players will start the season with clean helmets, but by the end of the season they can take on a different look as Buckeye Leaf stickers are earned. — Brett Ludwiczak

24.) K.J. Hill

He’s back for his final season of eligibility in Columbus! Hill will be joined by a slew of younger receivers and will be the de facto leader for the position group moving forward. —Meredith Hein

25.) D-Line Talent

Larry Johnson has worked magic since coming to Ohio State. In the last two seasons alone, five defensive lineman have been selected in the NFL Draft. Chase Young will probably be the next one to make the leap to the NFL, but with how the talent is stacking up, the next great OSU D-lineman will undoubtedly emerge from under Johnson’s tutelage sooner rather than later. — Geoff Hammersley

26.) The Bullet Position

Ohio State will be utilizing a linebacker/safety hybrid this year, which they are calling the “bullet” position. The new position will be similar to the “Viper” position which new co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and new linebackers coach Al Washington used at Michigan. Safeties Brendon White and Jahsen Wint should see the majority at the new position this year for the Buckeyes. — Brett Ludwiczak

27.) The Nerves

We all get butterflies in our stomach on that first drive of the season. Because let’s face it, the first half of the first game is never pretty for the Buckeyes. — Tia Williams

28.) Justin Fields

We’ve all heard the buzz surrounding the sophomore transfer quarterback tasked with filling Dwayne Haskins’ shoes this season. One of the highest rated recruits in all of college football, Fields will finally get to strut his stuff with full reign of an offense as he looks to lead Ohio State to the promised land. — Gene Ross

29.) O captain! My captain!

Ohio State named seven captains for the 2019 seasons, including safety Jordan Fuller and linebacker Tuf Borland who are returning this year as two-time captains. The other captains are running back J.K. Dobbins, defensive ends Chase Young and Jonathon Cooper and receivers K.J. Hill and C.J. Saunders. —Meredith Hein

30.) The Road (back) to the College Football Playoff

It’s been awhile since Ohio State was in the semifinals. There’s enough talent (and a favorable) schedule to make a run.

Get hyped.

Note: That commercial is a few years old, but it’s cool. — Geoff Hammersley

31.) Demario McCall

This may finally be the year that we get to see the exciting redshirt junior running back become a legit playmaker in Ohio State’s offense. McCall’s athleticism immediately makes him one of the team’s biggest homerun threats, and slotted behind J.K. Dobbins as the Buckeyes’ No. 2 RB, we should get to see more than just a flash this season. — Gene Ross

32.) Seven Nation Army

There isn’t anything that will get you juiced up on a Saturday afternoon quite as much as bouncing up and down and chanting in the student section before a kickoff or after a big turnover. — Gene Ross

33.) Smack Talk

The best part of going to away games is yelling at opposing fans and keeping our Most-Annoying-Fan-Base reputation alive and well. — Tia Williams

34.) Homecoming

Ohio State’s Homecoming Week culminates under the lights at Ohio Stadium on October 5th against Michigan State, where the Homecoming Queen and King will be announced. The Homecoming Parade will take place the night before, starting at Ohio Stadium and ending at the Ohio Union. — Brett Ludwiczak

35.) Silly Superstitions

To this day, my entire family watches as many Ohio State games together as possible, and one thing that has not changed over the years is that my mom mandates that we set up a menagerie of stuffed Brutuses (Bruti?) surrounded by pom-poms, Buckeye necklaces, and various other OSU paraphernalia. All of the Brutuses must be sitting up and facing the TV; this is non-negotiable.

