Why Ohio State is called the Buckeyes, and what even is a Buckeye?

Ohio State is one of the best college football programs in the country each and every season.

They're also known as the Buckeyes.

And, well, for those not from Ohio, that invites plenty of questions.

The Buckeyes take the field in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday night to play Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, and we have some answers.

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What is a buckeye?

A buckeye is a nut.

It comes out of the Ohio Buckeye tree, it's a shiny, brown nut that also has a tan patch on it.

It looks like the eye of a male deer -- thus, a "buck eye."

Why is Ohio State called the Buckeyes?

The state tree of Ohio is the Ohio Buckeye, and the OSU sports teams are named after that.

The Buckeye term was popular during William Henry Harrison's 1840 presidential campaign.

OSU doesn't just use the Buckeyes moniker. It also puts Buckeye Tree leaves on its helmets as a way of tracking positive contributions by players.

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