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Ohio State vs. Michigan State Brings an Uncomfortable Undercurrent

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The bond between the Ohio State football team and this city extends beyond the 104,797 fans who packed the Horseshoe this weekend, dressing dutifully in black to match the Buckeyes’ made-for-marketing alternate jerseys.

The connection extends to the bars, restaurants and shops in the Short North neighborhood, where passers-by greet one another with “Happy Game Day,” and to the sea of tailgaters who range more than a mile from Ohio Stadium.

So when fireworks boom with each touchdown and the band plays the alma mater afterward, players swaying arm in arm with their families on the field, it is easy to forget that this richly communal experience is kept humming by the more than $200 million in revenue that the athletic department generates each year.