We like to consider ourselves knowledgable fans of The Ohio State University Marching Band, or TBDBITL as it's affectionately known. We ooh and ahh over their killer halftime shows, celebrate their classics as well as their new masterpieces, like “Buckeye Swag,” and revere Saturday morning Skull Sessions.
Yet we were surprised to catch a stuffed squirrel and raccoon with the band – wearing their own wee band uniforms – during ABC's telecast of Ohio State's 38–12 win over Western Michigan Saturday.
What in the hell?
As it turns out, the two are row mascots for the band and are present at every home game. The squirrel goes by “Scarlet” and she (he?) is the mascot for S Row of TBDITL. The raccoon is known as “Bon Qui Qui” and is the mascot for Q Row. From what we've been able to determine, they're the only two row mascots that at one time roamed the earth.
@11W Most rows have a mascot, s and q are the only ones with taxidermies. We had a previous squirrel before Scarlet that was from the 80s.
— Eric Crabtree (@SrowCrab) September 27, 2015
@11W @jeschilling @SrowCrab Scarlet's first season was 2008. Vermin (the other squirrel) first appeared in 1989.
— Jameson Ridge (@JamesonRidge) September 27, 2015
It's a tradition that dates back decades and while other rows don't quite have taxidermist-produced mascots, they are represented.
@11W @SrowCrab E row has Wile E Coyote because of the E. R row has the Pink Panther because it was the first row to have all women.
— Jackie Schilling (@jeschilling) September 27, 2015
Just when we thought we couldn't love you anymore, TBDBITL.
