On any given Friday at Ohio State, if you’re anywhere near Fifteenth and High between 2-6 PM, you can hear music and happy voices coming from The O Patio. During this time, for those who don't know, the O Patio hosts an event called Beat-the-Clock. They sell giant pitchers of beer for $2 at 2 PM, $3 at 3 PM, and so on.
While the deals are awesome, that’s not nearly the best part. The atmosphere during this event is incredible. Everyone's so happy the week is finally over, and it turns into a mini-celebration of the weekend.
Anyone who shows up right at 2 PM is on what my friends and I describe as "table duty." That means they're the first of their friends to get ready or be done with class, so they show up early to save a table for everyone. Some days, it is so crowded that by 2:30, all the tables on the patio are taken and people stand around the outside fire pit or find tables inside.
It's not uncommon for people to come straight from class - book bags still on - because they don't want to miss out on the event. My favorite part of Beat-the-Clock isn't just getting to see everyone; it's also the long-running tradition of guys wearing jerseys and Hawaiian shirts. Why and how this ever got started I’ll never know, but I am so glad it did.
As the patio and the inside of the bar fills up, it’s fun to watch and count how many guys enter in jerseys, compared to Hawaiian shirts. On bright sunny days, Hawaiian shirts are almost guaranteed to win, while jerseys are really popular during big game weekends.
The O Patio recently added some nice TVs, so no matter where you are in the bar you can watch whatever game or show is on. They have really done a good job of embracing Ohio State's sport culture, and have taken steps to make sure the college crowd that attends always comes back for more.
