Ohio
Who should be College GameDay’s guest picker for Ohio State vs. Indiana football? Here are options
COLUMBUS — ESPN is sending College GameDay to Columbus for Saturday’s battle between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana.
Making the trip to a matchup between two of the best teams in the college football was likely an easy decision for College GameDay.
Now, a tougher choice awaits. Who will be the celebrity guest picker?
ESPN has a variety of routes it can take.
It could pursue a former Ohio State player now in the NFL.
Justin Fields, a backup quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers whose team plays on Thursday in Cleveland, is an option. Wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, who are both on a bye, could also be available.
ESPN could pursue a non-athlete with connections to OSU.
That brings Columbus natives such as Olympic gymnast Simone Biles or restaurateur Guy Fieri into the conversation.
We asked Subtext subscribers on the cleveland.com Ohio State channel who they’d like to see as the guest picker. Here are some options they presented.
Former Ohio State football players
Justin Fields
Fields spent two seasons (2019-2020) as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. He went 20-2 with 5,373 passing yards.
Jim Tressel
Tressel spent 10 seasons as Ohio State’s coach, highlighted by the 2002 campaign in which he led the Buckeyes to a national championship.
A.J. Hawk
Hawk is a former Ohio State linebacker (2002-2005). He has a connection to ESPN as a co-host on the Pat McAfee Show. McAfee is among the panelists on College GameDay.
Garrett Wilson and/or Chris Olave
Wilson played for the Buckeyes (2019-2021) before he was taken by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Jets are off this week.
The Saints, Olave’s team, are also off — giving ESPN and option to bring both on the show. In a 2020 win against Indiana, Olave and Wilson combined for 270 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave played together at Ohio State before pursuing the NFL.AP
Archie Griffin
The Buckeyes celebrated the 50th anniversary of Griffin’s first Heisman by unveiling a statue outside of Ohio Stadium in August. He’s the only two-time Heisman winner.
Cris Carter
OSU receiver Jeremiah Smith has spent all season breaking Carter’s freshman receiving records. The former Buckeye also spent time working at ESPN on Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown.
Cam Heyward
Like Fields, Heyward is a former Buckeye now with the Steelers. Pittsburgh plays at Cleveland on Thursday, giving Heyward an uncommon Saturday off in November.
Orlando Pace
Pace was a two-time unanimous All-American during his time at Ohio State (1994-1996). The former offensive tackle was a Heisman finalist in 1996.
Braxton Miller
Miller, a former Ohio State quarterback (2011-2015), was twice named the Big Ten’s most valuable player.
Cardale Jones
Jones was the third-string quarterback for Ohio State entering the 2014 season with Miller as the starter. However, injuries to Miller and J.T. Barrett forced Jones into the starting role. He helped lead the Buckeyes to a national title.
Cardale Jones helped lead Ohio State football to a national title in 2014.AP
Craig Krenzel
Krenzel was the starting quarterback for Ohio State’s 2002 national championship team.
Maurice Clarett
Clarett was also part of the Ohio State team in 2002, delivering one of the best freshman seasons in program history. The running back has been a fixture around the Buckeyes this season.
Celebrities with connections to Ohio or Ohio State
JD Vance
Vance was elected earlier this month to serve as the next Vice President alongside Donald Trump. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State.
Simone Biles
Biles has collected seven Olympic gold medals in her decorated career. Her football fandom is evident too as she’s married to Bears safety Jonathan Owens.
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio.cleveland.com
Guy Fieri
Fieri is a famous restaurateur known for his shows on Food Network. He was born in Columbus in 1968.
Jason Day
Day, a professional golfer, won the PGA Championship in 2015. He was born in Australia but lives in Westerville, Ohio.
Bryce Harper
Harper, a star for the Philadelphia Phillies, is from Nevada and didn’t attend Ohio State. However, his wife played soccer for the Buckeyes.
J.K. Simmons
Simmons spent much of his childhood living in Worthington, Ohio. The actor is known for his role in various films, including, “Whiplash” which earned him an Oscar in 2014.—
R.L. Stine
Stines is the writer of the novel series, “Goosebumps.” He was born in Columbus and attended Ohio State.
Greg Oden
Oden is a native of Indiana who attended Ohio State before becoming the top pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Greg Oden played basketball at Ohio State for one season before becoming the top pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buster Douglas
Douglas is a decorated former heavyweight boxer. He was born in Columbus.
Matt Rife
Rife is a comedian and actor who was born in North Lewisburg, Ohio.
Graham Rahal and/or Bobby Rahal
The Rahal name is famous around racing. Graham Rahal was born in Columbus and is an Ohio State fan. His father, Bobby Rahal, is a former Indy 500 champion (1986) who was born in Medina, Ohio.
