Why do you hate Ohio State?

Submitted by a2_electricboogaloo on

"Oh how I hate Ohio State"

It's a phrase I often hear tossed around this time of year, nicely summarizing the animosity felt between the two institutions.  We've all know the history...

The battles between Bo and Woody,

the fiercly fought games,

the great victories

and the agonizing defeats.

Along with the long history behind it, The Game often has an intense personal importance for fans.  But why do you hate Ohio State? Is there any instance that you can (Hoke) point to and say "This is the moment where I went from disliking That School in Ohio to hating them"? Or, is it a culmination of years of cheering for Michigan that have built up a steady distaste for that School down south?

For me, my dislike for Ohio elevated itself in 2005, and transformed into emnity in 2006.  I was a sophomore in high school during Michigan's great 2006 campaign.  I had been a big Michigan fan for my whole life, but I was still young and not as invested in the rivalry as I am now.  The hype for the Michigan-Ohio game that year was huge.  I was watching ESPN non-stop for days, absorbing every bit of information on The Game of The Century that I could.  Then, the unthinkable occured.  Bo, the hero of the Maize and Blue faithful and the patron saint of Michigan football, passed away.  It was heartbreaking.  Despite the fact I was too young to have seen a game by him I still looked up to him, he was a man who displayed every quality that (to use a much maligned cliché) a Michigan Man should, and thus he was a personal hero of mine.

The hype surrounding the game along with Bo's death put an immense importance in my mind.  We had to win it.  We had to win it for Bo.  We had to win it because Ohio State had beaten us two years in a row (a streak, which now seems gloomily quaint).  We had to win it to play for the national championship.

Unforetunately, in sports not everything goes your way (even for Michigan fans), and we ended up losing a close game.  I was angry at everything: Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., the turf, the refs, even Shawn Crable.  How could we lose?  This was Michigan! We had such a great season, everything seemed to work in our favor until then.  In school I had to face numerous jeers from my Sparty classmates and looks of gloom from my fellow Wolverines, and I knew why.  Ohio State.  It was their fault.  It was at that time that my dislike for that southern school crystallized into the hate that so many of us feel.  And I began to hate Ohio State.

So here we are, five years later, facing a battered Ohio State team.  Michigan, on the other hand, is resurgant with our best record since that fateful 2006 season.  I cannot help but think gleefully of the great oppertunity that we have to exact revenge on Ohio State.

So as we approach this most anticipated of annual meetings, I wanted to hear the rest of the MGoUsers stories.  Why do you hate Ohio State?  And what does this rivalry mean to you?

[Note:  I know this is long post for a Board, and the mods can move it over to the diaries section if they see fit, but I put it on the board because I wanted to a discussion going, and I thought this would be the best way to start that.] 

Yost Ghost

November 23rd, 2011 at 10:14 PM ^

you said that because as I sat and pondered the OP's question it occurred to me that I've had a pretty steady dislike of them since I was a kid that's grown into hatred over the years. But there wasn't a singular event that made me hate them just a steady culmination of many things. Like the stories about UM fans having batteries thrown at them in the shoe, the arrogant comments/posts buck fans make or the comments players make (everyone kills). But if I had to say there was one thing that I could point to that really elevated my hate it was really tat-gate. This thought surprised me since I've been a fan for 40 years. Why all of a sudden is this event the thing that keeps coming to mind. Then I realized it's because it's the perfect blending of all the things I hate about Ohio all wrapped up into one shitty burrito. The cheating itself, the cover up, the smug reactions, the rationalizations from fans and the university, the media all over the Ohio jock strap (Cowherd/Russillo saying things like they're the crown jewel of the B1G), the weak sauce self imposed punishments followed (most likely) by equally weak NCAA punishments and finally the fact that through all of this they get the coach they have coveted for so long and it only cost them one bad season.

 

I F'ing hate those guys!!!

NateVolk

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:02 PM ^

that ridiculous arm in arm sway back and forth thing they do in the pregame. Every time I see it, I try to ballpark how many of those guys have violated NCAA rules, whether caught or not.  

M-Dog

November 23rd, 2011 at 10:16 PM ^

This is the big one for me.  There is not even an attempt to put the student in student-athlete.

The entire Ohio State AD infrastructure is set up to make sure players never have to worry about grades or even attend any classes.  They just hang out in between football practices and games.  It is hard to recruit against that for a lot of players.

They really are da "U" of the B1G.

 

Hurricane

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^

They are the rudest, crudest fanbase in all of sports and wear that title like a badge of honor.  Loud, obnoxious, boorish, and despicable are not strong enough words to describe them. Just today as I arrived home to my apartment, I was greeted outside by an overweight, ugly buckeye fan wearing an ohio hat along with cutoff t-shirt and shorts (in 45 degree weather) that exposed his poorly drawn tattoos on his shoulder and calves.  I cannot suffer these fans any longer and we need to put them back in their place on Saturday.

Sione's Flow

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:17 PM ^

I know exactly why I hate tsiO, it's the arrogance and lack of class the university and it's fans have always displayed.  Even now Smitty is saying that if tsiO receives a bowl invite they will take it.  Classy to the end. 

MGoStrength

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:18 PM ^

I think this all depends on your age.  At 32 I grew up in the 90's watching UM seemingly upset OSU every year.  Then, along came Tress and the rest has been history.  But, all the OSU fans forget so quickly that before Tress we dominated that series for a good 12 years.  I hate how short sighted they are.  A UM fan, for the most part, can give credit where credit is due, and recognize defeat.  An OSU fan on the other hand, in defeat often goes to name calling and denial.  They need to learn to give the same credit they ask for and realize there was a time before 2001 and this that this will again be a rivalry and won't stay as one-sided as it's been the last 10 years forever.

thereverend

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:59 PM ^

That is so true; the sad thing for them is the fact that when they are on the losing end, there is no over-all record to fall back on. They have an inferiority complex from being defeated at so many critical games.

neoavatara

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:27 PM ^

I hate OSU because I live in Columbus.

I actually never hated them before moving here.  I actually would root for them occasionally, such as the championship game after Miami.

After living here, I cannot stand the Buckeyes or their fans.  

ijohnb

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:28 PM ^

hard to explain.  I posted yesterday that I don't "hate" duke, and I don't.  Nor do I hate Notre Dame or even really Michigan State (though Gholston's antics got me pretty close to hate).  For some reason, I detest everything about Ohio State, from their uniforms, to their stadium, to their style of play.  It is not a hate without respect, I don't "look down" on them, I at times envy things about their teams (on the field, not as a program including class, fans etc.)  I just know that I am capable of cheering for Notre Dame or Michigan State if a win by one of those teams against another team would benefit us.  With Ohio, I just want pain, no matter the circumstance.

EGD

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:29 PM ^

I graduated from UM in '97, so it was the John Cooper years and we pretty much dominated Ohio State when I was in school.  As a result, I didn't really hate Ohio all that much.  I mean, they were our rival and all, but we always beat them so what was there to hate?  Sure their fans were obnoxious, no-class idiots, but that was their problem.  Anytime they tried to talk smack, you just had to say, "scoreboard."

But  then, in 2001, I recall visiting the Diag the morning before the game--and seeing that some a-hole had dumped a full can of red paint on the M.  When I saw that, I was just filled with a rage that I have never felt about a sporting event ever before.  They had crossed the line.  They had actually done quite a bit of damage around town that weekend, but the M on the Diag was just too much.  I wanted blood.  And I was sure that when the game started later that day, we would make them pay. 

But, it didn't happen.  So instead of sending the rabble of foul-mouthed, unshowered hooligans back to Columbus with another L on their record, all we got was a mess.  So ever since then, I've pretty much been like f**k Ohio.

WolverineHistorian

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:54 PM ^

It confuses me when I hear Michigan fans say they didn't hate OSU "that much" during the Cooper years.  Even though we beat them every year, their fans were at the same level of jackass that they are today.  A girl I knew in high school was in the MMB (she played the clarinet) and when they went to Columbus for the 1996 game, a buckeye fan in his 40's walked up to her, punched her in the nose and then ran off.  That's right.  A middle age man, about 6 feet tall, punching a 5'2, 18 year old girl in the nose and then running off yelling, "GO BUCKS!" 

Remember Terry Glenn?  David Boston?  The "Michigan is dead," comment before the 93 game? 

I remember MLive was constantly overtaken by Buckeye fans despite the fact we were beating them every year.  It didn't matter wheather we won or lost, you couldn't get away from them.  They were like Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th movies. 

Even looking at the crap OSU pulled before I was born (like the players trying to rip down the banner in 73) makes me want to punch things. 

OSU fans don't even have the integrity to be embarrassed  about the crap they and their school pulls.  They thrive on it.  Bomb sniffing dogs anyone? 

Oh.....now I'm angry.  What was my original point again?

ltrainbighouse

November 23rd, 2011 at 7:29 PM ^

I respected yet always hated ohio.  They broke alot of rules, but feel they shouldnt be punished severely.  They have a serious arrogance problem that we will address come saturday.  We will put them in their place.  By the way bring on Urban Meyer.  It will be good for the big ten and our rivalry.  I wouldn't trade hoke for him any day.  Bring on your arrogance and  Urban Meyer, we beat him and ohio before and will again and again and again  Go Blue