Go Bucks!

For details, recaps, etc., on the current OSU game schedule, visit the Official Ohio State Buckeyes Web site.

That song you hear before the start of the fourth quarter of every Buckeye football game has an interesting history behind it. You know the song, but do you know all of this...?

The official rock song of Ohio was once a hit song by The McCoys. Written by Wes Farrell and Bert Russell, The McCoy's recording of "Hang On Sloopy" reached #1 on American pop charts in October 1965.

But that's not the only time--nor the first time--it was recorded. The song was originally titled "My Girl Sloopy" and was first recorded in 1964 by The Vibrations on Atlantic Records (45-2222). It has also been recorded by Arseno Rodriguez (Bang 1966), The Supremes (Motown 1966), The Kingsmen (WAND 1966), Little Caesar and the Consuls, and The Yardbirds. A 1973 cover version by Ramsey Lewis won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance in 1974. In 2000, Aaron Carter recorded his version, included as a bonus track on his second album, Aaron's Party (Come Get It). A punk rock cover was recorded by the German band Die Toten Hosen. The basic riff of the song became a staple of garage bands during the 1960s, being used on such songs as The Weeds' "It's Your Time" and Kit and the Outlaws' "Don't Tread on Me".

So who is Sloopy? She was Dorothy Sloop, a singer born in Steubenville, Ohio in 1913 who used the name "Sloopy" on stage. She died in July 1998 in Pass Christian, Mississippi.

The Ohio State University's marching band played the song for the first time after band member John Tatgenhorst begged the director to try it. Once he had the go-ahead to give the song a shot, Tatgenhorst arranged it and the band played it for the first time on October 9, 1965, the same month the song hit #1 on the American pop charts. The crowd reacted with great enthusiasm and the band began to play the song at every game. It became the unofficial fight song for the University, appearing on the marching band's CDs and as a free download on its website.

In April 1985, Columbus Citizen-Journal columnist Joe Dirck saw a wire service story about a proposal to designate "Louie, Louie" as the state rock song of Washington. Dirck wrote a column about it, which in turn prompted the 116th Ohio General Assembly to designate "Hang On Sloopy" as the state rock song of Ohio by House Concurrent Resolution 16 on November 20, 1985. Ohio is the only state to have an official state rock song.

1-1/2 c. peanut butter
2-1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate coating

Melt chocolate. Mix peanut butter, sugar, margarine, and vanilla until semi-dry and crumbly. Shape into 1/2-inch balls. Dip balls into melted chocolate, leaving the top of the ball uncovered to resemble a buckeye. Place balls on wax paper lined baking pan. Refrigerate until set.

Makes approximately five dozen.

The OSU stadium was dedicated in 1922. It's original capacity of 66,210 has since been expanded to a current seating capacity of 89,841. There is club seating near the 50 yard line, on the west side of the stadium. Also on the same side, near the top of the stadium, is the press box. The current scoreboard was constructed in 1984 at a cost of $2.6 million, double the cost of the original stadium. There have been a variety of surfaces gracing the playing field over the years, beginning with natural grass, then moving through AstroTurf and SuperTurf to what is used today--Prescription Athletic Turf (PAT).