Ohio is the anti-rizz capital of the nation.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha have developed a bizarre fixation with the home of rock and roll, scary roller coasters, chili with cinnamon and JD Vance — adopting The Buckeye State’s given name as slang for anything “weird or absurd.”

Earlier this summer, search phrases like “Only in Ohio” and “You’re so Ohio” tripled on Google to 58,021 — while last year, the term was second most searched meme on the engine, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The insult is also typically mixed in with a gen alpha word “skibidi” — a gibberish phrase tied to “brain rot”-style videos kids watch online about a toilet.

“Ohio is sort of weird, absurd,” 12-year-old Eden Rodriguez of Chevy Chase, Maryland — who has never been to the state — told the outlet.

That goes for most of the kids using the phrase, according to KnowYourMeme editor Owen Carry.

“Most people who are making these memes about Ohio have also never been there, and they are making them for other people who have never been there,” Carry told the Journal.

But could this be no more than a case of “the kids these days?”

The internet — and even before — has been poking fun at the Rust Belt state for generations.

In the modern era, first came the viral “Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism” YouTube videos in 2009, which bragged that “at least we’re not Detroit.”

Then rapper Lil B dropped “Swag Like Ohio” in 2010, followed by a widely-shared 2016 Tumblr post that called for Ohio to be “eliminated.”

Ohioans aren’t letting this latest affront get by them; several local outlets have even recently published public service announcements explaining to the masses — the ones not in high school — what the heck is going on.

“Are you a skibidi Ohio rizzler?” a recent headline from the Columbus Dispatch read. “Are ‘Ohio’ memes the source of ‘brainrot’ among Gen Alpha?” The Cincinnati Enquirer published.

Some residents are relatively relaxed regarding their accidental fame.

“We are very real, friendly, down-to-earth people,” 31-year-old Clevander Kelsey Will told the Journal. “The majority of us would not be offended by it and would join in on the fun.”

And, perhaps the locals will have the last laugh — a new report shows a substantial boost in tourism for one piece of the state.

The economically-challenged Youngstown area of Mahoning County reported a 10% increase in tourism revenue since 2021 — saying that the segment has become a billion-dollar source of revenue for the region.

One Gen Zer, Delaney Hendershot from Lebron James’ home of Akron, says no news is bad news.

“We know our worth in the state,” Hendershot told WSJ.

“I would much rather be a part of the conversation than not, because some states truly are forgotten,” they said.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have yet to play a down in the 2024 season and yet speculation has started regarding the status of head coach Ryan Day.

Much of the discontent with Day is his record against Michigan, better known in Columbus as “that team up north.” In four meetings, Day is 1-3 while previous coaches, Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer, were a combined 16-1 against the Wolverines.

In order to reach their goals of beating Michigan, winning a Big Ten title and a national championship, the Buckeyes must also deal with an explosive Oregon Ducks’ offense and one of the best defenses in the country.

The margin for error is quite small although Day has taken significant steps to improve his team. The first bit of good news for him was the announcement from 11 players who decided to return to Columbus for their senior season. The first to opt in was Ohio State defensive end, Jack Sawyer, who did not hesitate to spell out what all 11 were thinking.

“We came back with one purpose and one goal, and that’s to beat the Team Up North and win a national championship,” Sawyer said. 

One other move made by Day that stands out is the hiring of former Oregon and UCLA coach, Chip Kelly, as the offensive coordinator. Losing to Michigan last season and a desire to return to the top of the Big Ten were said to be the reasons Day gave up his play-calling duties.

Make no mistake, Day understands that high expectations are part of the job description at Ohio State.

“Now, our guys, they know what the expectation is,” Day said recently. “You’ve heard some of them say what their goals are. We’re not going to shy away from that. We want to win the rivalry game, be right in this stadium right here and win this Big Ten championship, win a national championship. We know that.”

Given his situation, a win against Oregon may not lock in a playoff spot or a Big Ten championship, but a loss could be devastating. Some of the more vocal fans and members of the media believe a failure to achieve the stated goals may mean a head coaching change. To that point, former Michigan receiver and Super Bowl XXXI MVP, Desmond Howard, offered his thoughts on a recent episode of ESPN’s “Get Up.”

