I've lived among them for 15 years now. Their fans can be quite obnoxious. Their alums are often very reasonable and complimentary. The wrestling thread noted above was vicious and vulgar. A love fest for UM and a hate fest for PSU. Of course it is because UM is a compliant partner who someday may return to their "glory of the past" but both have favored status and they know it. Unfortunately it seems as if no other school is bothered by getting jobbed when playing them in any sport. Or have they surrendered for the cash?I don't get the bitterness in this thread. It was heartbreaking to lose to them but it was one of the best games in college football last year. Another dozen or so games like that one, and you will be able to call PSU-OSU a great rivalry.
Ohio State has never hated PSU that I've seen. They never fought to keep PSU out of the Big Ten. They were never afraid of Paterno. They're the big dog and Penn State never represented much of a threat.
PSU wins about 30 percent of this series. When PSU is winning close to 50% then it will feel more like a rivalry to them.
Let PSU out-recruit Ohio State just ONCE, let alone 2-3 years in a row, and then PSU starts to represent a threat. Right now it's just kind of like a novelty -- oh Penn State beat us for a recruit or two. They're not exactly panicked about it.
Right now I sense among Ohio State fans a respect for what James Franklin has accomplished, but their program is still at a different level and PSU doesn't really threaten that yet.
As JF pointed out at his recruiting press conference, PSU has averaged the #13 recruiting class in the country the last 4 years. That's good but it is still a LONG LONG way from Ohio State.
Anyway I don't see anything negative in the LJ Sr.'s or the other coach's comments. It implies Penn State is on their radar, they care about beating Penn State, they worry about the PSU game. That's all good.
It got lost in the heartbreak of PSU losing that game last year, but Urban Meyer said it might have been the greatest victory of his career. Beating Penn State meant a lot to him -- and that is a good thing.
PSU has been jobbed as noted above. But recently we are trending upward in several athletic domains. This is threatening to the birthright two who can brook no competition, much less the new comer from the east. We were barely voted in unlike the manner in which UN, UMD, RU were welcomed with open arms, giddily like, smelling the dollars. Wait until UN gets jobbed in their own stadium with phantom field goals kicked well past the play clock expiring, bouncing interceptions, phantom replay equipment with their own stadium boards plainly showing the botched call. On and on it goes.
Now that we are back in football, world beaters in wrestling and several other Olympic sports the buckeye "fans" are nervous and they express this emotion with vulgar language and hate. Hate is quite a strong word but thrown around freely on their wrestling board and other boards they dominate. They respect UM but hate PSU. Well, news flash buckeyes, you better prepare for a siege because PSU is coming, reloading not rebuilding, the sanction effect is practically over as the last vestige, our O-line is beginning to shape up, see the Fiesta Bowl. Your days as the big boy on the block are over, PSU - a new sheriff is in town, hasn't peaked and is not going anywhere, get used to it.