A post on the Bleacher Report recently ranked the 10 most hated college football teams in the past 25 years. Most of the teams are teams that were disliked because they were good. Personally, I can respect a good team. I usually have much better reasons for my “dislike.”

While the Buckeyes didn’t make it to number one, the writer felt the need to illustrate the post with a little scarlet and gray.

Personally, I’ve got no problem with our number three ranking. When you’re good enough to make it to the BCS Championship three times in five years and you’re in line to do it again, yeah, people are going to get jealous.

It’s also important to note that unlike many teams out there, Ohio State fans understand tradition and rivalry as opposed to some brief moment of shining glory in the national spotlight that will fade away not to return for another 20 years or so. Ohio State will always be a force, even during an off year.

Unlike those who envy however, if you’ve read this blog, you’ve probably noticed my certain…shall we call it distaste…for a handful of college football programs.

Since the Bleacher report did not properly stir my angst, I’d thought I’d present my most ha–I mean “disliked” college programs of the past 25 years. My date ranges may be a little off as I’m going on bitter, painful memories here - not researched fact.

9: Florida State Seminoles - Most of the Bobbie Bowden years but especially the late 80s.

Although Florida State is pretty much harmless these days, it couldn’t come to a better team or coach. However, during their “better” days, it always seemed as though they were running the score against a pansie for the sake of national ranking. Of course, I pretty much felt this way about all the Florida teams back then.

8: Nebraska - Late 80s/early 90s

Not a lot to say here. They were just annoying. This was also during the height of a very frustrating John Copper period so…well don’t make me go there.*

7: The entire SEC for about the past five years

First off, the SEC doesn’t deserve the honor of my ilk. And while the Buckeyes may be the thorn in the side of every SEC fan, they are a flash in the pan. Sooner or later the fallacy of “SEC speed” will be exposed for what it is, the ESPN commentators will be forced to move on and that will be about all we will hear of the SEC as a division. Sure, they’ll always have a couple of teams in the hunt but the myth that they deserve a BCS spot just because they are in the SEC will soon fade.

Meanwhile, Ohio State will always be a force in college football.

6: USC - the Pete Carroll years

This is probably has more to do with my frustration with ESPN and in particular Mark May than anything else. Sure, USC can be good but they can also be overrated. And boy, ESPN and the BCS sure love to over rank them. I am looking forward to the USC/OSU series. They are long over due for a good old Buckeye ass whoopin.

5: Notre Dame - Since Charlie Weis took over

Yeah, Notre Dame has always been annoying but I could tolerate Lou Holtz, and Tyrone Willingham was an interesting coach. However, these days Notre Dame is nothing short of pathetic. Regardless, they’ve given Weis a nice fat (no pun intended) contract and NBC has picked them up for who knows how many more years. This means that I’m going to have to watch Notre Dame get beat by Ball State (o.k. that is game I’d enjoy) instead of a college football game that actually accounted for something.

Not only that but the sweetheart deal they’ve worked with the BCS is disgusting. They can go an entire season without winning a game and they still bring in big bucks from the BCS. Not to mention that if they actually win a game, suddenly they’re contenders for a BCS Bowl game.

I love tradition as much as the next guy but Notre Dame needs to get rid of Weis now and bring this program back to their glory days.

4: Miami - no specific time period - just Miami in general

There aren’t many teams I “disliked” as much as I “disliked” Miami the day after the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. I have never seen such incredibly poor losers and crybabies as I did reading the papers the morning after. The Miami players talked as though Ohio State should never have been on the same field with them even though they got a quick, rude awakening the minute they got the ball. The Buckeye defense hit their offensive line so hard that Miami quarterback had to give his post game interviews from the hospital where he spent the night.

Even more absurd is the way people remember Maurice Clarett’s troubles yet Miami players were constantly trying to postpone legal battles until after the season was over — and Coker was known for looking the other way.

O.K. now I’m getting there. The old angst is alive and well. I’m still using the word “disliked” but I moved into hate on those last two.

3: Michigan - 1969 to 1978

What did you expect? It’s the 10 Year War!!! Even if I’m not old enough to remember all of it, I remember enough. With Bo, we take our hatred to an entirely new level. This is the hatred that I was weaned on. This is the hatred that all Ohio State fans know even if there aren’t old enough remember. They’ve seen the films. They know they story of Woody and Bo. I’m pretty sure it is tested in Ohio as a requirement of The No Child Left Behind Act. This hatred though is filled with respect. I would love to see Michigan find a coach worthy of another 10 year war. Tressel is up for it. Unfortunately, we all know Rodrigeuz isn’t.

2: Michigan - 1995 to 2007

Yeah, I skipped a couple of years in there. Does anyone actually remember Gary Moeller (even though like most Michigan coaches, he was an Ohio State grad)? Let’s jump ahead to the Llllllloyd Carr years. The early part of his tenure was frustrating not because of Michigan but because of Cooper. However, since the dawn of the Tressel era, he, along with the rest of the Michigan football team, was our whipping boy and a good one at that.

We all know that deep down inside, Carr’s biggest fans were in Columbus.

1: Michigan - 2008 to ?

Hey, you’ve dug your own grave Michigan. You sleep in it. There is no question that Rich Rodriguez is going to turn Michigan into one of the most disliked Ohio State fan’s teams. Not because they will be beating Ohio State but because it is doubtful they will be able to provide a worthy opponent for Ohio State. The Ohio State/Michigan game should be the greatest game in college football every year. It is a great rivalry based on tradition and a respectful hatred of your opponent. I want to see an honorable foe lined up across the field from Coach Tressel and his 11 warriors. However, from the way he left West Virginia and what I have seen so far at UM, it looks like he has a long way to go.

So there you have it. Feel free to let me have it. As an Ohio State Fan, who have I missed? Who is on your list? comment below.

* I actually considered putting John Cooper’s Buckeyes on this list. This took some soul searching and I’m still having trouble with it. I realized though that it wasn’t the team I disliked but the way Cooper and his coaching staff, but especially Cooper, would completely break down mentally. There was a time that if the Buckeyes fell behind, there was no hope of them coming back. He couldn’t prepare a team mentally and at that level of play, half the game is 90 percent mental (or something like that Yogi). As I said, some of the memories are just too bitter and painful.