BUCKEYE FAN FRENZY

↓ Jon "Big Nut" Peters

Dive into the lives of three of the most intresting, and diehard, Buckeye

superfans

Cover Section Design by Bryce Patterson

The man with a Buckeyes-themed Jeep. A 97 year—old fan who slept in a snowy car for three days after watching the Buckeyes in the infamous Snow Bowl. And last but not least, arguably the biggest Buckeyes fan of all: Jon “Big Nut” Peters.

Learn the stories of these unique OSU diehards, in addition to some of our favorite Gameday spots to catch the Scarlet and Gray in this month’s cover section.

So don’t get flagged for delay of game—get in the pile and enjoy Fan Frenzy!→

↑ Buckeye necklace

Jon “Big Nut” Peters has his top three priorities straight: God, family, and the Buckeyes. Although, he admits, “family and the Buckeyes are more like 2a and 2b."

By Melinda Green / Photos by Sarah Pfeifer

Peters, a native of the Fremont area near Toledo, lived on his grandparents’ dairy farm until age 10. He’s still in Fremont, a 40-year employee of the Whirlpool plant in nearby Clyde, and a Buckeye fan whose impact reaches far beyond the stadium.

Peters’ first trip to the Horseshoe was as a teenager in 1976, with his grandfather.

“Unfortunately, we lost 22-0. It was a rival game, That Team Up North,” he recalled. “However, I embraced the atmosphere, the electricity, just the fact of being with my grandfather—it’s a day I’ll never forget.”

About three years later, he began attending games fairly regularly, up until what he calls “the moment when it happened.”

In 1995, Peters entered a Beat Michigan tailgate’s Best Dressed contest that changed the course of history. →

“It just so happened that the grand prize was a basket of cookies from a local cookie lady—phenomenal cookies,” he said.

Peters wanted that prize.

“Everybody knows the big guy likes to eat; it’s kind of a trademark of mine,” he noted.

He didn’t paint his face, but he wore his “crazy Buckeye clothes,” and yes, he won.

The next year, Peters knew he had to up his game against the “older ladies with their fancy embroidered stuff” to win the grand prize of a Buckeye snowman sculpture.

“I wanted it for my man cave,” he recalled.

So he added face paint, and yes, he won again, and again the following year. Now he has two snowmen in his man cave, and some of those older ladies continue to jokingly remind him that they should have won.

In 2002, Peters and his wife Terese (“First Lady Nut”) attended the National Championship game. Terese painted Jon’s face for a pep rally, and the response was overwhelming.

“Talk about being humbled, that somebody would want a picture with a fat guy in face paint,” Peters said. “I had no idea.”

Terese painted him up again the next day for the game.

The national championship DVD had a memorable shot of Peters during overtime play. And, Peters said, “that’s kinda how the Big Nut started.”

Peters eased into his new identity.

“I’m always concerned what people think. I don’t wanna offend nobody, or rub someone the wrong way. I had to be careful because, you know, [I’m a] visiting fan. I wasn’t worried about Buckeye Nation so much. I was more concerned about the opposing fans.

“Talk about being humbled, that somebody would want a picture with a fat guy in face paint,” Peters said. “I had no idea.”

↑ Peters signs memorabilia

↓ Peters & First Lady Nut

“But for the most part, they’ve been pretty good about it. I get a few comments from Wolverine fans, but it’s all in good fun.”

For a while, Big Nut was still sort of Peters’ secret. Little by little, though, people began to take notice, asking him “Hey, are you that guy on TV?” And Peters realized he had an opportunity.

“A true disciple of Buckeye Nation is what Woody Hayes always talked about, paying forward,” he explained.

As it happens, Peters’ family has plentiful buckeye trees on their properties, and he takes his grandchildren to collect nuts for necklaces (because “we’re all big nuts”). It started with 10 necklaces, then 20, and now he gives away 75 to 100 necklaces per game. Peters’ reward is smiles and kind words.

Eventually, Big Nut was asked to do appearances. Peters was reluctant to accept compensation, so checks went into a separate bank account and lingered

until a friend suggested a scholarship fund. A year later it was official, and in 2012, the fund distributed its first two $500 scholarships.

Now, the fund awards scholarships at all seven high schools in Sandusky County, plus one in Ottawa County and one in Wyandot, for a total of up to 11 scholarships annually.

But there’s more. Peters started an endowment at The Ohio State University, which awards scholarships to underclassmen, and a fund at the Sandusky County Community Foundation. Added up, Big Nut and First Lady have raised and distributed over $200,000.

“A lot of people don’t realize I’m not a Buckeye graduate,” Peters noted. “I’m not smart enough to get a college degree. I’ll never get a diploma from The Ohio State University. But as much as that diploma would mean to me, I know that the degree would benefit one person—myself— whereas the endowment benefits many.”

“A lot of people, they call me ‘superfan,’” Peters said. “I’d rather be known as ‘superhumanitarian.’”

