Think about which state is the worst state in the United States of America. Your answer is probably Ohio. It seems like majority of people outside of Ohio would agree with that response. But if you ask anyone from Ohio, they will say that Ohio is the best state in the USA. It's all too similar to the mentality of Apple fans; they think themselves as underdogs and must defend their brand/state to the death. Most of the time, they will be offended by the smallest of criticism. I feel I have acknowledge their perseverance to maintain their state pride though.
To be honest, I did not meet anyone that actually liked the state of Ohio until I moved in Fort Wayne and met Ohioans (is that even what they called themselves?). Most people think Cleveland is the capital, but it is certainly not. Driving through Ohio on I-80 is just as bad as passing through Pennsylvania.
Those Ohioans love their song, "Hang On Sloopy", no matter the occasion! They, of course, change the chorus to O-H-I-O. Even if a Buckeye (is that what you call someone from Ohio?) does not dance and this song is played, the Buckeye will rush towards the dancefloor! (Trust me, I've seen this from personal experiences)
They even spell out their state name with four people as follows:
But Ohio does have something significant, Dayton, OH. Dayton is the home of the First Fours in the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. They do have Cuyahoga Valley National Park too; it's very nice! And free! Supposedly, there is a Hibachi place named Tokyo House that is almost legendary status thanks to the chef.
Coming from the smallest state with the longest name, I know what it feels like to have their home state made fun of. We have about 400 miles of coastline (depending on how to measure) and the Tennis Hall of Fame.