The Browns would easily beat Ohio State: Putting a viral question to rest

The Cleveland Browns are a foundational franchise in the NFL. But they may not even be the most popular football team in the state of Ohio. That honor arguably belongs to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes have a storied history and have been a perennial powerhouse since the Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999. Obviously, the two teams play at different levels. But this hasn't stopped a viral question from appearing on social media and the Internet throughout the years.

Can the Buckeyes beat the Browns in a competitive football game?

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞:
Ohio State would beat the Browns. pic.twitter.com/OIw26xiJuB
— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) October 18, 2025

The above tweet from Polymarket Football is not technically from an official, journalistic source. However, the post does have 9.5 million views at the time of writing, so it's out there. This question is also not new when it comes to the Browns and the Buckeyes.

A 2016 poll of Ohioans showed a majority of respondents believed the Buckeyes could beat the Browns. Of course, this happened during the beginning of a major Browns rebuild, while Ohio State was dominating year in and year out under Urban Meyer.

But let's be realistic. Such a question is nothing more than fun banter. No, the Buckeyes could not beat the Browns. Not the 2025 Browns, the 2016 Browns, nor even the 1999 Browns.

There is just an obvious talent disparity, even if Ohio State routinely sends a long list of players to the NFL each season. A simple answer to this question is to have someone imagine what the Browns defensive line would do to Ohio State's offensive line. Would Myles Garrett have to be quadruple-teamed?

Yet this question, albeit mostly in jest, continues to show up in polls and on social media. Why is that? The answer seems to be a simple one. The Buckeyes continue to be one of the most dominant teams in college football every single year, while the Browns continue to struggle in the basement of the NFL more often than not.

Jokes have been made and will continue to be made until the Browns figure things out at the quarterback position and start consistently posting winning seasons.

It may even be poetic justice if current Buckeyes signal-caller Julian Sayin ends up finding his way to Cleveland in the future to lead that turnaround. However, Browns fans are hoping an immediate option shows up in 2026 or even this year in the form of Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders.