# Why is Ohio State highlighted on ESPN college football ranking lists?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ohio-state-highlighted-on-espn-college-football-ranking-lists/673137>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [November 5, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ohio-state-highlighted-on-espn-college-football-ranking-lists/673137 "2013-11-05T12:30:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ohio-state-highlighted-on-espn-college-football-ranking-lists/673137/1 "2013-11-05T12:30:34Z")

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See [ESPN Rankings](http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/college-football/rankings). Are they paying extra or something to get their name highlighted? Does ESPN want to make sure that everyone remembers they are eligible for post-season this year?

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ohio-state-highlighted-on-espn-college-football-ranking-lists/673137/2 "2013-11-05T12:48:21Z")

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OSU doesn’t appear highlighted when I view the page. Did you search for Ohio and then click on the link from your search engine? That might cause the phrase to be highlighted.

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ohio-state-highlighted-on-espn-college-football-ranking-lists/673137/3 "2013-11-05T12:48:29Z")

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I clicked on the link you have in the OP. No name is highlighted for me.

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**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ohio-state-highlighted-on-espn-college-football-ranking-lists/673137/4 "2013-11-05T13:08:08Z")

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That is so bizarre. Now that you’ve mentioned it, I’ve checked the ESPN rankings from work and home on probably a dozen computers over this season. Some have it highlighted every time and some don’t. It isn’t a search engine highlight though, it is a gold bar on their line of the ranking screen only.

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**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ohio-state-highlighted-on-espn-college-football-ranking-lists/673137/5 "2013-11-05T13:12:52Z")

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Nevermind, I figured it out. One of my co-workers was signed in to his myESPN account on this computer (and presumably some others around work). Apparently he is a The Ohio State fan [spit]. I’ve signed him out and the highlight disappeared, thank god!