Comment about UM-osu rivalry vs MI-OH rivalry
Inspired by a comment on a recent thread, but perhaps worthy of its own discussion:
Just a reminder to people that this is sports rivalry *not* about the states of MI vs OH. That is minor & meaningless in the grander scheme of things, especially since Michigan is a school of national (and international) prestige. Nearly half of the student body here comes from out of state - and a large portion of them from OH (more than any other state besides MI). The best students in MI most likely go to Michigan, while the best students in OH... *also* most likely to Michigan. Also note that so many of our most prominent sports alumni were born & raised in OH (Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, etc.)
Trying to play this up as a rabid inter-state rivalry plays into osu's favor... which is why they are the primary ones who promote the narrative so heavily. They are not really attracting much out-of-state students (relatively speaking) despite it costing less to attend there, so they need to fight to keep their in-state prospective students (& athletes) from leaving.
Don't help them in this.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:27 AM ^
I lived in Ohio from 1995 to 2019. The best day of my fandom (to that point) was driving across the bridge out of Cincinnati on my way to my new home in Florida.
I’d be happy to move to Michigan or Indiana, but I’ll never live in Ohio again. The fans who make it about state vs state make it unbearable to live there. I know there’s more than a few mgobloggers who live in Dayton and can back me up on this, while there are pockets of Buckeye fans who are nice and livable, the majority are obnoxious and proud of it.
A more perfect Union is one without Ohio.
February 4th, 2022 at 12:26 PM ^
I am finally moving to FL next week. I have lived near Cleveland, OH from 1988 until now. Both of my daughters were born in Ohio and my youngest is currently a student at UM. My wife and I are both alum. My youngest tells us that the OSU game was the greatest day of her life as she and her older sister rushed the field after the game.
The reason for this? Our girls regularly went to UM games with us and were big fans as well. So, they would wear UM fanwear around town and constantly be harassed, even being spit on as a young child. Friends of ours who were Purdue alum didn't completely understand it until one day when my wife was wearing a jacket with a block M and this guy comes up to her to poke her in the M and berate her. He's lucky I wasn't there, but fortunately our friend quickly defended her and was ready to kick his ass, and since he's a black belt he truly could have.
Ohioans have effectively been taught that it is culturally cool to bully anyone that is a fan of UM. Likewise, I will never return except to pass through on my way to Michigan.
February 4th, 2022 at 12:51 PM ^
That's very interesting. How did the confrontation end??
February 4th, 2022 at 12:21 PM ^
Michigan fans / grads that live in Ohio, including a few of my family members, are only there to make money. They hate the state just as much as any rational person should.
I don't care if it hurts recruiting or anything else, Fuck Ohio.
February 4th, 2022 at 10:31 AM ^
Totally and 110 percent false. There is and always will be a rivalry on and off the field. C'mon man. It's harmless fun! Don't be so serious. Relax. Have fun. Enjoy life. Smoke the finest of green sticky (if u want to and are of age). Don't be offended by everything and always try to look at the positive things. Big Blue are champs! Let's rejoice and celebrate! And throw it in Ohio's face as well! Of course in a respectable and tactful manner.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:28 AM ^
Big Blue?
February 4th, 2022 at 11:36 AM ^
Guy must be a Kentucky fan... or old IBM employee.
February 4th, 2022 at 10:32 AM ^
The state of Ohio is ok in my book except for Columbus and Portsmouth.
February 4th, 2022 at 10:33 AM ^
I hear they are selling a lot more Michigan jersey's in Ohio now.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:09 AM ^
But what about the night game variety?
February 4th, 2022 at 10:39 AM ^
Having grown up in Michigan (1959-1981) and then having lived in Ohio for some time (1989 - 2022) I feel uniquely qualified to speak to this subject. My thoughts are threefold
1. The "rivalry" is between OSU & Michigan Universities. Period.
2. The average Ohioan hates the state of Michigan about as much as the average Michigander hates the state of Ohio. Which is to say they dont. At all.
3. This post is silly. "Dont help them in this?" Help them with what exactly? I'm completely lost as to what the OP thinks he's taking a stand on because he's created something in his mind that really doesnt exist in reality.
