The College View 2006 WK 12

In 1996 Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote a book titled It Takes a Village. The title was taken from an African proverb with the premise that a village, town or city is responsible for raising productive citizens. I was raised in Columbus in the 70s, 80s and 90s. During that time my village taught me to hate the team Up North.

I remember watching my first Game at the age of three. I distinctly remember sitting with my dad in my grandpa’s 1960s styled basement. My grandpa, parked in a brown leather La-Z-Boy and sipping on a glass of Toburg, said “Matthew, that team in blue and yellow, with the ugly helmets, is the team you hate.” I asked him “why?” and he replied “Because Woody and God say so.

That day the Buckeyes won 18-15 in Ann Arbor. Just as important, I learned that Bo, M*ch*gan and Wolverines were four letter words.

It takes a village.

I will never forget March 13, 1987. I was a fourth grade student at Indianola Alternative Elementary School and Woody Hayes was to be the featured speaker at our school assembly. My heart sank when the principal came across the P.A. to announce that Woody Hayes would not be able to attend the assembly that day. Woody Hayes passed away the night of the twelfth. I will always remember the sadness in my principal's voice as he spoke those words.

He created a village.

Unfortunately as I went through middle school, high school and college my hatred for M*ch*gan was slowly replaced with fear. The dark days of Cooper were upon the land of Scarlet and Gray and The Game turned into The Shame.

Cooper tried to downplay the importance of The Game and the tradition behind it. The players and fans picked up on his apathy and the Buckeyes continually lost to teams with less talent from the land of stench.

The Buckeyes were talented during Cooper’s tenure as coach, but they could not beat that team. 2-10-1 speaks for itself. An entire generation grew up watching the Buckeyes lose The Game to inferior teams from Up North. Cooper could not win The Game. Cooper did not understand The Game.

He lost a village.

Jim Tressel understands and respects the importance of the third Saturday of November. Jim Tressel recruits players that respect the importance as well. 82 players on this year’s team hail from the great state of O-H-I-O. In 1995, one of Cooper’s finest teams, only 67 players were from our state. Jim Tressel has 82 players in his locker room that grew up watching The Game with their fathers, grandfathers and friends feeding the seeds of their undeniable hatred for that team.

Jim Tressel is on the cusp of doing something that no other Ohio State head coach has ever done. By winning Saturday Jim Tressel will be the first coach to win five of his first six Games. Unlike his predecessor, Jim Tressel understands the importance of The Game. Not just for the Ohio State football program, but for the entire state of Ohio and the multitude of Ohio State fans.

At his weekly press conference Tressel said “…it's just a tremendous feeling to be a part of something that so many people are excited about and so many people count it special, I don't know who else gets to sit at home with their dad and watch that game, I got an email from a guy that he's flying to Las Vegas to watch the game with his son…he just wants to be with his son and I can relate to that and it's special.”

Jim Tressel understands The Game.

He believes in the village.

Ohio State- 33, M*ch*gan- 17