So there's this game on Saturday...

...you may have heard of it? The storied Ohio State vs. M*ch*gan game? "The Granddaddy of Them All?" In this town, it's our own extra little holiday, nestled in between Halloween and Thanksgiving. It's one reason I moved to back to Columbus after a brief stint as a reporter in West Lafayette (in my experience, Purdue fans just don't get what it is to be a fan). It's the reason I chose red & silver for our wedding colors. It's why the first thing I bought when we found out we were pregant was a Brutus Buckeye mobile. It's one reason I donated money to charity at work just to be able to wear my OSU sweatshirts all week (though truth be told, I could probably wear my tailgate gear to work for a month and not double up on an outfit--it would seem I have an OSU wardrobe obsession that I didn't even know about). It's the reason we have two Christmas trees--one for the regular holiday fare, and the other decked out in OSU garb. It's the reason we needed a house with a basement big enough to turn into "The Red Room" (though ours is still a work in progress). It's the reason I think a necklace of strung Buckeye nuts and beads is far more attractive than any bejeweled strand could ever be. It's the reason my insurance agent raised his eyebrows last night when I started discussing with him the article on SI.com I had read, forcasting OSU would play Texas in the Fiesta Bowl if Penn State beats Michigan State on Saturday (side note: GO SPARTANS!). It's the reason I shell out $20 a month for five years to the OSU Alumni Association just for the opportunity to possibly win the right to buy two tickets to one game each year for the rest of my life. And it's definitely the reason I look forward to that last Saturday before Thanksgiving every year, so that I can don my favorite sweatshirt, Buckeye necklace, Brutus Buckeye temporary tattoo, OSU socks, and if the mood's right, my OSU 'fro wig, and then sit with family and friends over pizza and beer, and yell in unision at the bad officiating and marvel at the oh-my-God-did-you-see-what-Clarrett/Krenzel/Ginn/Smith/Beanie/Pryor-just-did!?
It's also the reason I'm so excited for Aiden to experience his first game this weekend, whether he "gets it" or not. GO BUCKEYES!!!