February 4th, 2022 at 10:49 AM ^
Examples of "helping" their cause:
1) "F*ck Ohio" / "Beat Ohio"
2) "Worst state ever" shirts
3) Taking shots at the other universities in Ohio for ties to osu instead of encouraging them - Cincinnati being the most prominent. With their elevation to P5 status imminent and their overall trending, it would be nice to finally have a real in-state rival for osu... since we've had to deal with msu for decades.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:13 AM ^
They've been singing "We Don't Give a Damn" about Michigan for years and it doesn't hurt their ability to recruit this state. US-23 is basically a speed trap from the state line to Columbus if you have Michigan license plates, no matter if you're going to the game or visiting a sick grandma. It's just part of the rivalry.
And Cincinnati is moving to the Big 12. A Big 12 without UT and OU will cease to keep their "Power" status, especially with the "Alliance" between the Pac12, B1G and ACC.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:38 AM ^
They don't heavily recruit MI though. On occasion they pull a few, but it doesn't drive their major efforts.
Also, the Big 12 won't lose its "power" status - for as much as that's worth these days. It still has the major bowl tie-ins and TV contract revenue. More likely it gets relegated to the weakest of those conferences - much as the Big East was in the waning days of the BCS.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:55 AM ^
There's more high-level talent in Ohio. They dip into Michigan when there's a player that's worth it. Vernon Gholston, Damon Webb, Mike Weber are just a few of the guys that were worth it for them, and Weber was a luxury they didn't need.
February 4th, 2022 at 3:34 PM ^
I live in central Ohio. US-23 is a speed trap for everyone.
February 4th, 2022 at 1:38 PM ^
I don’t see anything wrong with “Worst State Ever” shirts in reference to Ohio. It’s just a shirt with a statement of objective fact.
Unless you believe New Jersey is the worst state in which case I will entertain the notion of a tie between the two states.
February 4th, 2022 at 2:09 PM ^
After living in Maryland for a decade, New Jersey feels like Delaware, but with a more "bruh" feel. Either way, I love the beach and Paramus Catholic, so my heart is torn.
February 4th, 2022 at 12:00 PM ^
Please account for the missing seven years. Was it somewhere better or worse than Ohio and Michigan?
February 4th, 2022 at 12:40 PM ^
Have you ever been to a Turkish prison?
February 4th, 2022 at 5:10 PM ^
One of my favorite spots for sightseeing!
February 4th, 2022 at 1:46 PM ^
..... he's created something in his mind that really doesnt exist in reality.
This is an MGoBlog tradition. I've probably done it a few times. :)
February 4th, 2022 at 3:53 PM ^
Small world, same year that I moved to Ohio for a great job after graduating and still here.
All of your points are pin point spot on mGrowOld, especially about this post being utterly divisive yet somehow the same damn subject gets posted 2-3 times a year on this board.
I love Michigan, my friends and family live there, I own a house there. I married my high school sweetheart from Gladwin and we both agree its a great state to drive up for the weekend, but we also really like living in Ohio. It's been 30+ years and we've never run out of fun things to do and I consider Cedar Point not one of them anymore. Most of the people I've known over the years have nothing bad to say about the state of Michigan while visiting.
To the point about sports. Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati fans could give two shits less about the Lions, Pistons, Tigers or Red Wings. Buckeye fans don't really care about Sparty either. It's pretty much just one thing UM/OSU. Then the gloves are off.
Both states have their pluses and minuses and truth be told the average Ohioan would love to give back Toledo.
February 4th, 2022 at 10:40 AM ^
The beauty of this rivalry is how each side has held each other up... but mostly we benefitted more with Ohio players and coaches...they have had very few.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:53 AM ^
That is true, but there are multiple reasons for that. Ohio simply has a bigger supply of football players and coaches than Michigan (not much hockey there and I think basketball is more popular in MI). Recently, OSU and other out-of-state schools have pulled a few talented players out of Michigan and we haven’t recruited the very best players out of Ohio recently, but historically I think Michigan wins in this regard.
February 4th, 2022 at 1:18 PM ^
Charles Woodson and Desmond Howard vs. Mike Weber? Yeah, I think I'll give us the edge on that one
February 4th, 2022 at 1:29 PM ^
Weber wasn't the best player they got from Michigan... Was probably Gholston. And I think they got a OT Jordan from Canton who did well... I don't recall anyone during the Bo years, of note.
February 4th, 2022 at 1:29 PM ^
Weber wasn't the best player they got from Michigan... Was probably Gholston. And I think they got a OT Jordan from Canton who did well... I don't recall anyone during the Bo years, of note.
