For years now, many Ohio State Buckeyes fans have been claiming the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, Joe Burrow, as their own. However, is he really? Burrow set the record straight during an appearance on “Pardon My Take” last July, where he spoke about his time at Ohio State.
Ever since Burrow won the 2020 National Championship against Clemson while playing for LSU, Buckeyes fans have been lumping him in with other Buckeyes quarterbacks. These claims were only exacerbated when Burrow went to the Super Bowl in just his second year in the NFL. He became the first quarterback taken number one overall in the draft to reach the game during his first two seasons in the NFL.
Joe Burrow Weighs In on Whether Ohio State Fans Can Claim Him
Burrow opened up about his time at Ohio State and whether Ohio State Buckeyes fans have the right to call him one of their own. This has become a very contentious debate amongst Ohio State fans, and it’s easy to see why.
What would Joe Burrow say to Ohio State fans trying to claim him? @PardonMyTake pic.twitter.com/QEhmoXeefi
— Barstool U (@BarstoolU) May 7, 2025
In doing so, many Ohio State fans proudly declared that Burrow was the first-ever Ohio State quarterback to start in a Super Bowl.
Granted, Burrow attended Ohio State for three years and threw a grand total of 39 passes for the Buckeyes over the course of those three years. However, it wasn’t until he got to LSU where Burrow started his first game in college, going 25-3, and setting numerous passing records including a 202.0 passer rating in his redshirt senior season.
So, do Ohio State fans really have a claim on him? Former LSU great and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal says no. However, what does Burrow himself think about this claim, and what does it mean to him?
“I didn’t play football there,” Burrow told Pardon My Take. “I mean, I practiced football there. Did a lot of practicing and lifting. I graduated. I usually tell people that I went to school at Ohio State and I played football at LSU.
“I got a lot better from practicing at Ohio State, but I didn’t get to play, so I don’t really say that I played there. I got to live the backup quarterback lifestyle back then, and that was fun. Got that out of my system and then was able to lock in.”
Technically, Burrow did play for Ohio State, but it wasn’t until he got to LSU where we truly got to see what Burrow had to offer. So, can Ohio claim him? There’s no right or wrong answer to this age-old question.
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However, one thing we know is that Burrow is one of the all-time great college quarterbacks in history.
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