It has been a strange season for the Ohio State basketball program. They started out looking like a team that was finally going to make the NCAA Tournament in non-conference play, only for fans to be disappointed after a loss on the road against a bad Washington team.
The Buckeyes are still .500 in Big Ten play. They get to take on UCLA today at 1 pm on CBS. In that game, the Ohio State Buckeyes will do something very rare; they will introduce a new player. Puff Johnson could play for the team for the first time all season after being granted temporary eligibility.
Johnson transferred to Ohio State before the season, but was not granted eligibility. After winning a preliminary injunction, he can play until a January 30th hearing, meaning he could play against UCLA. The rest of college basketball is not happy with this latest development.
College basketball fans aren't happy Puff Johnson will play for Ohio State
The Buckeyes are happy to have Johnson available, but other college basketball fans are disgusted that he gets to play, even though Johnson will not play against the Bruins.
This Puff Johnson Ohio State situation is so ridiculous. The guy has played five seasons of college hoops. In no way does he deserve a 6th season. NCAA said no multiple times but some Ohio State fan judge signs off on it so now he gets to play?? The game we love is in danger! https://t.co/pe9ZVJHWE9 pic.twitter.com/ZM748JRWLE
— The BigTime Boiler (@BigTimeBoiler) January 17, 2026
Not only has he already played five seasons of college basketbal, Puff Johnson played for North Carolina when Roy Williams was still the head coach.
— Jacob Bigelow (@JacobABigelow) January 16, 2026
Somehow, each new day in college sports is dumber than the previous day. https://t.co/OpAhy0Q6x5
Puff Johnson has played in 111 career games across five seasons.
— Brian Rauf (@brauf33) January 16, 2026
What are we doing https://t.co/St3XL6t0DZ
Johnson hasn't practiced with Ohio State all year, so he won't play against the Bruins. It's unclear what he will be able to bring to the team when he does get on the court, but he's a guard who can rebound. He also shot better than 54 percent from the field last year for Penn State.
There does seem to be an issue that the NCAA has on its hands when it comes to college basketball players' eligibility. The rules need to be clearly defined so that everyone knows when they can play and when their time is up. Johnson is just taking advantage of the current system.
It's unclear when Johnson will make his season-debut for the Buckeyes. He needs to practice with the team before he can try to get back on the court.