February 5th, 2022 at 9:08 AM ^
Pepper was very good
February 4th, 2022 at 7:59 PM ^
Glad we got Gary Grant and Phil Hubbard.
February 4th, 2022 at 10:44 AM ^
Ohio State sucks. The State of Ohio sucks.
Fin.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:14 AM ^
At least there's cheap gas.
February 4th, 2022 at 10:45 AM ^
Aww yes Ohio. Old Native American term meaning 'land of the poor white people'
-Chappelle
February 4th, 2022 at 11:02 AM ^
I was gonna refute your claim about in-state vs. out-of-state, but evidently Michigan is about a 50/50 split, while OSU is about 65% in-state, so go figure
February 4th, 2022 at 11:07 AM ^
They don’t give a damn for the whole state of Michigan but love getting sucked off by mich state fans
February 4th, 2022 at 11:29 AM ^
A lot of them also like to vacation in Michigan because it is 10x more vacationable than most of Ohio.
February 4th, 2022 at 12:43 PM ^
Always thought this was funny. They might not give a damn about the entire state of Michigan or whatever, but they sure like to come up and hang around come June, July, and August.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:13 AM ^
Ex #2 was not only born and raised there, but is an ohio state alumna. cbus has a lot of nice dining and such.... but I hated it there. Wear anything with a block M on it and vile and venom are spewed at will. Had a kid, probably 12 to 14 years old, say "Lets go bucks, Michigan sucks. Fuck Michigan" then high fived his brother and father at Easton. no class, ohio trash.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:19 AM ^
I always thought the largest number of OOS students came from California but that might have changed over the years.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:44 AM ^
It’s actually New York then Illinois and California. But OP is way off, b/c each of those states send A LOT more students than Ohio.
https://obp.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/pubdata/almanac/Almanac_Ch2_Ma…
February 4th, 2022 at 11:47 AM ^
Interesting.
I just checked their Fall 2021 class numbers and the highest OoS numbers were from NY, CA, NJ, FL and then OH.
Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I thought I saw data (this was some years ago, I'll admit) showing OH was the largest OoS source. If I get a chance I'll have to see if I can find that again.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:56 AM ^
Note that I left off NJ above (small map), which also sent a lot more kids than Ohio in 2020.
February 4th, 2022 at 11:23 AM ^
I may be an outlier in this, but I view Ohio as two different states—one that has a lot cultural similarities to and affinity with Michigan, and one that is basically Kentucky.
I actually like most of northeast Ohio, up until a little past Toledo. I get it. It feels like many parts of Michigan. I hear banjos and run away from the rest of the state. I don’t care what you say about me, I’m not eating that disgusting spaghetti chili.
February 4th, 2022 at 12:25 PM ^
Toledo isn't really Ohio. I think of the people there as Michiganders living under foreign occupation. Cleveland is ok too for the most part.
February 4th, 2022 at 1:35 PM ^
Cleveland is a fun place, but I've found it to be far, far more hostile to UM fans than places such as Toledo & Cincinnati.
February 4th, 2022 at 4:45 PM ^
Born and raised in Toledo.. It's pretty much a 50/50 split. Growing up there, OSU/UM parties were always a hoot, didn't really realize the rest of Ohio was so one-sided until I went to college.
Cincinnati kind of matches to the beat of their own drum, you're just as likely to find ND fans there as you are OSU or Cincinnati fans.
February 4th, 2022 at 4:57 PM ^
Cincinnati was somewhat a Casablanca of football loyalties aside from UC - at least the P5 schools.
February 6th, 2022 at 1:45 AM ^
Good assessment. One of my best friends is inexplicably and unforgivably a spartie fan and lives in suburban Toledo less than a mile from the border. He says the split (other than University of Toledo fans) seems to be about 50% Michigan, 30% osu, 10% ND, 5% msu, and 5% other. In his own neighborhood he's the only one who flies a spartie flag.
February 4th, 2022 at 12:43 PM ^
The irony is that it's my understanding that the Buckeye presence is much more severely felt in the half of the state you consider similar to Michigan while it's toned down in the 'hillbilly' part of Ohio i.e. while Cleveland is 100% Bucknut, Cincinnati is only about 60% Bucknut.
From what I recall there's been a not insignificant presence of Cincinnati-based Michigan fans on pretty much every Michigan forum I ever posted on.