“It’s like this. I think the people at Ohio State just pushed all of their chips to the center of the table,” Howard said. “They went and spent about $13 million on free agents – well, college football’s version of free agency with the portal and NIL.”

“Some fans would say, ‘Well if we got rid of Ryan Day, who will we hire?’ They went out and hired Chip Kelly as the offensive coordinator,” Howard explained. “If things go awry, I think they have somebody who’s behind Ryan Day where they can say, ‘Chip Kelly can be the next coach too.”

There is little doubt that Kelly has been an offensive innovator throughout his coaching career including stops in New Hampshire, Oregon Ducks, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and the UCLA Bruins. His decision to take the job at Ohio State was a surprise to many. However, it was likely inevitable that he leave. Bruins’ fans and boosters were not happy with the results, although wins were trending higher, and Kelly was looking for a change.

When pressed for details behind his decision, Kelly told media at Ohio State that he felt at ease in coaching UCLA’s quarterbacks before the LA Bowl and this role allowed him to focus on football. As to a return to the top job, Kelly’s prior actions reveal his dislike for some of the responsibilities typically handled by the head coach.

Simply said, Kelly would seem to prefer to study the game rather than handling issues like recruiting, meeting with alumni and boosters, communicating to the press, selling the program, etc. It was said in Oregon he declined to travel to Portland to attend booster meetings, alienating some important team donors. The takeaway from this is that Kelly can excel in building an offense but may lack the desire to deal with all that is outside the football field.

Lasty, there is an odd twist relevant to Day losing or not losing his job. Many believe that as long as the Buckeyes beat Michigan, Day’s job is safe even if there is no Big Ten title or national championship. While that may seem extreme, it reflects the depth of the rivalry between these two teams. Now, with a talented Oregon team (ranked second in the Big Ten) on the schedule, there are even more challenges for Day to face.

MORE: Will Five-Star Ohio State Commit Na’eem Offord Flip to the Oregon Ducks?

MORE: Bo Nix Serious Contender For NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

MORE: Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State Game Time Released, Prime Time Big Ten Matchup

MORE: Marcus Mariota Sharing ‘Gold’ With Washington Rookie Quarterback Jayden Daniels

MORE: Former College Football Coach Regrets Letting Dan Lanning Take New Job

MORE: Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dillon Gabriel Signs Exclusive NIL Deal

With the Ohio State 2024 season quickly approaching, it’s time for football fans to get their priorities in order.

What would you rather see happen: Ohio State beats Michigan for the first time since 2019 but falls short of a national championship, or Ohio State loses its fourth-straight meeting with the rival Wolverines but ends the season with a College Football Playoff national championship trophy?

Take this scenario: Ohio State wins 11 games, loses to Michigan, but prevails for the championship. That’s what the The Dispatch’s season simulation amounted to through EA Sports College Football 25. Would it make fans happy? Tell us in our poll. (We know you probably want to pick “both,” but that would make things too easy.)

Could Ohio State win national championship with Michigan loss?

The odds for an Ohio State national championship with a loss to rival Michigan have increased dramatically.

In 2024, the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams. The top four seeds — each of which will be conference champions — will receive a first-round bye. The other eight teams will face off in the first round at the higher seed’s home stadium.

According to the final College Football Playoff rankings of the 2023 season, four teams in the top 12 had one loss — Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State — while five teams in the top 12 had two losses: Oregon, Missouri, Penn State, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Using the 2023 rankings, Ohio State would have been a No. 7 seed in the expanded College Football Playoff.

Ohio State football schedule 2024

• Aug. 31: Ohio State vs. Akron; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
• Sept. 7: Ohio State vs. Western Michigan; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
• Sept. 21: Ohio State vs. Marshall; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
• Sept. 28: Ohio State at Michigan State; Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
• Oct. 5: Ohio State vs. Iowa; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
• Oct. 12: Ohio State at Oregon; Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon
• Oct. 26: Ohio State vs. Nebraska; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
• Nov. 2: Ohio State at Penn State; Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
• Nov. 9: Ohio State vs. Purdue; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
• Nov. 16: Ohio State at Northwestern; Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
• Nov. 23: Ohio State vs. Indiana; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
• Nov. 30: Ohio State vs. Michigan; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts