The author of the piece is Tim Alberta, who graduated from Brighton High School in Brighton, Michigan and then from Michigan State University. He probably has

The author of the piece is Tim Alberta, who graduated from Brighton High School in Brighton, Michigan and then from Michigan State University. He probably has at least some knowledge of the geography of the Midwest, including Michigan and Ohio. Indeed, he has almost surely cheered for Ohio State every time they played UMich. If you like, think about it as “nearby relative to Afghanistan” rather than “nearby relative to Wisconsin.”