Ohio State football’s brand is better when Michigan is good
By Ryan Stano
As a fan, I want TTUN to lose every single game all the time. But even I know that the Ohio State football program has a stronger brand presence when Michigan is also good.
Let me get this out of the way right now; I will never root for TTUN in any sport for any reason. I hope the Ohio State football and basketball teams beat them every time they play, and the same goes for every other sport that both teams field. TTUN stinks.
Even with all of that being said, I understand that the Ohio State football team has a stronger brand presence when TTUN is also good at football. These two are historical rivals and are the two biggest brands in the Big Ten conference. They carry the water for every other team.
Michigan was really bad in 2020. They had the worst season they’ve had under Jim Harbaugh. While their recruiting class is good for 2021, they still aren’t on Ohio State’s level. It’s better for the conference and Ohio State in general when they are though.
As a fan, it makes me very happy that TTUN seems very far away from achieving that fact. Most fans feel the exact same way. But the rivalry doesn’t feel like a rivalry right now. It’s a foregone conclusion that Ohio State is going to murder TTUN this Fall.
Not only is it better for Ohio State and the Big Ten if both teams are elite, but it helps college football in general. More casual fans get interested if two of their big-time brands are duking it out to be two of the top teams in the country.
Next. Things already looking better for Meyer in Jacksonville. dark
Ohio State is the dominant program in this rivalry. It’s not particularly close. But deep down, if you ask Buckeye fans, they would agree that it would make the rivalry better if Michigan was just a little better.