Ohio isn't hicks-ville.
We have lots of people who even go past 8th grade! (although I'm not sure about our governor...)
Seriously, I've seen several movies or TV shows over the years that are in NY or CA and when they want to be around small town folk who all are overweight, wear overalls, ladies don't wear make up, and the only recreation they do is bowling, they say "let's go to Ohio."
And we're not really in the mid-west. Looking at a map Ohio is very eastern, don't you think? We're not near the center of the USA. I know it was "the midwest" 200 years ago when the country hadn't all been settled but not anymore. I don't know why it irritates me.