Invariably, whenever something bad happens for the Buckeyes, all we have to do is look down, and one of the Brutuses has fallen down, clearly leading directly to the missed play a thousand or so miles away. That’s just science. — Matt Tamanini

36.) Penn State at home

Ohio State might have to travel to face Michigan, but the Buckeyes will get Penn State in Columbus Nov. 23. Possible “College Gameday” destination? I think so. —Meredith Hein

37.) The Lane Train’s Arrival to Columbus

It was supposed to be Urban Meyer vs. Lane Kiffin in Week 1. While Meyer has retired, it’ll be interesting how Kiffin’s FAU team performs in a big environment. — Geoff Hammersley

38.) Candies

My sister makes otherworldly candy buckeyes. My mouth is already watering. — Matt Tamanini

39.) Larry Culpepper is Still Gone

Remember that guy? Yeah, I’m really glad that he’s not doing the Dr. Pepper commercials anymore. The new ones aren’t a ton better, but at least they have multiple people for me to spread my annoyance out over. — Matt Tamanini

40.) Banner Society

Earlier this month, SB Nation’s college football writers announced that they were launching a new standalone vertical. There is a lot of college football coverage out there in the world, but I can guarantee that you will not find topics and perspectives like the ones covered by this new site anywhere else. — Matt Tamanini

41.) LeBron James

You can always count on James to tweet about the Buckeyes after big plays/wins. The guy makes recruiting almost too easy. — Tia Williams

42.) Ohio Domination

When Ohio State kicks off against Cincinnati on September 7th, they’ll be looking for their 42nd consecutive victory over in-state opponents. If the Buckeyes beat the Bearcats, they’ll be able to extend their winning streak even longer a couple of weeks later when they host Miami (Ohio). The last time that Ohio State lost to another Ohio team came back in 1921 when the Buckeyes fell to Oberlin 7-6. — Brett Ludwiczak

43.) Extra Points with Matt Brown

Many longtime LGHL readers are well aware of the college football brilliance of Matt Brown. Earlier this summer, he launched an email newsletter which has MB’s signature insight and humor. It is a great way to stay up on some of the most interesting stories in college football.

Sign up here: https://mattbrown.substack.com/

Matt Tamanini

44.) LGHL Podcasts

On Monday of game week, we started an ambitious project to bring you fresh Ohio State podcast content every single day of the freaking season. We will have a ton of different shows for you to give you a variety of points-of-view, topics, and voices. You can’t miss it if you are an Ohio State fan!

Subscribe to the LGHL podcast feed:
RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google

Matt Tamanini

45.) Coffin Corners and Bottle Flips

Drue Chrisman is a punting extraordinaire, and bottle flip master. Looking for him to do both again throughout the fall and winter. — Geoff Hammersley

46.) QB Keepers

Ohio State’s offense will look a bit different from a year ago, especially since its new QB has some wheels. While Dwayne Haskins did his damage from the pocket, Justin Fields will have a much greater impact in the ground game. The gameplan will likely look to utilize much fewer designed QB runs than in the J.T. Barrett days in order to protect the young QB, but Fields’ legs will play a huge factor in 2019. — Gene Ross

47.) Quick Cals

When Urban Meyer retired, one of the first people that Ryan Day wanted to ensure remained a part of the staff was strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti. While fans can see the impact of the work that he and his staff do with the players on the field, there is a much more tangible interaction that fans have with Coach Mick. Pregame, the strength and conditioning staff lead the players, and fans, through their quick cals routine. If this doesn’t get you ready to go to battle with the Buckeyes, nothing will.

Matt Tamanini

48.) Urban Meyer Throwing Shade at Michigan

I’m one of those sticks in the mud who thinks that it is a bit inappropriate — for both the university and the network — to have Urban Meyer serving as both an OSU athletic department employee and a lead analyst for both FOX and the Big Ten Network’s college football coverage.

That being said, I am 100% on board with him bringing his personal animosity for That Team Up North to the national airwaves like he did last Saturday.

