There’s nothing like Big Ten Football, seriously, I can’t think of anything that tops game day. Especially Ohio State Football traditions, whether it’s the Walk to the Shoe, the tailgates, or the game itself. Nothing beats an Ohio State game day and I’ll tell you just why.

The Walk to the “Shoe”
Each home game, the football team walks as a single group to the Skull Session to address the fans. It’s usually always led by the coach himself and then the team, and in this video, it was Urban Meyer’s first time on his walk to the shoe. After the Skull Session, the team proceeds through a tunnel of fans to the stadium to begin their final preparation for the game at-hand.

Skull Sessions
This all started as just a warm-up routine for the Ohio State University Marching Band. It took place in St. John Arena, right across the street from the Ohio Stadium, just two hours before kickoff of home games in 1932. Before game-time, the band would go through its routine as a final rehearsal. For 24 years, it was the band’s rehearsal hall, before moving inside the St. John Arena in 1957. Along the way, the format was tweaked to make it more of a pep-rally atmosphere, and crowds have responded, and more than 10,000 people usually come out for each session. In 2001, Coach Jim Tressel began bringing the football team by the skull session on their way into the stadium for the game to hype up the crowd. The tradition has stuck ever since.

Carmen Ohio
Carmen Ohio all started on October 25, 1902. It is considered a dubious day in OSU football history. The reason you ask? The Buckeyes lost their 4th ever meeting to The Team Up North by a score of 86-0, still to this day the worst loss in school history. On the train back from Ann Arbor, team member Fred Cornell put mind to work and pen to paper. The result: We know it now as Carmen Ohio, which was published in 1906, and later adopted as the school’s official alma mater. The first part of the title is derived from the Latin / Spanish word “Carmen”, meaning song/poem. A new tradition with Carmen Ohio was established in 2001. Upon completion of home games whether win or lose, Buckeye players and coaches congregate with the cheerleaders to sing, with accompaniment from the marching band, Carmen Ohio. For example, the tradition has created unforgettable scenes following the victories over Michigan in 2002 and 2004.
There are a bunch of other traditions at THE Ohio State University that are just as amazing as these ones, but they weren’t big enough to make the list. These first three are the biggest and most important in my opinion and I think you should really get to know them. The videos I included are awesome so feel free to watch them as they give me chills every time I watch them!