OSU love affair lives on

Many people also wanted to help the family of a child who suffers from cancer.

By SEAN BARRON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

WHAT BEGAN AS FUN $5
Friday night wagers with his grandfather when Mike Rubesich was a kid blossomed into a lifelong love affair.

“My grandfather deliberately picked the other team so I’d win,” he recalled with pride.

The team Rubesich picked the night before college football games was the Ohio State University Buckeyes. The fact that his grandfather lived in Columbus — and was friends with the Buckeyes’ former head coach Earl Bruce — influenced his decision to attend OSU, graduate with a degree in 1996 in pharmacology and become a huge Buckeyes fan.

Rubesich, one of the owners of O’Donold’s Irish Pub & Grille on Mahoning Avenue, was part of a crowd of fans decked out in scarlet and gray that packed the eatery to see their beloved team beat the Michigan Wolverines 14-3 Saturday at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Ohio State (11-1) is the outright Big Ten champion and will likely play in the Rose Bowl in January 2008 in Pasadena, Calif.

Before the matchup that many people call one of college football’s biggest rivalries, Dale Paden of Girard predicted OSU would win by two or three touchdowns.

Paden, who arrived about four hours before the opening kickoff, praised coach Jim Tressel for the job he’s done for the past seven seasons with the Buckeyes and as Youngstown State University’s head coach.

Like Paden, Nick Papalas of Niles said he was shocked by Ohio State’s 28-21 loss to Illinois on Nov. 10 at Ohio Stadium. Nevertheless, the defeat did nothing to dampen Paden’s or Papalas’ enthusiasm regarding Saturday’s game.

“We’re always up for Ohio and Michigan; this game we live for,” said Bob Saylor, who came to O’Donold’s to watch the contest with his fianceé, Joni Kohut.

Saylor, of Canfield, said that his grandparents were Buckeye fans and that he grew up with and followed the team since. Kohut, also of Canfield, added that she’s also rooted for the team over the years.

At nearby Buffalo Wild Wings, the atmosphere was no less festive, with scarlet and gray T-shirts, sweat shirts and ball caps also being the order of the afternoon.

Tony and Debbie Fonce, of Youngstown, came with their son, Dominic, who turns 13 today, as well as their daughter, Miranda, 10. The occasion marked the second annual trip to the restaurant to celebrate a birthday for Dominic, who plays defensive end and offensive tackle for Volney Rogers Middle School.

“This is starting to be a tradition,” Tony Fonce said of the gatherings, adding that both children are big OSU fans.

Not all fans came to O’Donold’s solely to watch an exciting football game between two longtime rivals, however.

Many also participated in a silent auction to raise money for the family of 3-year-old Taylor Nelson of Warren, who suffers from an advanced form of cancer that affects the sympathetic nervous system.

The fundraiser was set up to defray some of the $78,000 worth of medical costs the family has to pay, noted Brian Rubesich, one of the restaurant’s owners and brother of Mike.

Anyone who wishes to make a donation can stop by the Liberty branch of National City Bank, 4499 Belmont Ave.