It is no secret that football fans at Auburn and LSU hate Alabama. That is a given considering the Crimson Tide’s dominance within the SEC West and on the national stage over the last decade. However, hate can come from many different places and when you are as successful as Alabama has been over the years there is a good chance that a number of college football fan groups from across the country don’t like them. Here is a look at the four most hated teams in college football.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Fighting Irish haven’t won a national championship since 1988 but that doesn’t mean they aren’t the most despised team in the country. Notre Dame has a storied history that includes 11 national titles and that is only the beginning of the reasons why college football fans across the country can’t stand them. The Fighting Irish have refused to join a football conference, they have their own television contract with NBC that ensures their games are always broadcast nationally and their fan base is made up in large part of people that didn’t even go to the school. Notre Dame football is one of the most recognized brands in sports and it is also one of the most hated college football programs across the country.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama’s dominance under Nick Saban has been so ridiculous that some actually will argue that it has hurt the sport. The Crimson Tide has won four national championships since 2009 and their supporters won’t let anybody else forget just how good they have been. What’s even harder to believe is that there is such a demand on perfection to keep winning in college football, yet the Tide continue to deliver.
Saban’s treatment of the media makes him an even easier target for fans to complain about but the bottom line is that his success has been what has driven other fan bases around the country so mad. Roll Tide.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State’s dominance has been talked about a lot since Urban Meyer’s arrival. There were celebrations across the country when they stumbled last year and that’s a testament to how much they are despised. Meyer is one of the most accomplished head coaches in the sport and he has done a terrific job of turning the Buckeyes’ fortunes around over the past few years. Ohio State is poised to contend for another Big Ten title and national championship again this season, and that will only add to the fury of fans not just in the state of Michigan but across the country as well. As long as they keep recruiting well, keep delivering double-digit winning seasons along with plenty of hardware, this team is going to be hated.
Michigan Wolverines
There was once a time when Michigan was probably the most hated team in America. Jim Harbaugh’s arrival could have them on their way to the top again. The Wolverines showed flashes of their potential in Harbaugh’s first year with the team last season and another strong recruiting class has them climbing in the right direction. But on top of just the normal “hate them because they’re good” stuff, Harbaugh has been stirring the pot significantly to make sure that there is extra vitriol. There’s the bizarre recruiting stories and, of course, the Twitter feuds, which help fuel the fire. He’s gone back-and-forth with Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State’s Athletic Director Gene Smith, Tennessee head coach Butch Jones, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and the SEC. Clearly, he likes to be in the middle of things and that’s only made Michigan that much more hated.
The Big House has a reputation for giving opposing fans a hard time and it’s not about to get any better with Michigan poised to become a legitimate Big Ten title contender and potentially forging a presence on the national stage once again for years to come.
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