While Insights usually focuses on Notre Dame celebrity fans, we're branching out here, what with the Indianapolis 500 being this week and all, and experimenting with chatting with other big college football celebrity fans about the teams they support.

Graham Rahal is one of the rising stars in the IndyCar series and last year became the youngest ever winner of a major open-wheel race when he won at St. Petersburg. The 20-year-old starts on the inside of Row 2 in Sunday's Indianapolis 500 and has a legitimate shot of following in the footsteps of his father, Bobby Rahal, who won the 1986 Indy 500 from the inside of Row 2. Rahal, from Columbus, Ohio, is also a huge Ohio State fan.

Irish Insights: How'd you end up liking Ohio State football?

Graham Rahal: "Honestly, just growing up in Columbus, you're always, if you're not a Buckeyes fan and you live in Columbus, you're going to have some problems. You're so, being there, it's such a big part of the atmosphere of the whole city. Growing up, I was always a football fan but more so I loved the Buckeyes and I love anything where people get really enthusiastic about it and I don't think there's any place, obviously people are big college football supporters and everything else but that in particular, the success of the team is a big part of it but the support is incredible."

II: When was the first time you went to a game?

GR: "I've always, all my life. I went with my dad (1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal) and my mom and stuff. Nowadays, I try to make it to at least a couple games a year. It's hard for me because I'm traveling and working a lot and rarely get to go very often. The races always seem to be on every weekend there's a football game but I try to make it as much as I can."

II: So do you kind of have a routine on Saturdays (in the fall)?

GR: "Always. We always have a group of people over. Recently, when I moved into my house I got a real nice pool table and my basement is decorated in an Ohio State theme. So everyone would come over, it's not that big of a basement but we have a few TVs down there and I have it wired so the audio system goes around the house with speakers on the walls and stuff. So we play the announcers over there so you can listen to it even if you're not (in front of the TV). Where I'm from, you walk, wherever you go on a Saturday morning, you'll see nothing but scarlet and gray."

II: What's a crazier atmosphere, the Indy 500 or a game at the 'Shoe?

GR: "It's probably pretty similar. (The Indy 500) is on a bigger scale, obviously, with 400,000 people here versus 100,000 there but that they can have 100,000 there every single game, that's what's impressive. Look at their spring game attendance, it was the largest in college history. They had 87,000 people or something at the spring game. That's the team playing themselves, it's not even a real game. When you see something like that and you see the enthusiasm that everyone has about the sport, that's what's so exciting about it, just like coming to this race. The thing that's so cool about being here is that there's 400,000 people just going crazy when they show up at this place. That's so cool."

II: What's your favorite Ohio State memory?

GR: "The one game you always remember from just a couple years ago was when it was 1 vs. 2 and we beat 'em, Michigan, I'm talking about. Always Ohio State-Michigan games, those are the ones I remember. It's always a good game, you know. Last year I went to The Game and I took my girlfriend and she goes to IU. And you know, it's, I always brag and am like 'Yeah, you know, it's no Ohio State' and giving her crap all the time and she gets mad at me. Then, when she went to the game she was like 'Oh my God, look at the size of this place.' And we beat them like 45-7 so it was a good day. Those are your fondest memories. I've been to several Ohio State-Michigan games and a lot of them were pretty close games. But there's nothing better than that."

II: You're on the road a lot when they are playing early in the season, races and stuff. Are you getting updates on your phone, through your helmet while you're racing?

GR: "No, but always, if we're racing that day it's one of the first things I'll ask to get the score or find out what happened. If not, I can guarantee I'll get a million text messages so I'll know what the score was by the end anyway. As I said, everybody, all my good friends, are huge Buckeye fans so everyone's in the same boat and everyone's paying attention."

II: How closely do you pay attention? Do you follow recruiting?

GR: "I don't follow (recruiting) that closely because there's a bunch of other things going on but I always, in the Columbus Dispatch and stuff at home, you always, every day, the whole paper is about the Buckeyes. You pay attention and see what's going on."

II: When you were a kid, did you get dressed up in a helmet and all that stuff?

GR: "No, but always, still do the full jersey and the jacket. Right now, I got a (Beanie) Wells jersey but since he's gone, I'm going to have to replace it with somebody else."

II: How many jerseys do you have?

GR: "I got a couple. I've got a signed Archie Griffin jersey that I have framed. I have an Eddie George. I got a (Maurice) Clarett, but that obviously doesn't help. I got a Troy Smith, too, and I got (Beanie) Wells. A couple of those, we're not too proud of."

Insights thanks Graham Rahal for the time. If there's a celebrity you'd like to see us get in contact with to chat about college sports, drop a line at mrothstein@jg.net or leave comments below.