6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Saturday Oct. 15.
Long before many of the tailgaters have awoken there are rumblings within the Ohio State University Police Department.
The department kicks off the day with a 6:00 a.m. command briefing with high ranking police members from the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, Ohio Highway Patrol and the Columbus Police Department. From 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. briefings are held in the department informing police of the operational gameday procedures.
At 7:30 a.m. patrolman Jim Compston pulls out of Blankenship Hall in his white cruiser. As the sun peeks over the campus buildings the streets remain eerily empty; the tailgaters have yet to come out.
"I love working gamedays because it's busy. It's a whole different atmosphere - it breaks up the monotony," Compston said.
Compston, 43, has been on the force since 1998. He works the streets until a few hours before gametime when he then works as Jim Tressel's personal security.
During the early hours of the morning Compston randomly rides along campus streets, his eyes scanning for out of place happenings.
"It's hard to explain but when something or someone is out of place it's easy to pick up on," he said. "You can pick people out who don't belong here easily. If you see a 40-year-old man walking around with a backpack and a piece of metal sticking out of it, he's probably not here for a good thing."
Compston said he tries not to get himself into a routine while on patrol.
"The worst thing you can do is get in a pattern," he said. "I kind of go where the car takes me."
This morning the extent of Compston's adventures is a burglar alarm and an abandoned bicycle. Typically there is not much action on campus, he said.
9:00 a.m. to Gametime
Kyle Howe and Charles Gierach walk around the west stadium lots, their eyes dart trying to spot open beer containers.
Since they cannot walk up and look into each cup they only ticket those who are drinking out of beer bottles or cans openly. If caught with an open container a citation costing around $100 is issued.
Spring Break
