Band members celebrate an Ohio State touchdown during then-No. 3 Ohio State’s 77-21 win over Toldeo Sept. 17. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
The historic rivalry football game between Ohio State and Michigan hasn’t been played in Ohio Stadium since 2018, and while it’s a dream come to life for many football players, there are other performers for whom this will be their first, or last time, playing the Michigan game in the ‘Shoe.
The Ohio State Marching Band is renowned for its performances during games, and for many members, Nov. 26 will be the first time performing “The Game” in front of a home crowd. Crosbee Lisser, a fourth-year in music education and psychology who plays the mellophone, said she’s looking forward to the atmosphere of Ohio Stadium and hopes to add to the “home team advantage” brought by the fans.
“I’m really excited to just play for all the fans at halftime,” Lisser said. “It’s going to feel like we’re a part of that day. I think that’s what’s going to be really special, all the fans are going to come all riled up for this rivalry.”
Lisser is one of many members of the program, also known as “The Best Damn Band in the Land,” who has performed during the rivalry game in Michigan Stadium, but not the ‘Shoe. The football teams were scheduled to play in Columbus in 2020, but Michigan canceled the matchup as a result of rising COVID-19 cases within the program.
Avery Voress, a fifth-year in zoology and sousaphone player, said the atmosphere he experienced in Ohio Stadium during his first year was unlike anything he’s experienced since.
“Playing at home against Michigan, that was the loudest I think I’ve ever heard Ohio Stadium,” Voress said. “You know, everybody hates Michigan. But playing at home and then getting the win, and everybody storming the field, that was just amazing. That was a great experience.”
Voress will have the honor of dotting the ‘i’ Nov. 26 for the performance of “Script Ohio.” He said although the band has several performances before the Michigan game, he knows the preparation leading up is going to be intense.
For band members like Voress, the performance in the Michigan game is the final time they will perform in front of an Ohio State crowd. He said he gets the same “nerve wracking” feeling every time he walks down the ramp, but he wants his final game to be perfect.
“I think that upcoming game, it’s definitely going to be reminiscent of the very first game,” Voress said. “Just because it’s my last one, I want it to be perfect. And I’m dotting the ‘i,’ and that needs to be perfect.”
Christopher Hoch, the director of Marching and Athletic Bands, said the band focuses on one routine for each performance. But specifically for the upcoming Michigan game Nov. 26, the preparation is more intensive because of Ohio State’s Thanksgiving break week, giving the band half the normal time to work with.
“We take every performance that we do very seriously,” Hoch said. “Everything is kicked up a notch because this game means everything to Ohio State fans, it means everything to us and it means everything to the team. It’s special.”
Lisser is playing her first home performance in the next rendition of “The Game,” and knows she and other fellow band members take pride in the reputation they’ve built and want to put on their best performance. She believes practice for rivalry week will be “the most intense challenge I’ve ever had as a band person.”
Despite that, she thinks the atmosphere will be incredible, even more so coming off last season’s loss.
“I’m looking forward to the atmosphere,” Lisser said. “I’ve been looking forward to that my entire marching season. Getting to be in the stadium with all of those fans and getting to be a part of the whole rivalry. But having the home field advantage, I think is going to be amazing.”
Hoch also said while it will be a challenging week, he wants his students to soak in the moments in the stadium. For those whose final home performance will be Nov. 26, they will want to work extra hard to make it special, he said.
“You will remember that performance for the rest of your life,” Hoch said. “You’ll remember this game, that moment, your last time putting on the uniform in Ohio Stadium, and you’ll remember that forever.”
