Re-writing the script of Script Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WDTN) - For 76 years, it's been that magical moment at every Ohio State football game.

The band forms the block "O" and then an invisible pen descends from the sky and writes in cursive, the name of our state and university across the gridiron.

But now, an unexpected discovery is re-writing the script of "Script Ohio."

"It's to many people as close to a religious experience outside of church as one can get."

The words of Ohio State band director Jon Waters on what has been voted the number one tradition in all of college sports:  the incomparable "Script Ohio."

Four simple letters with the power to bring 105,000 people to their feet, roaring and rising as one.

Even after 76 years and hundreds of performances, it is still one of the band's most challenging routines.

"Every student needs to know the number of steps it is from different points on the field its a whole series of numbers every student has to memorize for instance when they hit the hash mark to where they turn at the bottom of the large o is 24 steps 12 8 12 they have to memorize those steps all around the script ohio while still playing they're counting as they play," said Jon Waters, OSU Marching Band Director.

"Especially the crossovers where the o comes through and crosses over on itself its a very critical point because if one person fails to go to the spot they're supposed to it gets backed up and its quite obvious so there's a lot on your mind at all times when you're doing it," said Joe Plattenburg, Trumpet player.

When it comes to the origin of Script Ohio, there are a number of theories.  There are references to skywriters over the state fair, a revolving sign in Times Square in New York City even the marquee at the famed Ohio Theater in downtown Columbus.

And one theory that borders on heresy, that it all started with a standing formation by that school up north in 1932, beating the Buckeyes by four years.

Waters says, not on your Woody Hayes.  "They claim the small o had a curly q that made it look scripted.  The Michigan band never did the actual drill that we know Script Ohio is today which is as if a giant pen was writing the word Ohio and it's animated on the field."

The climax of every "Script Ohio" performance is the dramatic dotting of the "I" by a senior sousaphone player.

According to the band's official history, the very first i-dotter in 1936 was a trumpet player, because he just happened to be last in line and that it was switched to the more visible sousaphone in 1937.  But that official history is about to change.

"We found this camera also with the films it was in this box."  Larry Larrimer is a born Buckeye, the son of an Ohio State assistant professor in the 1930's.  Larry's dad loved the football team, the band and his 8 millimeter black and white camera.

"We were going through some of my dad's old films he had about 8 of them they ran from 36 to 54," said Larry Larrimer, Centerville resident.

Seven of the old films were family Christmases, but the last one is a gift to Buckeye fans everywhere.  The 1936 Ohio State-Michigan game in Columbus won by the Buckeyes 21-0.

We know it's 1936 by the label on the original film can, by the drum major's uniform which matches exactly the photo we found in the band office and this photo of that day's routines written on a chalkboard by then-band director Eugene Weigel matches precisely what is seen on the Larrimer film.

Here is what no one ever knew until now:  a sousaphone player dotted the "I" at the Ohio State-Michigan game in 1936, one year earlier than ever believed and Dr. Lawrence A. Larrimer now has his place in Buckeye history.

"This was a hobby.  He was an avid Ohio State football fan and an avid fan of the Ohio State band."

"Our honor defend.  We will fight to the end for O-HI-O!"

Dr. Larrimer's film will now be donated to the band's official archive at Ohio State.