Battle of Ohio (NFL)

In the National Football League, the Battle of Ohio (also known as the Buckeye State Series) refers to games played between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. This rivalry has produced 2 of the 8 highest scoring games in NFL history. With their November 27, 2011 win in Cincinnati, the Bengals extended their lead in the all-time series to 41-36.

Geography and a shared heritage add to this rivalry. Cleveland (Northeast) and Cincinnati (Southwest) are on opposite corners of the Buckeye state, and essentially split Ohio. Legendary head coach Paul Brown also founded each franchise (the Browns in 1946 and the Bengals in 1968). The colors of each team are similar, since Paul Brown chose the exact shade of orange used by the Browns for the Bengals.

The rivalry would later be fueled by sociocultural differences. Although Ohio is geographically part of the Midwest, Cleveland identifies more with the Northeast while Cincinnati identifies more with the South (and particularly Kentucky and Indiana) and is more socially conservative than the rest of the state. This has led to the Browns fans being more rowdy while the Bengals fans are more laid-back. This was exemplified in 1989 during a game between the Bengals and Seattle Seahawks at Riverfront Stadium that had debris thrown from the stands. Bengals coach Sam Wyche then grabbed a microphone and told the fans, "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!"

The Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals first played in 1970. Previously, the Bengals were a part of the American Football League. After the AFL-NFL merger the Browns and Bengals were placed in the AFC Central Division. They have played twice a year since 1970, except in 1982 (Player's strike-shortened season) and the years 1996-1998 (Art Modell had moved the Browns staff and players to Baltimore to found the Baltimore Ravens). The Browns and Bengals have never met in the playoffs.