Ohio State Buckeyes Fact Sheet: Let the Haters Hate

The haters are out in force this year, Buckeye fans! The hate is in the air and the fingers are on the keyboards as the college football blogospheres light up with disdain for the Scarlet and Gray.

I can't help but wonder what it is that really fuels the hatred for this team. I've heard things like, "They are given opportunities." And, "They never earn anything."

I'm not even here to debate whether that is the truth or not. I think my personal opinion would be apparent. What I would like to do is point out just a few quick facts to the haters:

1. The body of work of tOSU is quite likely better than your team's, according to the list of winningest football programs of all time as of the end of last season:

1. Michigan: 872-297-38
2. Texas: 832-320-34
3. Notre Dame: 831-285-42 
4. Nebraska: 827-337-41
5. Ohio State: 808-306-53

2. The recent body of work by Ohio State is likely better than yours (winningest programs this decade):

Rank	Team name	Winning  Percentage	Games  Won	Games  Lost	Games  Tied	Games  Played
1	Boise State	0.85217	98	17	0	115
2	Texas	0.84348	97	18	0	115
3	Oklahoma	0.84298	102	19	0	121
4	Southern Cal	0.80870	93	22	0	115
5	Ohio State	0.79825	91	23	0	114

Now I can hear you all reaching for your keyboards right now to tell me that Ohio state wins because they don't play anyone. This is false and simply not backed up by fact. Ohio State's record against other conferences this decade:

 

Conference	All Sites							Home							Away							Neutral
	Win%	gm	W	L	T	Avg.Scr		Win%	gm	W	L	T	Avg.Scr		Win%	gm	W	L	T	Avg.Scr		Win%	gm	W	L	T	Avg.Scr
ACC	1.000	2	2	0		33.0	26.0	1.000	1	1	0		44.0	38.0	1.000	1	1	0		22.0	14.0
BigEast	1.000	2	2	0		34.0	15.5	1.000	1	1	0		37.0	7.0								1.000	1	1	0		31.0	24.0
CUSA	1.000	2	2	0		25.0	12.5	1.000	1	1	0		27.0	6.0	1.000	1	1	0		23.0	19.0
MAC	1.000	11	11	0		32.0	12.5	1.000	11	11	0		32.0	12.5
MWC	1.000	3	3	0		23.3	10.3	1.000	3	3	0		23.3	10.3
SunBelt	1.000	1	1	0		28.0	10.0	1.000	1	1	0		28.0	10.0
WAC	1.000	2	2	0		46.5	8.5	1.000	2	2	0		46.5	8.5
BigTen	0.792	72	57	15		28.6	15.6	0.806	36	29	7		29.8	14.2	0.778	36	28	8		27.3	16.9
BigXII	0.667	6	4	2		30.0	18.7	0.500	2	1	1		33.5	23.0	1.000	1	1	0		24.0	7.0	0.667	3	2	1		29.7	19.7
PAC-10	0.667	6	4	2		20.3	15.8	1.000	2	2	0		26.5	8.0	0.500	4	2	2		17.2	19.8
SEC	0.000	4	0	4		18.2	33.5															0.000	4	0	4		18.2	33.5

 

There are a few things there for the haters to chew on.

Firstly, the only conference that tOSU has a losing record against this decade is the SEC. They have met four times. Of those four times, twice was in the national championship game. The results of those games have certainly not been pretty. 

The other two games were a dropped home-and-away series with South Carolina in 2001 and 2002.

If we want to look at the facts, Ohio State has played its way around the conferences and has done so with success. There is no predictor of what team may be good from one year to the next. For example, when Washington was scheduled it looked to be a worthy opponent. It turned out not to be so. 

Lastly, I'd like to state that the haters had better be ready to get a mouthful of Buckeye gaudy stats this season because it is entirely possible it will happen. We won't know until we get there.

There is a big game against USC looming on the horizon. If the Scarlet and Gray wins, it will likely be called a fluke or USC is in a "down year." If we lose, it will add more fuel to the haters' fire.

I'm excited about this season and the hate only helps to make me more so.

For now, let the haters hate. I love it!