'Ohio Against The World' merchandise released to support Buckeyes' NIL collective

Ohio State is exactly where it wanted to be entering the last weekend of November.

The Buckeyes are a perfect 11-0, slated in the top three of the College Football Playoff rankings. Michigan is right there, too. For all intents and purposes, The Game is a playoff elimination game.

Ahead of the top-three showdown in Ann Arbor, Ohio State is embracing the “Ohio Against The World” mantra. The phrase that has been put on flags is now being sold on merchandise by The 1870 Society, the official NIL collective for Buckeyes football.

It’s a similar nod to what Michigan launched in recent weeks with its “Michigan vs Everybody” apparel. The 1870 Society announced the campaign on Sunday night, with proceeds from each sale going directly to Buckeyes athletes. The collective partnered with the Cincinnati-based lifestyle brand Ohio Against the World to produce the apparel.

NIL collectives across the country have used apparel as a way to drive revenue back to their athletes. It’s a smart way to deliver products to fans and boosters while creating another stream of dollars to help NIL efforts.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day has embraced the “Ohio Against The World” phrase this season. After his team’s win at Notre Dame in September, he used the motto as a rallying cry on national television.

 “We’re proud to be from Ohio,” he said on NBC after Ohio State’s last-second win over the Fighting Irish. “It’s always been Ohio against the world. It will continue to be Ohio against the world.

Michigan favored entering The Game

Saturday could be one of the most-anticipated meetings between Ohio State and Michigan in recent memory. Jim Harbaugh will not be on the sidelines for the Wolverines, serving the final game of his three-week suspension handed out by the Big Ten. The head coach has been allowed to be with his team up until game time, though.

On the other sidelines, the Buckeyes have lost the last two games in the series. Everything is at stake, including a Big Ten East title and a berth in the CFP. Don’t forget about bragging rights either.

Michigan opened the week as 3.5-point favorites, according to Fanduel Sportsbook.

“The key is to just stay in the moment,” Day said after Saturday’s drubbing of Minnesota. “There will be emotion this week. There will be a lot this week, there will be noise, there will be everything. What we have to do is we have to do a great job of preparing. We can’t do anything different. We have to continue to stay with our routine and then focus on maximizing every minute of this week. And then noon on Saturday is going to come. That’s not going to come any faster by us doing something else. So we need a great week of preparation.

“We’re all in this thing together. We are. I love this team. We’ve been working hard to get to this point. And so we need a great week of preparation, and then we get on that bus and head to Ann Arbor.”

Latest on Ohio State’s NIL market

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith announced in a video posted on social media in September that The 1870 Society would be the premier NIL collective for Ohio State football. It was the clearest message released by the Buckeyes yet in the NIL Era regarding collectives.

Launched in April, The 1870 Society holds backing from a number of boosters, including Jason Priestas, Mark Stetson and Aidin Aghamiri. While the organization is a registered for-profit, the collective previously stated it does not, “intend to generate profits from running the business.”

The 1870 Society named Todd Markiewicz as its president shortly after its initial formation. He most recently served as the vice resident and station manager for 97.1 The Fan in Columbus. Former Ohio State safety and national champion Tyvis Powell has his own podcast, too, and serves as the director of player engagement.

Day backed the 1870 Society since its launch in April, appearing in a promotional video for the organization. Since then, he’s launched a podcast with former Ohio State national champion Michael Bennett serving as a host. It’s one of the few times a head coach has taken such an active role in promoting an NIL collective.

In the last week, the collective rolled out its beer, “BOOM,” last week. Already at Giant Eagle stores across Columbus, plans are in place for a statewide rollout to Giant Eagle stores this week. An American Lager, it’s sold in 12-packs.