Reddit poll has USC as the most hated team in California

The University of Southern California has the most hated college football team in it’s own state of California according to a survey published by Reddit College Football (h/t fearthetree5).

California is the only state that claims to “hate” USC more than any other team.

But how could that be? The short of it is “They hate us because the ain’t us.”

Reddit College Football asked people in every state which college football team they despised the most. The site published the “Hate Map” after nearly 5,000 people gave their answer.

California was one of the states that garnered more than 100 votes. According to the survey, 31.6% of California voters say they hate the USC Trojans more than any other college football team in America. The runner-ups were UCLA at 15.8% and Stanford at 9.8%.

California is a big state with big rivalries especially when it comes to football.

The USC Trojans have powerful matchups year after year with other California schools. The obvious and fiercest battles come between USC and crosstown rival UCLA Bruins.

The southern California rivalry always attracts students and other fans from both ends, whether teams are battling at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum or at the Rose Bowl.

And nowadays Stanford has been doing a good job at stifling USC’s run for PAC-12 football championships. The Cardinal have been a force to be reckoned with during the last decade or so, which makes a rivalry between USC and Stanford worth watching.

Of course there’s the University of California. The Golden Bears are not as competitive year-in and year-out like the Trojans, Bruins and Cardinal, but its teams often bring enough ferocity to the field to make the game exciting for a state rivalry.

Most years these schools have USC circled on its calendars. USC is usually a tough opponent for any team across the country, but there’s different attitude and a sort of pride other California teams play against the Trojans or each other.

Students are not just playing to win; they’re playing for the state.

College sports are usually just a bunch of kids who want to win, want to play hard and take their strongest opponent into the ground. That’s what you get with a handful of games on USC’s schedule.

USC has a special rivalry between the other schools mentioned above: UCLA, Stanford and Cal.

But none of them have the same rivalry with each other as they do with USC.

The bottom line is there’s “hate” in every rivalry especially when it comes to in-state rivalries. Everyone has to take a side.

California is no exception.

According to the “Hate Map,” California is not the only state where its own people hate a school most inside the same state.

College football fans in Arizona hate the Wildcats most, fans in Texas hate the Longhorns most, fans in Florida hate the Florida State Seminoles most, people in Pennsylvania hate the Nittany Lions most, people in North Carolina hate the Tar Heels most and the list goes on.

There’s more good news for USC fans and statewide college football fans in general. USC nor did any other California college crack the Top 10 most hated football teams in America.

The Ohio State University ran away with the most hated spot with 11.4% of all votes. Right behind was the University of Michigan and Alabama tied for second.