My secret shame (among many) is that I, a native of southwest Ohio, grew up a hardcore fan of the Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team.
I couldn't help it! Under the irascible and often irresponsible Bob Huggins, the Bearcats were overachievers with some really cool players in the 90's; Kenyon Martin, Danny Fortson, and Nick Van Exel were tough, badass players that imbued my Cincy Starter jacket with enough magic to make even the dorkiest of fifth graders seem cool. Bowl cut and grandpa glasses notwithstanding.
So while the game itself wasn't much to write home about, I was personally freaking thrilled about Ohio State's opener against the UC Bearcats.