USD Football 1994

38-0, at halftime, in 10-degree weather, Script Ohio would still be enthusiastically received. "lt's a great tradition, an inspiration and motivator for our fans, 11 he says. "It speaks to more than just the team or the game. It speaks for the state of Ohio itself." The Dancers When Dr. William Foster became band director at Florida A& Min 1946, his unit had 45 members. His goal was to build up to a 100-piece marching band. By the next year, continued

out, a sousaphone player steps out to dot the 'i.' "Many 1-dotters, as we call them, decided to come to Ohio State several years before," Woods says. Several have told him that watching Script Ohio in middle school encouraged them to keep up with their sousaphone playing through high school. Ohio State also boasts having one of the largest all brass and percussion bands in the world. It has been patterned after

through the 'h', in and out of the 'i', and through the final 'o' in its entirety. "Script Ohio started in 1936 and continues to be one of the most memorable tradi- tions in college football," says Jon Woods, now in his 11th year as band director after a decade as assistant. 11 It is a unique signature of the Ohio State University Marching Band. "But because of the nature of the formation, it now tran- scends the band. It transcends Ohio Stadium, and has been adopted by the entire state of Ohio and almost nationally." Woods explained that Script Ohio allows for audience partic- ipation in that the nearly 90,000 Buckeye fans at home games clap rhythymically through the writing of Ohio. When the word is spelled

hey practice all week so as to entertain you today. Some squads were out on the field

this morning, making sure they know this week's formations. They are the marching bands, a major contributor to the color and pageantry which is college football. And their message is clear: if you forego the halftime hot dog and stay in your seat, they'll bring you out of it and onto your feet. To the uninterested observ- er, marching bands may all appear to be the same. But as the following examples illus- trate, the bands are as different as the football teams repre- senting their colleges. Following the Script Playing the French march "Le Regiment," the Ohio State band marches on to the field single-file, a line which snakes through three-and-a-half min- utes of precision marching. With the first member to march leading through the entire script, the band spells out the word "Ohio" cursively. That lead member will go through the loop of the '0', Bands Across "Script Ohio" is the most famous formation associated with Ohio State football.

British brass bands, with no woodwind instruments, 1934. Woods said if Ohio

Halftime is prime time for the marching bands, which come in all shapes and sizes.

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