Across the Field

(Fight The Team) Across the Field is the main fight song of The Ohio State University and the oldest one still in current use. Though the lyrics reference football heroics, the song is used by Buckeye teams of all sports. The song first appeared before the October 16, 1915 game against Illinois.

From The Ohio State University Marching Band's original web-site, as given by Nick Metrowsky: "In 1915, OSU student William A. Dougherty, Jr., set out to write the perfect fight song for his alma mater. While Carmen Ohio was already firmly in place as OSU's school song, Dougherty felt that something more exciting was needed for pep rallies and football games. And so Fight the Team Across the Field was born."

It is not played after touchdowns; that distinction is reserved for Buckeye Battle Cry.

This song has been adapted by many other universities and high schools in the United States.

Lyrics

Fight the team across the field,
Show them Ohio's here.
Set the earth reverberating
With a mighty cheer.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Hit them hard and see how they fall;
Never let that team get the ball.
Hail! Hail! The gang's all here,
So let's win that old conf'rence now!

Break Strain Lyrics:
Oh, Ohio! (Go Ohio, Go!)
Oh, Ohio! (Go Ohio, Go!)
Wahoo! Wahoo! for Ohio! ^{[1] [2] [3]}

In the music as originally published, the first three words of the song are "Fight that team", rather than "Fight the team". The final line, "Let's win that old conf'rence now" is also absent in the original, which offers four alternate endings for different opponents (Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, and Wisconsin).

In the break strain, the words "Go Ohio, go!" are not part of the published lyrics, but they are often added following the rhythm of the band. Similarly, in the main verse the syllables "We've got the team why don't we" are sometimes interpolated to mimic the eighth-note figure played in the bass before "Set the earth reverberating."

Notes