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots, which features Columbus natives Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, once stopped a concert in 2021 to watch an Ohio State game.
John Legend
Legend, a singer and songwriter, was born in Springfield, Ohio.
Jack Nicklaus
Former professional golfer Jack Nicklaus attended Ohio State. His 18 major championships are most all-time.
Gene Smith
Smith serves as Ohio State’s athletic director for 19 years before retiring in June.
Patricia Heaton
Heaton attended Ohio State and was born in Bay Village, Ohio. She’s an Emmy-winning actress who appeared in shows such as, “Everybody Loves Raymond” and, “The Middle.”
Jake Paul
Paul, a YouTuber and boxer who recently beat Mike Tyson, is a Cleveland native.
A rare glimpse at an “elusive” bobcat was captured on camera at a park in Ohio.
The Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks shared a video on Instagram showing a bobcat that was caught on camera at Prairie Oaks Metro Park on Nov. 21. The bobcat appears briefly before it slinks away.
“These elusive wild cats are typically nocturnal or crepuscular, meaning most active at dawn or dusk, so catching a glimpse is a rare treat,” Metro Parks wrote.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, bobcats are native to the state, and there are established populations in the eastern and southern regions. While the population continues to expand, it wasn’t always growing.
How rare is it to see a bobcat in Ohio?
Bobcats were common in Ohio before settlers moved in, but by 1850, they were extirpated, meaning they went extinct in the state. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says bobcats began to repopulate in the mid-1900s, and sightings became more frequent in the early 2000s.
Since then, the department says confirmed bobcat sightings have been steadily increasing, with more than 4,100 spotted from 1970 to 2021. However, experts say it’s still very unlikely to actually see a bobcat in Ohio. Most confirmed sightings are from trail cameras or bobcats found dead on the side of the road.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says bobcats are adaptable to a wide range of ecosystems if adequate prey and cover are available.
“Encounters like this highlight the incredible biodiversity thriving in your Metro Parks!” the Instagram post said.
A man was arrested Thursday after a domestic dispute at a home in Belle Center.
According to the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called around 2 p.m. after the victim ran to a neighbor’s house for safety after an argument with 35-year-old Cole Wilt.
The victim is pregnant and told deputies the pair had argued over a doctor’s appointment.
During the dispute, Wilt reportedly took her phone and car keys.
She tried to walk to the neighbor’s house, but Wilt caught up with her, grabbed her, and tried to make her go back into the house.
A neighbor stepped in and helped the victim get to safety.
The victim reported feeling hurt and uncomfortable, but had no visible injuries.
She also told deputies that Wilt has a history of drinking and has access to firearms.
Deputies contacted Wilt at the home.
He denied hurting the victim, saying he only tried to talk her back inside and that she could have left at any time.
Wilt was taken to the Logan County Jail and charged with domestic violence and unlawful restraint.
The Ohio State-Michigan football game is the most anticipated rivalry in college sports, and it showed with the viewership on FOX during this year’s matchup.
The Buckeyes’ 27-9 win over the Wolverines was the most-watched game of the 2025 college football regular season, FOX Sports announced Thursday. Ohio State’s win drew an average of 18.4 million viewers, which also made the 2025 edition of “The Game” the second-most-watched college football game ever on FOX.
Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt delivered the call, with Jenny Taft and Tom Rinaldi reporting from the sideline.
This was the eighth straight edition of “The Game” that FOX has broadcast. In terms of viewership numbers, the 2025 iteration was second to just the 2023 meeting, when both the Buckeyes and Wolverines entered the game undefeated. That year, Michigan went on to win the College Football Playoff National Championship.
This time around, No. 1 Ohio State snapped its four-game losing streak to Michigan. The game was nip-and-tuck throughout the first half as both defenses came to play. Ultimately, the Buckeyes’ offense figured things out. Their momentum started when Julian Sayin connected with Jeremiah Smith on a fourth down for a 35-yard touchdown. Sayin finished the day with 233 yards and three touchdowns. The Buckeyes’ defense held Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood to just 63 passing yards, while the Wolverines’ offense was unable to find the end zone.
Ohio State will now face No. 2 Indiana in the Big Ten Championship game on Saturday (8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
Like the game, FOX Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff delivered, bringing in 4.36 million viewers on FOX — the second most-watched BNK ever. The show started at 9 a.m. ET and featured monologues from Michigan supporter Dave Portnoy, a segment at the desk with FOX Sports’ Tom Brady (a Michigan alum and Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and a Rinaldi feature on Ohio State coach Ryan Day and Ohio State.
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