Ohio State football is currently gearing up for its season-opening matchup against the Texas Longhorns, a rematch of the playoff game between the two teams a year ago. Ohio State won that contest and went on to take home their first national championship in a decade earlier this year.
One big storyline heading into the Texas game is the reported ban of Barstool Sports founder and current FOX Big Noon Kickoff analyst Dave Portnoy, possibly due to Portnoy's allegiance to the rival Michigan Wolverines.
Those reports have since been debunked.
“Ohio State did not issue a ban on Dave Portnoy, AD Ross Bjork tells @YahooSports,” reported Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports on X, formerly Twitter. “Bjork confirms that FOX decided Portnoy would not be on the main desk of Big Noon Kickoff and those not on the desk do not normally appear on the field. These are Fox decisions, he emphasized.”
Still, this isn't stopping Portnoy from leaning into the publicity.
“I want Michigan vs Ohio to mean something again. And I love the people of Columbus outside the football team they root for. Good clean hardworking people. So I am going to give Buckeye Nation free advice. Stop pointing the finger. Look in the mirror. Get better. Get tougher,” wrote Portnoy on X.
A big storyline heading into the season
Portnoy also attached a video to his tweet.
“How could anybody see that Cryin' Ryan Day and Ohio State would be this soft. I mean, they've got a big game versus Texas coming up, a game I'm rooting for them. I'm rooting for the Big Ten. But Michigan has just broken Ohio State. Ohio State has lost four straight times. They haven't beaten Michigan in the decade.”
Overall, it's unlikely that the two sides will ever see eye to eye on the real reason Portnoy will not be on the sidelines to help out with FOX's coverage of the Ohio State vs Texas matchup to kick off the season.
Portnoy has taken great joy in the Buckeyes' losses over the years, particularly those to Michigan, and he likely wasn't thrilled when Ohio State took home its first national championship in ten years last season.
