Eleven Warriors

@JBarnes2105 - You have a good point, particularly if all the players are doing it a certain way. However, I wanted to provide a little historical perspective. At least for my generation, (boy that sounds old!) we grew up referring to it as only Ohio State, never THE OSU. I remember being in school (1977- 1985) and hearing about the change. At the time I also seem to remember it being resurrected partially because of a fight with OU over copyrights on things being sold (follow the money, huh?). We all thought it was arrogant & never referred to the school as THE OSU. To this day, mostly out of habit I say Ohio State and only refer to it as THE OSU is when I want to aggravate wolverine fans. Hope this long-winded post isn't annoying to anyone. The following is from the official OSU website, FAQ : 

 Why are we called "THE" Ohio State University"?

In 1986, a new University logo was introduced in the hopes of moving away from the "OSU" symbol, which had been used since 1977. The change from simply "OSU" was said to "reflect the national stature of the institution." University officials wanted the institution to be known as "The Ohio State University," again, since OSU could also mean Oregon State and Oklahoma State University.

However, the "The" was actually part of the state legislation when the university was renamed in 1878. The following excerpt is from the Board of Trustee minutes:

"...the educational institution heretofore known as the 'Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College,' shall be known and designated hereafter as 'The Ohio State University.'"

Those who wanted the name change thought the original name was too narrow in scope, and that it was inadequate for the institution that was the only beneficiary of the land grant act. President Edward Orton was insistent that a new name would separate the institution from other colleges in Ohio.

Legend also has it that "The" was used to show the other colleges which institution was supposed to be the leader in the state - both in size and in financial support from the legislature.