Matt Tamanini

49.) Bowl Games

Ohio State currently has a 24-25 record in bowl games, but they have been dominate as of late, winning six of their last seven bowl appearances. The Buckeyes have a chance to get to .500 with a win, or possibly even above that mark if they win the College Football Playoff. — Brett Ludwiczak

50.) Heisman Campaigns

Someone who wasn’t originally getting the attention will probably ascend into the Heisman Trophy conversation midway through October. I hope it’s J.K. Dobbins or Fields. Either could be strong candidates with a good September. — Geoff Hammersley

51.) Returning Lettermen

Ohio State’s roster will feature 51 returning lettermen this year. Nineteen of those are on offense, 29 are from the defense, and three are specialists. — Brett Ludwiczak

52.) “Carmen Ohio”

Oh come let’s sing Ohio’s Praise with 100,000 of your closest friends in the ‘Shoe. I have goosebumps just typing it. — Tia Williams

53.) Olave

He showed flashes of what he was capable of at the tail end of last season. Expect big things from Chris Olave this season. — Geoff Hammersley

54.) A loaded Big Ten

The Big Ten has seven teams ranked in the AP Preseason Poll — more than any other conference. Both Ohio State and Michigan are ranked in the top-10. Anyone still think that the SEC is the best conference? —Meredith Hein

55.) Saturday morning wars

Geoff mentioned the new College Football pregame show on FOX that premiered on Saturday, but I want to look at it from a different perspective. I am old (and dorky) enough to remember the Monday Night Wars between the WWF and WCW, and I am hoping that FOX and ESPN will approach this new programming battle like Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff did in the ‘90s.

Now, I don’t expect to see Herbie and Rece Davis showing up at FOX studios on a tank and singing “Let My People Go” or anything like that, but I do hope that they both use this ratings battle as an impetus to improve their product.

As great as it is, “Gameday” has been a bit stale in recent years, and if the gaffs from both Desmond Howard and Lee Corso on the Week 0 broadcast didn’t prove it, they haven’t exactly been rolling out a top-notch crew in recent years. Fingers crossed this forces the suits in Bristol to make the changes necessary to restore the show to its proper place in college football’s hierarchy. — Matt Tamanini

56.) Jeff Hafley

There has been a palpable enthusiasm hole in the Buckeyes’ coaching staff since Kerry Coombs left for the NFL. But, with Jeff Hafley coming to Columbus as the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, he is bringing with him a ton of energy and excitement that seems to come out of him every time that he speaks. Dude is intense in all the best ways. — Matt Tamanini

57.) Field Goals

Junior kicker Blake Haubeil made 10/13 of his field goal attempts and all 37 of his extra point attempts last season after taking over for an injured Sean Nuernberger. With half a season under his belt and an entire offseason to prepare, hopefully we see consistency and a lot more clutch kicks from Haubeil. — Tia Williams

58.) New Day in Columbus

New Day T-Shirt

59.) Big Ten East power

While there is parity throughout the Big Ten, the power at the top remains in the east with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State. Since the divisions split geographically in 2014, the Big Ten East has won every single Big Ten Championship game, including three wins from Ohio State. —Meredith Hein

60.) RIP “Camp Beard”

The new Buckeye head coach had been going unshaven throughout fall practice to the point where he was rocking a pretty impressive beard.

However, Ryan Day showed up to his press conference on Tuesday clean shaven. During the presser, AD Gene Smith asked what happened to the beard, and Day explained that he only had intended to have it for the first week or so of camp, but the crazy schedule didn’t give him a chance to shave. But, once they hit game week, he had to “get cleaned up.”

Coach Day, I humbly submit that the beard can be worn during the regular season as well.

Ryan Day and his beard in Week 2 of fall camp.
Land-Grant Holy Land

Matt Tamanini

61.) “Comin’ to Your City”

I admit, normally, I don’t have many feelings about Big & Rich. I couldn’t tell you which one was Big, or which one was Rich. Or even if they were, in fact, big and/or rich. However, the ear-worm that is “Comin’ to Your City” means one thing, and one thing only, it’s time for college football, and for that, I am a Big & Rich fan for about 90 seconds every week. — Matt Tamanini

62.) ‘NFL U’

While not directly affecting the current team, 62 former Buckeyes were taking part in NFL training camps. That just hammers home the point: if you want to go to the NFL, the route runs through Columbus. — Geoff Hammersley

