A Miss USA contestant wore an Ohio State football uniform onstage after the team's big loss to Michigan

• Miss Ohio Nicole Wess paid tribute to the Ohio State football team during the Miss USA pageant.
• She wore a Buckeyes football uniform during the pageant's State Costume Contest.

Ohio State football may not have won the game, but they still got a spotlight on the Miss USA stage.

Miss Ohio Nicole Wess paid tribute to the Ohio State Buckeyes football team on Sunday — just a day after their crushing loss to the University of Michigan — during the pageant's State Costume Contest.

Wess sported a red Buckeyes uniform, which she paired with matching red sneakers.

She carried a Buckeyes helmet that also featured the logo of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats — where she's currently a student — to celebrate the Bearcats' undefeated season.

The rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan is one of the biggest in college football. The Wolverines beat the Buckeyes on Saturday for the first time since 2011 with a score of 42-27.

Wess, 23, is one of the 51 women competing for the Miss USA crown, as well as the chance to compete in Miss Universe next month.

She is currently earning her doctorate in pharmacy, working at a COVID-19 clinic, and interning at a charitable pharmacy.

Wess describes herself as a "proud Filipino-American" in her Miss USA bio, and says her hobbies range from modeling to riding her motorcycle.