Entering the 2015 season, I'd attended over 30 Ohio State football games in my 21 years of life. I'd witnessed a win over Michigan, the recreation of the Doolittle Raid against Wisconsin and the 2015 National Championship win over Oregon in Jerry World, but I'd never attended a true road game. So when I had the opportunity to see the Buckeyes play Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, I jumped at it.
Having each secured one of the extremely limited student allotted tickets, a friend and I booked the cheapest hotel we could find (shoutout to Motel 6 in Roanoke, Va.) and made the trip a day early to hang out with the Eleven Warriors crew Sunday night.
Sunday night quickly became early Monday morning, and we realized we'd made a critical mistake: Ubers don't tend to run at 3 a.m. on a Monday morning in Roanoke, Va. So we found ourselves in a curious situation – our hotel was at least 5 miles away, we didn't know exactly where it was, we had only a vague idea of where we were, and our phone batteries were quite dead.
Thanks entirely to my incredible sense of direction (I confidently guessed and hoped for the best), we managed to get back to the hotel on foot. Upon our arrival at about 4 a.m., I did what you'd expect – I cranked out an article on women's volleyball and field hockey that ran at 9 a.m.
Because of yet another rookie mistake of not requesting late checkout, we headed to Blacksburg at 10 a.m. where we spent the afternoon exploring the beautiful campus. Eventually, we made our way to The Key Play's tailgate and were warmly welcomed by the whole crew. After we gorged ourselves with slow roasted pork, we headed to the Lane Stadium gates.
About two hours before game time, we learned the starter would be Cardale Jones, and that made our pregame ritual that much more fun. For the previous three games, we'd blasted Mike Jones' "Mr. Jones" just before game time. The chorus is almost unrealistically fitting of King Dolodale's reign:
"You can ride all day long
But you'll never catch Mr. Jones
He's got a gang that's far too strong
Your friends know it, that's why you're all alone
Chasing the man you can't see
So just walk away and let him be
He's got a shotgun so go back home
Cause you'll never get Mr. Jones"
Lane Stadium is beautiful, loud and far more intimidating than you'd expect just over 65,000 fans (over 40,000 less than Ohio Stadium) could be. The atmosphere was far more electric than I've ever seen at The Horseshoe, and the "Enter Sandman" entrance is as advertised – one of the coolest experiences of my life.
"Never before had I heard an entire stadium gasp in unison"
The game itself was nothing short of spectacular. Ezekiel Elliott took it 80 yards to the house on his first carry of the game, and that's when the Hokie fans in front of us knew it was over. Though they held a slim 17-14 lead at halftime, there was no way they were winning that game, and they knew it.
The second half of the game was the return of Braxton Miller to the college football world, and it was a delight to see, even for Hokie fans. Miller put the Buckeyes back on top with a 54 yard, sideline dancing touchdown catch and later that quarter helped Ohio State pull away with what's now one of the trademark plays of his career.
After avoiding being taken down in the backfield, Miller got a block and turned up field to see two Hokie defenders. From my angle in the stands, it looked like Miller was heading to the sidelines to avoid taking an unnecessary hit – he did not get hit. Braxton Miller hit the smoothest spin-move I've seen in a football game of any capacity, including on my Xbox. Barely breaking stride, Miller spun right and had nothing but green grass in front of him. Never before had I heard an entire stadium gasp in unison. I'd also never witnessed something so impressive that nearly every opposing fan cheered with a smile of disbelief on their face. Braxton Miller was back.
From that point on, it was all Buckeyes. J.T. Barrett came in to close the deal and immediately broke a 40 yard run, then and Michael Thomas added his own highlight to the showcase, redefining Kendall Fuller's career with a simple studder-step. For a season that didn't quite live up to expectations, that game somehow exceeded every one of them.
Immediately following the game, we hurried to the car and drove all night to get back to Columbus by morning. You see, I had an exam at 9 a.m. the next day that I could not miss (and also had not studied for).
We arrived back in Columbus at about 6:30 a.m., and I didn't dare go to sleep for fear that I would sleep through my exam. Given that I'd only slept roughly four hours the night Sunday night and not at all Monday night, I wasn't even confident in my ability to sit down and study without falling asleep. I decided the only reasonable thing to do was go for a walk to stay awake, so I trudged around campus for two and a half hours while I awaited exam time. After my exam (which went shockingly well), I finally slept.
Here's the thing: I probably should not have done any of this. It was personally, professionally, academically and financially irresponsible. But dammit, I got to see Braxton Miller announce his return to college football with a spin move that defied physics. If I had to make the decision again, I would do it 1,000 times over. I wouldn't trade those two exhausting days for the world.
If you ever get a chance to see the Buckeyes play on the road, especially in a big game, here's my advice – go. Just go. If you're a student, away game tickets go on sale Thursday. Scrounge up some money and watch the young Buckeyes go for the upset against heavily-favored Oklahoma in Norman. Witness Penn State's white out, or the "Jump Around" at Camp Randal. Enjoy revenge in East Lansing – their house this time. Just go.
You'll always remember your time spent in the Horseshoe and despite my qualms with the crowd, there truly is no better game day experience than the one in Columbus. But there's something special about being in the distinct minority amidst a group of equally passionate rival fans in enemy territory. There's something amazing about walking around somebody else's campus wearing the wrong colors, blissfully aware that you don't belong. There's something so gratifying about yelling your lungs out after a big play while the bulk of the crowd sits silent and sad.
Buy the tickets. Spend the money. Make the trip. Yeah, it's a long drive. You're right, you cannot afford it. Yes, it's irresponsible. But, just go.