63.) John Legend being a, well, legend

64.) The Horseshoe

Obviously, there is no better place to watch a football game than in Ohio Stadium. This season will be the 98th year that the Buckeyes have called The ‘Shoe their home. Thanks to some new fancy suites in B Deck, the overall capacity has dropped down to 102,072. But, once fans hear that sick D.J. on the field level, they’ll have to add another 25,000 seats, easy. — Matt Tamanini

65.) A better Big Ten West

The Big Ten East might be the better division at the top, but don’t count the West out entirely. While Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska are receiving recognition, teams like Purdue and Minnesota are on the rise. And Northwestern, the reigning Big Ten West champs, look to be a threat once again. Sorry, Lovie. —Meredith Hein

66.) “Hells Bells”

Not much gets you in the mood to run through walls more than hearing the bells ring out from the PA system at Ohio Stadium on third down. — Brett Ludwiczak

67.) Big Bob & the Rodeo

Robert Landers is a national treasure and needs to be protected at all cost. Big Bob is back with his cowboy hats for 2019, and he is dubbing this season the “Rodeo”. The defensive tackle from Dayton is looking to make his final season in the scarlet & gray memorable. — Brett Ludwiczak

68.) Guest Pickers

These things have gotten weird over the years for “Gameday” as the “celebs” have gotten more and more random, and often had zero connection with the host school. But when the pregame show is in Columbus, we usually get our money’s worth! — Matt Tamanini

69.) Nice

Would be really cool if OSU could put 69 on the board against Michigan. I mean, they put 62 on the “vaunted Wolverine defense” a season ago, what’s another TD between rivals?

70.) The Ramp Entrance

Earlier in this column, Geoff Hammersley mentioned the awesomeness that is T.B.D.B.I.T.L., but I want to get a bit more specific on these next two. I freaking love the ramp entrance. I know it’s just a bunch of people marching into position. But, the precision and the tradition of it gives me full body chills every time. — Matt Tamanini

71.) Crying during “Script Ohio”

Not gonna lie. There will never be a day in which I watch “Script Ohio” (be it on TV, in the stadium, or on a loop on YouTube in mid-July when I am craving a football fix) when I don’t cry when the dram major turns to the sousaphone player dotting the “i” pumps him or her up and gives them a quick five before high-stepping out to the spot at the center of the college football world.

Matt Tamanini

72.) New staff

With the turn over from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day, the Buckeyes are welcoming eight new full-time staff members to the team. That includes assistant and quality control coaches, as well as graduate assistants. Let’s hope that many of them are upgrades over their predecessors. — Matt Tamanini

73.) Five

Jim Harbaugh is currently 0-4 against Ohio State as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, and I am very excited to see him go to 0-5. — Matt Tamanini

74.) Battle for Ohio: Part I

Cincinnati may be a legit contender this season. Luke Fickell has his team rolling — and recruiting well. Should be a fun one — Geoff Hammersley

75.) Battle for Ohio: Part II

Maybe not so much, but Ohio State is also facing Miami (OH) this season. The Redhawks were picked to finish second in the East Division in the MAC Preseason Poll. —Meredith Hein

76.) Pac-12 After Dark

Whether Ohio State plays at noon or 8 p.m. ET, there is a good chance that I will be glued to my TV until the wee hours of the morning watching the bonkers weirdness that is Pac-12 football. — Matt Tamanini

77.) Hawaii Way After Dark

And after I’m done watching Pac-12 After Dark, chances are good that the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will have a game to carry me towards dawn on Sunday. I mean, did you see the craziness that was Hawaii vs. Arizona in Week 0? Talk about the best (or worst?) of both worlds! — Matt Tamanini

78.) ‘Bama & Clemson

The Buckeyes have a chance of making it to the playoffs (see #30), and while it’s not really something to look forward to, they’ll more than likely have to face Saban or Dabo before getting to the finish line. — Tia Williams

79.) Brian Hartline

Entering his second season as wide receivers coach, expect another high-flying attack from the former Buckeye great. —Meredith Hein

80.) Advanced Stats

Like the S&P+ (now called just SP+)

Data deep dives is where it’s at. — Geoff Hammersley

81.) This...

