If we’ve said it before, we’ll say it again. The Ohio State football family is massive. Television ratings, merchandising, revenue and message boards all say Buckeye Nation ranks among the leaders in the number of fans out there.
If you want further proof, look no further than a recent study that was done by SBRNet and analyzed by AL.com. The study uses polling data from the marketing research firm in partnership with the Center for Sports Analytics at Samford University.
And, yeah, looks like Ohio State fans are a loyal and rather large bunch. Of course, any study like this has all kinds of caveats based on the population polled, margin of error, time period taken, and many other facets, but it’s not the only study that comes back with huge returns for scarlet and gray.
But what other teams are up there? Is Michigan close to Ohio State with its recent winning ways? What about two-time defending champion Georgia, or Alabama, which is in the golden age of its time? Are there any other Big Ten programs that make the list?
These sorts of things tend to change based on team performance and other factors year-over-year it seems, and so, we’ll get right into it. Here are the top ten followed college football teams based on this year’s data from No. 10 down to the top dog.
10
Wisconsin Badgers
What to Know
This might be a bit surprising but Wisconsin has been winning for a long time now and its followers have taken notice. The Badgers might be known as the best program yet to make a College Football Playoff appearance and now have a former Buckeye running the show with Luke Fickell taking over.
Total Fans | 2,640,546
9
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
What to Know
Notre Dame is one of the most iconic and historic college football programs of all time. There is national appeal and it makes a lot of sense that the Golden Domers have a big following. Something tells me things could really get crankin’ if the program reaches elite status under another former Buckeyes, Marcus Freeman as the head coach.
Total Fans | 2,649,228
8
UCLA Bruins
What to Know
One might expect to have the other L.A. team, USC, in this spot, but remember UCLA is a bigger school in the University of California system. Will the Bruins get a bump from being a part of the Big Ten? Time will tell.
Total Fans | 2,984,517
7
Georgia Bulldogs
What to Know
The two-time defending champion Bulldogs are only going to gain more fans and followers if they keep winning at the clip they are. Having the metro-Atlanta area and a state with a growing population certainly doesn’t hurt how many people are starting to take notice of what Kirby Smart is doing.
Total Fans | 3,103,171
6
Alabama Crimson Tide
What to Know
According to the study, Alabama has slipped a bit, from No. 2 down to No. 6 but is still the most followed team in the South. Georgia seems to be closing the gap, but you can expect the Tide to roar back if it can exert its dominance once again.
Total Fans | 3,436,886
5
Florida State Seminoles
What to Know
Florida State isn’t the program it was under Bobby Bowden, but that period sure did make a lot of fans and believers out of the Seminoles, and they are still around today. The newer generation will get on board if other teams begin to “Fear the Spear” once again.
Total Fans | 3,438,970
4
Duke University
What to Know
I have to admit, I’m a little surprised by the following this study says Duke has in football and at a loss for how it could be. North Carolina is really the state team, but all I can think of is that the Blue Devils are getting a bump from the national brand it is in basketball. Someone help me out on this one.
Total Fans | 3,701,651
3
Penn State Nittany Lions
What to Know
All you have to do is travel a bit and you’ll realize there’s a significant amount of Penn State fans out there wearing team gear. It’s a large school with a lot of alumni so it makes sense and by far the most followed team in the Northeast where there aren’t a whole lot of college football powers. Now, if only James Franklin could get the program to the elite level.
Total Fans | 4,024,237
2
Michigan Wolverines
What to Know
Here at Buckeyes Wire, we’ve definitely noticed an uptick in Michigan fans coming out of the woodwork and becoming more vocal. All the Wolverines needed were to start winning again as a traditional power with a lot of alumni and you’re seeing that now. Still, Michigan has a long way to go to catch its rival.
Total Fans | 4,446,267
1
Ohio State Buckeyes
What to Know
Let’s just go ahead and call Ohio State America’s college football team, shall we? The Buckeyes have a large following thanks to a consistent winning tradition and massive alumni base. It’s staggering how far ahead the following is for OSU than everyone else, but if you travel anywhere in the world and shout O-H, you’re bound to here an I-O in return.
Total Fans | 6,151,180
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