Big Nut and First Lady attend all regular season games, home and away. He has two rules: never turn a fan away, and always be in his seat when the marching band enters the field.

“I can go home with the ‘W,’ and it would be a hollow victory; it wouldn’t be a truly blessed day, if I didn’t see Brutus and the drum major come down that entrance ramp,” he said. “I’m getting goosebumps right now thinking about it. I call them ‘Buckeye Bumps.’”

Buckeye Nation has embraced Big Nut wholeheartedly. Still, Peters admits, “there’s a little animosity, people like ‘well, you’re always on TV.’ That’s not what this is about. I’m beyond that. Everything comes in time, and everything passes in time.”

He’s toyed with the idea of retiring Big Nut, but people’s love for the persona convinces him to stay. “What an honor and a blessing it is,” he said. "I always say I’m just a fat guy in face paint. I’m nobody. I’m Jon Peters.

“And someday, Big Nut might not be seen in the stands—but the spirit of Big Nut will always be there. ”

Detail shot of Buckeye tattoos ↓

Bajas & son Brax →

From his car to his tattoos Jonathan Bajas is all in

on the Buckeyes

By Sarah Sole

His left leg, specifically, is where the Toledo resident showcases his devotion to Ohio State Buckeye football, in a themed tattoo that goes all the way up to his hamstring. The whole piece took between six and eight sessions to complete.

“I can’t go anywhere in public without somebody complimenting me on the work,” Bajas said.

A die-hard OSU football fan, Bajas broadcasts his love for all things Buckeye not only on his skin, but also via his vehicle: a Jeep Gladiator decked out with Brutus and other buckeye badges. Whether he’s behind the wheel or on his feet, Bajas makes it impossible for anyone to mistake his loyalty for scarlet and gray.

Though Bajas had planned since high school to get an OSU-themed tattoo, his love for the Buckeyes dates back to childhood. Bajas was seven years old when the Buckeyes won the 2002 Nationals in Tempe, Arizona, beating defending national champion the Miami Hurricanes.

Bajas' Buckeyes themed Jeep ↑

Bajas’ dad was a huge Ohio State football fan, and father and son were in a neighbor’s living room. The game had gone into triple overtime. As Ohio State’s victory became apparent, the house shook as a number of elated men jumped up and down. It was an image that would live in Bajas’ head forever.

As an adult, Bajas has made championship games a priority, representing Buckeye Nation at the last five Bowl games, starting with the Cotton Bowl in 2017. Even in the middle of the pandemic, Bajas and his friend were two of 3,000 dedicated fans attending the Sugar Bowl. Last year, he had the opportunity to attend the Rose Bowl and watch the Buckeyes eke out a win against the Utah Utes, 48 to 45.

“That was just an incredible experience out there in Pasadena,” he said.

Last year was also the year that Bajas had the opportunity to take his six-year-old son, Brax (named for former OSU Buckeye quarterback and wide receiver Braxton Miller) to his first away OSU football game in Bloomington, Indiana. The plan is to attend a different Big Ten stadium every year.

Of course, even when Bajas isn’t at a game, he’s repping the Buckeyes wherever he goes. In February of 2021 he ordered his Jeep Gladiator from a manufacturing plant he used to work at for six years. Bajas ordered the base model, then visited the plant to oversee the vehicle as it was being assembled—he even got to visit the assembly line to build a portion of the Jeep himself. The vehicle has a two-inch lift and 35-inch tires, and it’s covered in Brutus decals and Buck Nut badges. Bajas said people regularly compliment him on his work when he’s sitting in traffic at red lights.

“The thing has serious sentimental value,” he said.

Now 97 years-old, Mary Bayman has been cheering on her Buckeyes since the

Second World War

By Jim Fischer

You think you’re a big Ohio State football fan? Would you sleep in your car for three days for the Buckeyes?

Mary Bayman, who turned 97 this past Aug. 10, went to her first OSU football game in 1942, the year before she began attending Ohio State, where she was a horticulture major and member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She couldn’t say for sure how many games she’s been to since, but she could say with certainty she was in attendance on Nov. 25, 1950.

The game, versus Michigan, would become known in college football lore as the Snow Bowl.

“The weather was so bad, but it kept getting worse during the game,” Bayman, who had made the drive to campus with her husband from their home in Dayton, said. “When we left, we had to walk back to the Tri-Delt house where we’d parked the car. It took us seven hours to get to Springfield, there was no [Interstate] 70 at the time, so we were on [U.S.] 40. We made it as far as Springfield when the police told us we couldn’t go any further until they could clear the roads.

“We didn’t know anyone in Springfield, so we slept in our car – for three days, because theyplowed us in. The police would come knock on the windows to ask us if we were OK. (We’d say) ‘Oh yes, we’re fine.’ So we got snowbound for the Buckeyes.”

The experience didn’t chill Bayman’s love for her team – she and her husband maintained season tickets for years. These days, Bayman makes it from Dayton to one game a season. In 2022, it’s Rutgers.

“Big deal,” she said, with more than a hint of sarcasm.

Bayman is glad for good weather these days – it makes the climb to C deck a little easier for her.

“I don’t always sit in C deck, but I do like the view of the game from up there,” she said. “A few years ago I went to a game with my grandson and the line at the elevator was long so I told him we should just walk up to C deck. When we got up there, the seats were in the next to last row from the top. I told my grandson I didn’t think we’d be going down for snacks or the bathroom until the game was over.”

The size of the crowd is larger these days, Bayman said, compared to the 40s, but her passion for the Buckeyes remains the same. From Skull Session to staying on top of who’s doing what in the rest of the Big 10, Bayman’s support of her team remains as strong as ever.

“When we see someone wear Ohio State clothing, we always do ‘O-H!’” she said of her immediate family (both of her kids attended Ohio State). “We’re idiots.”

Bayman’s history with Ohio State football predates her own birth, too. When her father was a student at OSU, he turned the numbers at old Ohio Field.

“He told me this when he was 90!” Bayman recalled with mock indignation. “I said, ‘Daddy how is it you never mentioned this before?’”

Bayman's daughter, Lynn Bender, said being a fan of Ohio State football was always a given for her as well. "She always talked about that Snow Bowl experience. I remember hearing about it growing up," Bender said. "I always knew I was going to go to Ohio State. I went to every (home) game when I was in school and that continued. We’re still going to games."

Bayman has more than a handful of memories from her years of attending games, starting with that very first game in 1942 against Northwestern.

“I hate Northwestern to this day,” she said. “(World War II) was going on, and a lot of our players had been called to service. Northwestern was very dirty that day, gouging eyes, lots of rough play. Terrible.”

More recently, she recalled walking across campus with her daughter on their way to a game and visiting with former coach Woody Hayes.

“We walked through the parking lot with Woody. He was very gracious. We told him it was sad he was no longer the coach, but he told us it was time,” Bayman recalled.

Bayman also noted her one away OSU football game, too – a late 1940s trip to what she would only call “up north.” She remembered traveling with her future sister-in-law and stopping in Bowling Green to buy streamers for their car because “everybody else’s car had streamers.”

“It’s always good when we beat Michigan,” Bayman said.

Because you can’t attend every OSU football game, here are some of our favorite spots to grab a bite and catch

the Bucks

By Mallory Arnold

Watching the Buckeyes at home in your living room is always nice, but there’s something about celebrating game day with a group just as passionate about the scarlet and gray as you. Cold beer brought right to you, good food, and better people—what more could you ask of an OSU game, except for a win?

We’ve put together a list of our favorite restaurants and bars to watch Buckeye football games:

SHORT NORTH PINT HOUSE

780 N. High St.

Rain or shine, Short North Pint House is packed on game day. With more than 75 beers on tap, an open patio, and TVs mounted high, it’s a meeting spot for people who like to watch the Buckeyes with a large group. It may get a little crowded, but for those who want to drink beer, eat tasty food, and feel the team spirit, this is the spot for you.

It’s easy to see why Urban’s made our list – not only is it bursting with Buckeyes charm, but the Dublin location boasts of food from Forno Kitchen + Bar. The fried risotto balls are a crowd favorite, as well as the pint house’s 7-0 Ale. Along with massive TVs everywhere, this pint house has everything it needs to be the official game day bar.

URBAN MEYER’S PINT HOUSE

6632 Longshore St., Dublin

CHUMLEY’S

1516 N. High St.

Touted as “not your average campus bar,” Chumley’s is a reliable destination for Buckeye games. The place has plenty of seating and TVs, and appetizers are half off until 6:30 p.m. While the menu is expansive, you can take in all the football wall décor while you and your friends decide what to order.

This unsuspecting restaurant tucked off Bethel Road has 52 TVs—yep, you read that right—and plenty of space to watch them. Columbus memorabilia is abundant, and the burgers are thick and juicy and served by an attentive staff.

COACHES BAR & GRILL

1480 Bethel Rd.

Photo courtesy of Chumleys' ↓

Photo courtesy of Coaches Bar and Grill ↓

Photo courtesy of Coaches Bar and Grill ↓

ROOSTERS

Multiple locations

Rooster’s never fails. With locations across Columbus, it’s one of the most popular places to watch OSU football games. The food is consistently delicious (like the new Nashville Hot Dry Rub for your wings) and the atmosphere is upbeat. Get to your nearby location early,though, because seating fills up fast.

The Little Bar, unlike its name, celebrates OSU home games in a big way. The bar sets up a giant outdoor screen, offers game day drink specials, and even has a DJ playing music during commercials. It gets a little rowdy, and customers are advised to grab food from nearby Dominos and Jimmy Johns, but if you’re looking for an amped-up sort of game day, this is the place for you.

THE LITTLE BAR

2195 N. High St.

Photo courtesy of The Little Bar ↓

Photo courtesy of The Little Bar ↓