I honestly don’t know if I can — or want to — be friends with anyone who doesn’t love college football with an unhealthy amount of their heart. — Matt Tamanini

82.) Season opening guarantee

The Buckeyes have won 33 consecutive season-opening games at Ohio Stadium. They last lost to in 1978 to Penn State. I like their chances to make it 34. — Matt Tamanini

83.) Hot dogs, nachos, and...lobster?

Ohio Stadium’s new menu options for the 2019-20 season include lobster rolls and chicken-and-waffles. To each their own. — Tia Williams

84.) Beer

You can wash down your lobster rolls with a selection of craft and domestic beers at Ohio Stadium. After opening up alcohol sales throughout the Horseshoe in 2016, Ohio State pulled in more than $1 million in revenue from such sales. Drink up, Buckeyes. —Meredith Hein

85.) All-Americans

Ohio State has had 85 consensus All-Americans in school history. The last Buckeyes to earn those honors were Billy Price, Denzel Ward, and Nick Bosa in 2017. Chase Young looks like he’ll have a great shot to add his name to the prestigious list of Buckeyes who have earned consensus All-American honors. — Brett Ludwiczak

86.) Sacks

Over the last two seasons, the Buckeyes have produced 86 sacks. That’s second most in the B1G and 10th best in the country. There’s big shoes to fill, but if anyone can help mold talent into sack machines, it’s Larry Johnson. — Geoff Hammersley

87.) SB Nation Top 25 and LGHL FanPulse

You probably saw it last year with SB Nation’s NFL sites, but this year the college blogs are getting into the action with a College Football top 25 and FanPulse infographics. You can share your thoughts on the Ohio State Buckeyes and college football at large in this one-of-a-kind fall survey.

We will bring you the results every week of the season to see how your views line up with your fellow Buckeye fans, and with others across the country.

Here’s the preseason Top 25:

2019 Preseason FanPulse

Matt Tamanini

88.) Out-R-Inn

There’s nothing quite like gathering with friends at Ohio State’s best campus bar for cheap drinks and a Buckeye road game on TV. We’ll all miss the O Patio (RIP), but at least we still have Out-R-Inn! — Gene Ross

89.) Jim Harbaugh

Matt said it before, but it bears mentioning again. Always. Ohio State has won 14 of the last 15 against TTUN, and Jim Harbaugh is 0-for-4 against the Buckeyes. —Meredith Hein

90.) Passing touchdowns

Since Ryan Day’s arrival in 2017, the Buckeye quarterbacks have cranked out 90 passing touchdowns. Whether it be J.T. Barrett or Dwayne Haskins, wide receivers were hauling in TDs. With no Haskins in 2019, it’s up to Fields and the rest of the QBs to deliver in the air. — Geoff Hammersley

91.) Ohio Stadium gets increased WiFi

Sending hot takes in real time, just as the football overseers intended. — Geoff Hammersley

92.) City of New Orleans

Arlo Guthrie sang the original, but Willie Nelson’s cover is a personal favorite. If all goes well, Ohio State’s season will end in the Superdome—the same place that propelled them to the 2015 National Championship.

Here’s Nelson’s cover of the song if interested:

Geoff Hammersley

93.) Nostalgia

Regardless of the season, it’s fun to go back and rewatch the good moments. By just mentioning New Orleans, I recall Ezekiel Elliott running through the Alabama defense. — Geoff Hammersley

94.) Urban’s Input

Between being on Fox Sports and Big Ten Network, we’re gonna hear Meyer’s thoughts on the conference and college football. — Geoff Hammersley

95.) The Patch

A little flair to the uniforms is a welcomed change of pace. This is the 150th anniversary of college football, and the teams will have a special patch on their jerseys to commemorate the special occasion. — Geoff Hammersley

96.) Joey Galloway Takes

Exhibit A:

That’s the stuff. — Geoff Hammersley

97.) The Promotional Days

Whether it’s Alumni Band or Homecoming Day, all seven home games have something going on.

