Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor, February 19, 2016
What is the most powerful fan base in college football?
Collegespun.com recently published an article listing the 16 most powerful fan bases, and four Big Ten schools appear on the list.
Factors that were taken into account while creating the list include program worth, program revenue, television contracts, social media followings, attendance and a number of others.
Leading the way is Ohio State, which is listed at No. 1 overall.
"Ohio State has always been among the strongest programs and fan bases in college football, but winning the 2014 national championship seems to have woken something up in the Buckeye fans," the article reads. "Buckeye fans showed up in a big way during that College Football Playoff run, which included wins over two of the other teams on our list: Alabama and Oregon."
OSU's rival, Michigan, comes in at No. 4 on the list, trailing only OSU, Notre Dame and Alabama.
Also on the list is Nebraska at No. 7, followed by Penn State at No. 8.
My take: This is a solid list that makes plenty of good points to back up their rankings. Don't be surprised to see Michigan State and Iowa, the two representatives in this year's Big Ten Championship Game, climb their way onto this list in time.
I agree with Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State all appearing on the list. You could probably argue that Michigan should be ahead of Notre Dame, but there are good points for both sides.
The SEC leads the way with six schools on the list, while the Big Ten ranks second with four. Both the Pac-12 and the Big 12 have two schools on the list, while there is one from the ACC and one independent.
