Who is Ohio State football’s 2nd biggest rival?
By Ryan Stano
The Ohio State football team has one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports with TTUN. They are clearly Ohio State’s number one rivals and it’s not even close. It’s actually the biggest rivalry in college football. The real question is, who is Ohio State’s second-biggest rival?
There are a few candidates for this honor. A lot of people would point to Penn State as that rival. Penn State fans wish they were the Buckeyes’ biggest rival, but that will never happen. It’s not even a done deal if they are the second-biggest rival for the Buckeyes.
If you look at some of the contests over the past 10 years or so, Ohio State has won the last five, and three of those games were by double-figures. However, the games in both 2017 and 2018 were only decided by one point and were instant classics. But Penn State has only won once in the last ten years against the Buckeyes.
Another candidate for that second-biggest rival spot is Michigan State. The Spartans have ruined Ohio State’s shot to play for a national championship twice in the last 10 years, first in 2013 and then again in 2015. A lot of fans still hate the Spartans because of that.
Other than those two wins, only the 2016 contest was close. in that one, the Ohio State football team won by one point when Michigan State decided to go for two late in the game. This is actually a tougher decision than you think choosing between PSU and MSU.
In the end, I think the disdain that Penn State fans have for Ohio State fans is what puts them over the top. Some Penn State fans hate Ohio State like the Buckeyes hate TTUN. Their hate is something Michigan State fans don’t possess.
Next. Ohio State's chances in Big Ten Tournament. dark
It’s still a much tougher question to answer than I originally thought.