Ohio State fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the game time for the Buckeyes’ season opener against Texas. It has been assumed that the game would be played at noon on August 30th, but speculation is swirling about whether Fox will break from its traditional Big Noon Kickoff slot.
Former Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter sparked intrigue during his radio show, Morning Juice with host Jeff "Tito" Thitoff on The Fan in Columbus. On Thursday morning's episode, Carpenter was coy to suggest the game could be moved to Sunday.
"I’m hoping that that game gets moved to Sunday," Carpenter said, prompting a skeptical response from Thitoff. Thitoff pointed out that college football typically schedules only one game on Sunday, citing Notre Dame vs. Miami on ABC as the likely occupant of that slot. However, Carpenter noted that Fox, which holds the broadcast rights for the Ohio State-Texas matchup, does not have a conflicting game. Carpenter suggested a Sunday slot could be feasible.
Ohio State fans have been vocal about wanting a primetime kickoff, frustrated by Fox’s preference for noon ET games under its Big Noon Kickoff branding. However, Fox has shown flexibility in recent years.
In 2021, Ohio State’s season opener at Minnesota aired at 8 p.m. on Thursday.
In 2022, Penn State at Purdue was also a Thursday 8 p.m. game.
Last season, Fox scheduled several non-noon games, including Colorado at UCF at 3:30 p.m., Arizona at BYU at 4 p.m., and Colorado at Texas Tech at 4 p.m.
Carpenter clarified that he has not been overtly told the game would be on Sunday; he did say, "I try to piece together potential opportunities." Carpenter went on to say about the game being moved to Sunday, "I think that is the most likely scenario. If that game is not [at noon on Saturday], it’s more likely, I think, that it goes to Sunday than moves throughout the day on Saturday."
Thitoff pressed whether it would be a 3:30 p.m. or night game, to which Carpenter responded, "Either would be [great]. Get home from church, head over there. There’s nothing better than to start tailgating for a Buckeye game."
Adding to the speculation, a recent report from Patrick Murphy of Bucknuts indicates that Ohio State pushed for a later kickoff time for the Texas game, but the Longhorns rejected the proposal.
While no official announcement has been made, Carpenter’s comments are just more information for Buckeye fans who hope there is a rare departure from the noon slot, potentially setting the stage for a high-profile Sunday showdown.