Having been born and raised in the state, I can certainly attest to how much the game of football means to the people in the state of Ohio. So much so, in fact, a name change is in the offing because of who the state’s flagship university’s next opponent is.
Two Mondays from now, Ohio State will face Oregon in the first-ever College Football Playoff championship. Coincidentally, there is a city that’s a suburb of Toledo in Northwest Ohio called, of course, Oregon.
In another coincidence, the high school’s colors are green and gold, the same as the Ducks.
The connection to the title game opponent has prompted two natives of the area to start up a petition on change.org to address both the town’s name and the high school’s colors for the day of the game only. From the Toledo Free Press:“I grew up in Oregon, Ohio and love the city, but for the day of the ‘Big Game’ I am asking the city council to make a proclamation to change the name of the city for one day,” reads the petition, posted by Squibb. “Call it Buckeye Town, Ohio City, Brutusville, whatever, you get the point. Let’s not leave anything to chance here! Change the name and support the Buckeyes!”
The petition also calls for Oregon’s Clay High School to change its school colors for the day. Clay and University of Oregon share the school colors of green and gold.
The town said it’s aware of the petition and it apparently had an impact as they will announce in a proclamation Monday, Jan. 5, what the name of the town will be for Jan. 12.
Perhaps the best part about this whole situation? The two men who started the petition, Matt Squibb and Mark Rabbitt, aren’t even fans of OSU, and one is even a fan of OSU’s hated rival Michigan.
(Tip O’ the Cap: Big Ten Network)