design & illustration: Audrey Selsor
Looking out at a crowd of people on a Saturday morning in Columbus, you will likely notice a sea of scarlet and gray. The city of Columbus’s obsession with The Ohio State University’s football program reaches far and wide.
Ohio State football is a staple of Columbus culture; it instills pride in the hearts of the city’s citizens and brings people together.
Football is by far the most popular sport in the United States and after San Antonio, Columbus is the largest market without a professional football team, according to Interview Area. But to most Columbus residents, this fact is irrelevant as OSU football is all they need. The city’s admiration is proven by the fact that the Ohio Stadium, colloquially known by fans as The Horseshoe, has a larger capacity than any NFL stadium—in fact, it’s the fifth largest stadium in the world. The money generated by the support the OSU football team receives, greatly helps both the university and the larger Columbus economy.
The success of OSU football also seems to be a point of pride for the city’s residents, whether you are an alumnus, student, or just a resident of the city—this culture brings the community together and gives everyone a common interest. Residents can travel anywhere around the world and yell out an O-H into a crowd, and they will likely here back an I-O. This spirit extends far beyond football and makes for an overall happier city. The people of Columbus are happiest after a win over Michigan.
The Game, the most important time of the year for OSU football also heavily influences the city. One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports, it always has every Columbus resident either glued to their TV’s with friends or in The Shoe watching in person. The Game is also usually essential to the post-season fate of both teams, and this intensity just adds fuel to flame to increase the animosity between the two schools.
OSU football is also clearly the most dominant sports team in the state; most games are televised nationally and pull over 10 million viewers, according to The Atlantic. This truly helps put Columbus on the map—Cincinnati and Cleveland don’t have nearly as large of a national sports presence. Sports Illustrated ranked Ohio State as the most coveted sports university in the country. They considered multiple factors such as academic ranking, all-sports ranking and total viewership. Sports Illustrated also noted that OSU has produced 87 first round draft picks for the NFL; that is more than any other university in the country.
With the leaves turning brilliant shades of yellow and brown, this time of year is beautiful in Central Ohio, although on a Saturday one likely won’t see anyone taking a stroll outdoors—So join the rest of Columbus and turn on the TV. After all, this city really is just an overgrown college town.