Aug. 31 – Florida Atlantic – (Faculty & Staff and Alumni Band game)
Sept. 7 – Cincinnati – (Hall of Fame game)
Sept. 21 – Miami (Ohio) – (Scarlet & Gray and Buckeyes Care game)
Oct. 5 – Michigan State – (Homecoming game)
Oct. 26 – Wisconsin – (Buckeye Club game)
Nov. 9 – Maryland (Military Appreciation game)
Nov. 23 – Penn State (Senior Day)

— Geoff Hammersley

98.) Bottomless Soda

Tia mentioned the new menu options earlier, but if you’re attending a game at Ohio Stadium, bottomless soda is a new addition to the menu. Also, there’s new food options too if you’re into that sort of thing.

99.) Tackles for loss

In 2018, the Buckeyes had 99 total tackles for loss. That was good enough to be second best in the Big Ten and 17th nationally. If Nick Bosa didn’t get hurt, it’s a good assumption that OSU would’ve eclipsed the 100 mark. Maybe they’ll do it this year with Young leading the way — Geoff Hammersley

100.) Chris and Kirk...

Love Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit when they call the games on ESPN. Gotta believe at least one of the Buckeyes’ primetime (and maybe even a College Football Playoff) games will have the duo in the booth describing the action. — Geoff Hammersley

101.) and Gus

Struggled real hard with who should’ve been first. Gus Johnson is one of the top play-by-place voices for Fox, and it’s a safe bet that he’ll be on the call for an OSU game this season. He brings the excitement. — Geoff Hammersley

102.) Jameson

Not the irish whiskey, but the wide receiver. Jameson Williams may have been overshadowed by Garrett Wilson in the recruiting rankings, but I feel that he’ll be a special talent for the Buckeyes. Could even be this season’s Olave. — Geoff Hammersley

103.) No trip to Ross-Ade

David Blaugh is in the NFL, and OSU’s defense doesn’t have to travel to Purdue.

104.) No trip to Kinnick

I was there for the 55-24 defeat at Iowa two seasons ago. I am still not over it. On the plus side: the Hawkeye Express (train) back to your parking spot is very therapeutic. — Geoff Hammersley

105.) Hype trailers

The OSU video department has hype trailers that will make you want to run through walls. — Geoff Hammersley

106.) X marks the spot

Michigan Week and the red ‘X’s’ across the all letter ‘M’s’ on campus. An event like no other. — Geoff Hammersley

107.) Tuesday Press Conferences

They used to take place on Mondays when Meyer was around. It’s always good to get coach’s input on the upcoming game. — Geoff Hammersley

108.) Marcus Crowley

The freshman may be deep on the running back depth chart, but he may be the next big thing in a couple years. — Geoff Hammersley

109.) The Ohio State 4-miler

M3S Sports is holding the Ohio State 4-miler again. It’s a four-mile race around campus, with the finish line on the 50-yard line inside Ohio Stadium. It’s one of the bigger running events in the country. It’ll take place on Oct. 12. — Geoff Hammersley

110.) Content

Game notes and coach quotes. Stories, podcasts and videos. Time to get entrenched in OSU content 24/7, especially on Land-Grant Holy Land. — Geoff Hammersley

111.) Reading Material...

Speaking of content, there’s a bunch of good books about college football that are out. SB Nation’s Matt Brown wrote a book on What Ifs, a collection of stories from Wright Thompson touch on life and sports, and there’s also Monte Burke’s book breaking down Nick Saban. All good reads. — Geoff Hammersley

112.) and specifically, Ohio State reading material

There’s a bunch of good OSU football books out. Urban Meyer’s Above the Line, Jim Tressel’s The Winner’s Manual, Bill Rabinowitz’s The Chase, and David Hyde’s 1968: The Year That Saved Ohio State Football are just some of the great books highlighting the program. — Geoff Hammersley

