What does Ohio Against The World mean? Five things to know about the Ohio brand

Taijuan Moorman, Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
Sep 23, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes players celebrate as they leave the field after beating Notre Dame Fighting Irish 17-14 at Notre Dame Stadium.
Sep 23, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes players celebrate as they leave the field after beating Notre Dame Fighting Irish 17-14 at Notre Dame Stadium.

Many Ohioans are very much feeling against the world this morning (or Lou Holtz, at least) after the Ohio State Buckeyes' 17-14 win against Notre Dame on Saturday

. But where did the phrase and those flags come from?

Here are a few things to know about Ohio Against The World, both the brand and movement, founded right here in the Buckeye State.

Founder Floyd Johnson is a Cincinnati native

The brand was founded over a decade ago by Floyd Johnson, a Cincinnati native, when he wore a hoodie he made himself in downtown Cincinnati on a Friday night. It caught others' attention, which prompted him to make more.

The brand came about around the same time as another clothing brand promoting Midwestern pride, Detroit Vs. Everybody.

The slogan is a rallying cry for the "underdog"

Johnson told The Lantern in 2015 that the phrase is a "battle cry for the underdog." The brand embodies "no matter where you are from, you can conquer anything," according to its website.

The phrase is popular with Ohio sports figures

From Lebron James to Ryan Day, Ohio Against The World has grown beyond the brand to embrace underdog storylines in all of Ohio sports.

"Ohio against the world" is a phrase that's regularly in Ohio State and football coach Ryan Day's repertoire.

"We're proud to be from Ohio, and it's always been Ohio against the world," Day said in a postgame interview on NBC Saturday. "And it will continue to be Ohio against the world."

An Ohio State fan holds a sign that reads "Ohio against the world".
An Ohio State fan holds a sign that reads "Ohio against the world".

The brand has a Cincinnati Against The World collection

In addition to Ohio Against The World merchandise, the brand has a large collection of Cincinnati Against The World merch in Bengals orange and black colorways. On its website, the brand also features a Cleveland Against the World tee and has pages for potential Dayton and Columbus Against The World collections.

The Ohio Against The World flags are sold out

As regularly seen in Ohio State games, including Saturday's game against Notre Dame, the Ohio Against The World flags are sold out as of Monday. Check back to get your flag and represent Ohio before the next home game, against Maryland on Oct. 7.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@taijuannichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Where did Ohio Against The World come from?