I know plenty of really hardcore, true OSU fans. I don't mean guys who will blindly go RA! RA! we're going to win, we are the best, etc. etc. I mean guys who follow the daily actions and changes within the team VERY closely, as well as guys who work as student employees within the team. I have a friend who is actually a moderator for the OSU section of the scout.com football forum, he gets tons of true info that never even makes it to the media, or if it does, he hears it early. All of these guys are very much realists, not local fans blindly cheering on their favorite football team, and none of them seem to think we are anywhere near the underdog you seem to think we are.
I think maybe you're not quite as informed as you think you are.