Ohio

Ohio promotes OC Smith to replace Albin as HC

Published

1 year ago

December 18, 2024

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Ohio promotes OC Smith to replace Albin as HC

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterDec 18, 2024, 09:59 AM ET
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Ohio promoted Brian Smith to be its long-term head coach Wednesday, removing the interim tag.

Smith, who served as the Bobcats’ offensive coordinator this season and has been part of the staff since 2022, was named interim head coach Dec. 9 after Tim Albin’s departure to Charlotte. Smith will receive a five-year contract from the school, according to a source.

Ohio, which won the MAC to claim its first conference title since 1968, is set to face Jacksonville State on Friday at the StaffDNA Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The Bobcats led the MAC in scoring, yards per game and rushing this season.

“He presented a plan for not only sustaining our culture and foundation but also building upon it in the evolving landscape of college football,” athletic director Julie Cromer said in a statement. “He prioritizes our student-athletes’ experiences and shares our common goals of developing leaders, graduating students, unifying our community and amplifying our university.”

Smith, 44, came to Ohio as running backs coach and passing game coordinator in 2022 and added the associate head coach title in 2023. He was Washington State’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach in 2020 and 2021 and also has coordinator experience from Hawai’i, working under Nick Rolovich at both schools.

Smith is a former offensive lineman and long snapper at Hawai’i who had two coaching stints at his alma mater, as well as stops at Cal Lutheran, Occidental, Portland State and Oregon State.

Ohio has won 10 games for the past three seasons under Albin and has been one of the more consistent Group of 5 programs, going 144-94 since the start of the 2006 season.

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Ohio woman charged with murder in shooting death of Weakley County deputy

Published

2 hours ago

January 31, 2026

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Ohio woman charged with murder in shooting death of Weakley County deputy

WEAKLEY COUNTY, Tenn. (KFVS) – An Ohio woman has been arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of Weakley County, Tennessee Deputy Derrick Bonham.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations says Khristi Dawn Cunningham, 44, of Ohio, is charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond.

TBI investigators say the shooting happened early in the morning on January 30.

Agents say Weakley County Deputies, including Deputy Bonham responded to a call of shots fired at a hotel in the 800 block of University Street in Martin, just before 3 a.m.

Blake Schowalter shares the latest

Agents say Bonham was checking a nearby gas station for witnesses when Cunningham showed a gun and then shot the deputy.

TBI investigators report that Martin, Tennessee Police officers arrested Cunningham.

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Ohio State will be without two important players during spring practice

Published

14 hours ago

January 30, 2026

Press Room

Ohio State will be without two important players during spring practice

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State will be without the top of its running back room when it starts the spring.

Bo Jackson and Isaiah West are expected to be the RB1 and RB2 for the Buckeyes in 2026, but neither will be available for the 15 spring practices. Head coach Ryan Day announced during a radio hit that both will be recovering from offseason shoulder surgeries.

Jackson led OSU with 179 carries for 1,090 yards amd 14 touchdowns along with 22 catches for 161 yards and two scores as a freshman. West turned 59 carries into 310 yards and two touchdowns.

The absence of the two sophomore backs creates plenty of opportunity to build depth behind them in transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson, sophomore Turbo Rogers and incoming freshmen Favour Akih and Legend Bey.

Day also voiced his excitement, especially with Bey, whom the Buckeyes flipped from Tennessee.

“He’s dynamite,” Day said. “I’ve called him poor man’s Tyreke Hill. He’s lightning in a bottle, and he can do a lot of things for us.”

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How difficult is Ohio State football’s 2026 schedule? See breakdown

Published

1 day ago

January 30, 2026

Press Room

How difficult is Ohio State football’s 2026 schedule? See breakdown

Just how difficult is Ohio State’s 2026 football schedule? And how does it stack up against other Big Ten opponents’ schedules?

After an early matchup against Texas, the Buckeyes have a difficult stretch of Big Ten opponents including games against Oregon and Indiana, two 2025 College Football Playoff teams.

After a bye week, the Buckeyes will also travel to Los Angeles to play USC, which owns the top recruiting class in 2026 according to 247Sports.

See how Ohio State’s schedule might stack up against other Big Ten opponents.

2026 Big Ten opponents’ 2025 conference winning percentage

While college football teams look vastly different year to year due to graduating players and transfers, Ohio State’s 2026 Big Ten opponents combined have a stronger 2025 conference win-loss percentage than any other team’s opponents. The other 2025 CFP teams, Oregon and Indiana, rank fifth and sixth on the list.

Ohio State – 0.629
Northwestern – 0.580
Michigan – 0.568
Nebraska – 0.568
Oregon – 0.556
Indiana – 0.531
Washington – 0.531
USC – 0.519
Iowa – 0.506
Michigan State – 0.494
Purdue – 0.493
Minnesota – 0.481
Rutgers – 0.469
UCLA – 0.469
Illinois – 0.444
Maryland – 0.432
Penn State – 0.420
Wisconsin – 0.346

Ohio State football 2026 games against 2025 College Football Playoff teams

Including Ohio State, three Big Ten teams made the 2025 College Football Playoff. Indiana and Oregon, the other two teams that played against each other in the CFP semifinals, are on Ohio State’s schedule next season. While the Buckeyes will face Oregon at home, they will face the reigning national champion in Bloomington, Indiana.

Three teams in the conference – Northwestern, Nebraska and USC – will have to play all three 2025 CFP teams next season.

Teams facing three 2025 CFB teams:

Teams facing two 2025 CFB teams

Ohio State (Oregon, Indiana)
Illinois (Ohio State, Oregon)
Michigan (Ohio State, Oregon)
Washington (Oregon, Indiana)
Indiana (Ohio State, Oregon)

Teams facing one 2025 CFB team

Indiana (Ohio State)
Iowa (Ohio State)
Maryland (Ohio State)
Michigan State (Oregon)
Oregon (Ohio State)
Purdue (Indiana)
UCLA (Oregon)

Teams facing no 2025 CFB teams

Minnesota
Penn State
Rutgers
Wisconsin

2026 Opponents on USA Today’s way-too-early top 25 list

Since the end-of-the-year rankings fail to accurately represent how a team projects for the 2026 season, USA TODAY’s way-too-early top-25 poll can be used to judge Ohio State’s opponents.

Among Big Ten teams, Ohio State plays the most teams included in the top-25 list: Texas (No. 1), Iowa (No. 21), Michigan (No. 13), USC (No. 12), Oregon (No. 9) and Indiana (No. 4). The Buckeyes are No. 2 spot in the rankings.

See what matchups the rest of the conference has below:

Ohio State – 6 (Texas, Iowa, USC, Oregon, Indiana, Michigan)
Northwestern: – 5 (Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State)
Michigan – 5 (Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon)
Washington – 5 (Indiana, Oregon, Penn State, USC, Iowa)
Nebraska – 4 (Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, Iowa)
USC – 4 (Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State)
Purdue – 4 (Notre Dame, Penn State, Indiana, Iowa)
Rutgers – 4 (USC, Indiana, Michigan, Penn State)
Wisconsin – 4 (Notre Dame, Penn State, USC, Iowa)
Oregon – 3 (USC, Ohio State, Michigan)
Indiana – 3 (USC, Ohio State, Michigan)
UCLA – 3 (Oregon, Michigan, USC)
Illinois – 3 (Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon)
Maryland – 3 (Ohio State, USC, Penn State)
Michigan State – 3 (Notre Dame, Michigan, Oregon)
Penn State – 3 (USC, Michigan, Iowa)
Iowa – 2 (Ohio State, Michigan)

Ohio State ‘cross-country’ trips compared to Big Ten opponents

Last season, the Buckeyes had one trip to the West Coast, to open up Big Ten play against the Washington Huskies. This season, Ohio State once again has one West Coast trip, to face USC, but the Buckeyes will be coming off a bye entering the game.

USC, on the other hand, has a trip to Wisconsin before facing Ohio State the following week. Ohio State will also travel during its nonconference season to play Texas, which is 1,237 miles away.

No eastern Big Ten travels to play a West Coast Big Ten opponent more than once in the 2026 season. West Coast teams (USC, Washington, Oregon, UCLA) travel at least three times for road matchups against eastern Big Ten opponents. USC has the most road matchups in the Midwest: Wisconsin, Indiana, Rutgers and Penn State.