Block O to bring Buckeye energy to Atlanta

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Block O is the iconic symbol of Ohio State, recognizable across the world. For many, it’s also much more than a letter or a logo; the Block O is the 3,000-person organization that brings energy, intensity, and fun to Ohio State athletics. 

"Ohio State has thousands and thousands of students, and our football fan base is that much bigger,” Block O President Gabi Cicerini, an Ohio State senior, said. “It expands way past Columbus. It always has, it always will. Being able to have leadership, especially, voices from students who are at every game and are supporting the Buckeyes year-round, not just football, but other sports as well, it helps provide sort of an organized way of bringing students together and maximizing how loud we can be and how much we can make all of our games feel like a home game.” 

Alongside Cicerini are 18 board members making up the leadership of the Block O. Adam Smith, a junior, is the football director for the Block O. It's the biggest student section the organization operates.  

Like a conductor, Smith is in charge of gameday festivities in the South Stands at Ohio Stadium. 

"On game days, I'm in charge of facilitating the student experience, basically,” he said. “It was a lot of fun being in the ‘Shoe this year. The energy felt different with this team. It truly did.” 

Smith does his best to make sure Buckeye students in the stands can be heard across the city of Columbus. After a season of home games nearly spoiled by another loss to Michigan, Smith hopes to remember this season for its finish, not bumps along the way.  

"I try to take it all in,” he said. “I try to look around as much as I can on game days. When we do cheers, everybody screaming, like, you get chills thinking about it. Like, it's really cool. The magnitude is you really can't describe it.” 

Monday night in Atlanta, the Block O will do its best to infiltrate Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It's a true full-circle moment for Cicerini.  

"My first game in the Shoe, we lost to Oregon, and so to come full circle and get to this spot, by beating Oregon in the Rose Bowl and then also beating two SEC teams after we had to watch that heartbreaking Georgia loss a couple of years ago, there’s no way...you can write a story better than that," she said. 

Cicerini will be going to the game with a group of Ohio State students, faculty, and parents through the Ohio State Official Bowl Tour.  

"We'll be doing a service project Monday morning, kind of hanging out and exploring Atlanta Monday afternoon, and preparing for the game come Monday night," Cicerini said. 

The trip includes airfare, hotel, and a game ticket. Students and Block O members who wanted to be in Atlanta had to get creative to make sure they could go after Block O leaders said only 500 student tickets were available through the lottery. 

That won't stop the Block O from making plenty of noise and trying to turn it into a Buckeye home game.  

"Usually, they put the students and the faculty by the band, so we can make as much noise as possible and any time Notre Dame is going to be near us, we're going to make sure that they can't hear anything going on their sideline,” Cicerini said. 

Smith will be traveling with his family to Georgia, having missed out on the student ticket lottery.

"I don't really see it hitting me until I get to Atlanta," he said thinking about the magnitude of this game.  

He's confident that Buckeye fans will fill the stadium, much like the first two playoff games he got to attend. 

"The Tennessee takeover just didn't happen, so it was, it was cool, and then I was fortunate enough to go on the student bowl tour with student life for the Rose Bowl as well,” he said. “Buckeyes are everywhere, and Buckeyes love Buckeyes. So, it's hard not to let out an O-H and hear the resounding I-O. Buckeyes always travel. I expect it to be a lot of Buckeyes. I expect us to have a sea of red."  

As for the game itself, Cicerini and Smith are confident in bringing home the National Title. 

"I truly do believe we have the best team in the country," Smith said.