Incomparable and absent, Script Ohio is on hiatus

COLUMBUS — Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse, a French poem and military march, was first publicly performed by famous French baritone Lucien Fugère on March 3, 1870. Nineteen days later and 4,042 miles away, the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College was founded. The school was renamed Ohio State University, and in 1936, its marching band unveiled a formation spelling out the word "Ohio" in script lettering to the tune of Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse. Script Ohio has become one of the most recognizable images in intercollegiate athletics, an inauguration of music, movement, and magnification. "It's one of the greatest traditions in college football history, and you don't take that for granted," Ohio State band director Chris Hoch said. "As a member of the band, you work on that and you practice that, and you make sure it's the very best it can be because you know how important it is." But the band's signature formation has gone into hibernation this season, absent from Ohio Stadium for the first time since 1935. On Saturday, No. 3 Ohio State welcomes ninth-ranked Indiana to the Horseshoe in the Big Ten's game of the year, which would be a coveted 'i' dotting opportunity for a fourth- or fifth-year sousaphone player. Instead, the "Best Damn Band In The Land," like Ohio State's passionate fan base, is on the outside looking in, performing virtually on the scoreboard. "It was definitely a tough pill to swallow," said Luke Isler, a senior who would have dotted the 'i' this season. "You spend so much of your life mastering an instrument and building yourself up physically and working so hard to remain a member of the marching band. You think that everything is going to result in this grand moment. To see all of these things slowly get chopped down was hard." Bands are not only barred from performing at Big Ten games, they aren't permitted to attend, period. When Ohio State runs out of the tunnel and scores a touchdown, the fight song is played over the public address system. Dotting the 'i' in Script Ohio is an honor reserved for few and visualized by many. Ohio State first performed Script Ohio in 1936. But its origins date to 1932 when the Michigan band, marching to OSU's "Fight The Team," executed a script Ohio. The Illinois band carried out the formation in 1936 after Ohio State. Trumpeter John W. Brungart was the first 'i' dotter for the Buckeyes, refining the formation by playing Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse. In 1937, at the behest of legendary band director Eugene Weigel, a sousaphone player dotted the 'i' for the first time, a ritual that remains deeply rooted at the university. "I get chills every single time," senior sousaphone player Connor Oppy said about the drill. Isler and Oppy's immediate reactions to not marching this season were coated in disappointment. But they quickly concluded that they would return to Ohio State in 2021 to live out their dream. "It was definitely unfortunate," Oppy said. "It's something that you work so hard for, and then to worry that it might not happen. But I was fairly confident knowing that I could come back next year and still do it. I don't think I ever lost hope. It was just, OK, well, I'll have to push things back a year." Throughout the summer, Hoch worried about the possibility of a canceled season or no marching band at games. When it became reality, his mind drifted to the 'i' dotters and drum major, aware of the years each person put into their craft. Even three hours north of Columbus, in the quaint Michigan city of Ann Arbor, Michigan band director John Pasquale felt a pang of sadness because of Script Ohio's omission. "I would argue that it is one of the most iconic traditions in all of college sports," he said. "Everything that the OSU band does is extremely creative. I'm always so proud to cheer them on. The tradition of the OSU band is incredible, and it has been forever." The Ohio State band is as much a part of the game-day experience at Ohio Stadium as the football team. Skull Session, a rehearsal for that day's performance, routinely fills 13,000-seat St. John Arena. The Horseshoe is at capacity a half-hour prior to kickoff because fans want to see the ramp entrance and Script Ohio. When the band plays "Fight the Team" and strides into its familiar block along the east sideline, all 105,000 in attendance know what's about to come, a 193-person single file march lasting three minutes and 27 seconds, culminating with a crescendo of noise usually reserved for a touchdown. "There's that sense of anticipation. It fuels the crowd, the students, and me as well," Hoch said. "It's one of those things where, in the moment while I'm conducting, I have a constant battle with myself because I want to enjoy it. But I'm so focused on what's actually happening and my own conducting and everything going right. All those things are going through my head at the same time." He isn't the only one. Opposing fans and bands can often be seen standing and clapping along as Script Ohio is performed. Hoch remembers Oklahoma showing considerable excitement during their 2016 trip to the Horseshoe. Isler and Oppy are both Ohio natives who played the sousaphone in their high school bands. Anyone in the state who plays that instrument understands the significance. "It's always been on my mind. If you play the [sousaphone], it's something to strive for. It's the apex of musicianship in marching band," Isler said. "As I kept progressing and moving through high school, it was more and more on my mind. In the summer after my senior year, it became a driving force and goal of mine." Oppy wasn't selected for the band during his freshman year at Ohio State, creating a sense of urgency and motivation that was all-consuming for 12 months. He succeeded in tryouts the following year, immediately realizing the potential opportunity that awaited. "If you talk to someone and they know what a sousaphone is, they'll be like, 'Oh, wow! Do you dot the 'i'?' It's always fun to talk about," Oppy said. Band members' lives aren't entirely different from their fellow students who play varsity sports — hours of practice, minuscule spare time, and a Ph. D. in time management. For sousaphone players, there is a shared interest with athletes of all sports for physical conditioning. Hoisting a 35-pound instrument on your shoulder, strutting across the field, and finishing with a bow isn't so easy. It requires balance because of the changing center of gravity, along with a strong core and hamstrings. "It's very difficult," Isler said. "You see the drum major do their thing every week, and they've been practicing for years. Usually, you don't start practicing dotting the 'i' until your fourth year." Team sports are celebrated for their camaraderie and the bonds they create. With over 200 members, the Ohio State band is the largest team on campus. There are 16 rows of 11 instruments, forming a soothing melody. K and L Rows are reserved for sousaphone players, an exclusive fraternity whose nucleus is initiated by incomparable Script Ohio. "We're not two rows of 14, we're one row of 28," Isler said. "As soon as you make the band, we emphasize in KL row that you've made 27 of the closest friends for the rest of your life. It's a bond and friendship that we really cherish. The culture, the friendship, the hard word, the drive, it all meets at the point at the top of the i." ___ (c)2020 The Blade (Toledo, Ohio) Visit The Blade (Toledo, Ohio) at www.toledoblade.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.