COLUMBUS -- As the morning haze begins to lighten over Columbus, eager college students rush to class. 

While finals at Ohio State University are about a month away, they will be here before they know it.  

But some students can find refuge and fuel at a place that's a campus tradition now for 50 years. 

"Best donuts in the world 100-percent," says Jack Cooper, a senior at OSU.

He's talking about the legendary Buckeye Donuts.

"I'm the third generation owner/steward of Buckeye Donuts," says Jimmy Barouxis.  "It's a dying art.  There are not a lot of donut makers."

Barouxis' father and grandfather opened up Buckeye Donuts in 1969.  Five decades and three generations later, a lot has changed. 

"We're the last vestige of old campus," he explains.  "Basically all of campus has been turned over the last 10-15 years."

But one thing has never changed.

"Every donut in here, even if we have to make a couple thousand a day, it's cut by hand," the master donut-maker says.  "These are the same donut methods used when donuts were invented."​

Two batches made twice daily to feed this hungry college community 24-hours a day, even on Christmas.  

"It is the finest donut in Columbus," says Billy Brooks, a donut making extraordinaire.

He's got 22 years of donut-cutting experience under his belt, but he's proof that not just anyone can make the cut as a Buckeye Donuts baker.

That's because he says it took ten years of calling Jimmy to get a job on this baker's table.

"Wrigley Field," he calls it.  "You make it here, you've made it to the big leagues."

After Brooks hand-cuts the dough, it's into the frier for the blueberry cake donuts.  He explains how delicate the batter is and it's clear he takes pride in every donut he cuts. 

The owner says he's experimented with a donut robot, but he says hand-cutting simply makes them better. 

"It's attention to detail, it's the hand cutting, it's the glaze," Barouxis explains.  "I don't want to give away too many trade secrets but I will say the glaze is important, has to be a certain thickness."

"I guarantee it's the best product around," Brooks testifies.  "I don't know, I guarantee it."

But that's not all you can get at Buckeye Donuts. 

"We're also a diner as well," Barouxis says.  "We do hot breakfast sandwiches, we do a gyro.  We do a greek menu, greek salads, greek chicken salads.  We make our own taziki sauce in house."

And there's no question that Buckeyes give these tasty treats an A+. 

"The grilled chicken salad is one of my favorite and also I like all kinds of donuts here,"​ says Yunju Wang, an OSU senior.

"Oh the apple crisp," says Andrew Wallace, a Buckeye Donuts enthusiast for four years​.  "The apple crisp: cinnamon and apple, can't beat it."

"Favorite donut, red velvet cream cheese," Cooper says.  "And mozzarella sticks late night.  Fire."

That "fire" and old school way of making donuts is what Jimmy hopes will carry on Buckeye Donuts into the future. 

"To make it to a fourth generation, that is my dream," he tells Spectrum News 1.​