113.) Bittersweet Symphony

Senior Day will be against Penn State on Nov. 23. It may be sad, but it let’s us appreciate Buckeyes one last time inside The ‘Shoe. — Geoff Hammersley

114.) A Redeemer

A year after escaping College Park, Md., with a win, the Buckeyes get the Terps in Columbus. They can confirm that last season was just a fluke if they can win big on Nov. 9. — Geoff Hammersley

115.) Madden 20

Off topic: but if you pick up a copy of EA Sports’ Madden 20 and play the QB1 mode, you may hear the commentators talk about a backup quarterback leading his team to a CFP national championship. Even though you can’t play as Ohio State, hearing Cardale Jones getting the shoutout never gets old. — Geoff Hammersley

116.) Frosh on the line

Ryan Jacoby, Dawand Jones and Enokk Vimahi are the freshman offensive linemen. One day, one (or maybe all three) of them could be starting for OSU. Seeing the weekly improvements will be fun to watch. — Geoff Hammersley

117.) Strong as Steele

I want to see a Steele Chambers touchdown. His name is too good for him to not score a touchdown. — Geoff Hammersley

118.) The Good with the Bad

We are embarking on the 50th anniversary of Bo Schembechler’s 1969 Michigan squad derailing back-to-back perfect seasons for Woody Hayes and Ohio State. It’s a hard history lesson to learn — and we’ll probably see multiple historical analyses leading up to this year’s edition of The Game — but it’s a needed one. You gotta take the good with the bad, just to know how good the good days really are. — Geoff Hammersley

119.) The Internet’s Tailgate

In a small corner of Reddit rests r/CFB. If you’re a college football enthusiasts, it’s the place to be during the season — and the saving grace in the offseason. — Geoff Hammersley

120.) The Hot Takes

Some will be about Ohio State, some will not. Some will be good, most will be bad. — Geoff Hammersley

121.) Paperless Tickets

If you’re attending a game at The ‘Shoe, you won’t have to worry about losing your paper ticket. Tickets are migrating to digital, so your phone will be your access. However, if you lose your phone, that could be a big, big problem... — Geoff Hammersley

122.) Halftime Shows

TBDBITL puts on a new performance each home game. Those shows, for the most part, go viral. Once again, expecting all the shows to be stellar. — Geoff Hammersley

123.) One. Two. Three.

The Buckeyes have slayed Wisconsin and Northwestern in the previous two Big Ten Championship Games. Can they go 3-for-3? — Geoff Hammersley

124.) Friday Night Big Ten Football

Northwestern hosts OSU on a Friday night. It’s different, but at least that means we’ll get Buckeye football a half day sooner. — Geoff Hammersley

125.) The Gossip, The Gossip, The Gossip

Already, I can sense Michigan Week being filled with “if Harbaugh can’t win this one, he’ll never win it” type bits. Regardless of how either side is doing, the dynamic between OSU-UM gets molded once again this November. — Geoff Hammersley

126.) November in Piscataway

Rutgers gets to hosts Ohio State this season on Nov. 16. The Buckeyes have yet to struggle against the Scarlet Knights, but at least the people in the New York region get some Big Ten football. Thanks, Jim Delaney. — Geoff Hammersley

127.) Living in SEC country

I live in Florida; smack dab in the middle of both SEC and ACC territory (and in the hometown of the 2018 national champion Central Florida Knights). So, when it comes to college football season, I take every opportunity to go back and forth with the area rednecks Gator and Seminole fans. — Matt Tamanini

128.) BOOOOOMs

Recruiting is still gonna happen, and with prospects coming to games at The ‘Shoe, you’ve gotta figure that the Buckeyes will be making big splashes during the season.— Geoff Hammersley

129.) Twitter

Football Twitter is one of a kind. — Geoff Hammersley

130.) The 130th season, of course

Who’s got it better than Ohio State? They’ve played 130 seasons of football, and for most of the modern era, the Buckeyes have been a Big Ten and national power. — Geoff Hammersley


What are you most excited about for this season. Let us know in the comments below!