Back to School 2025 by The Lantern

CAMPUS

Dorm floor decoration limited to Ohio State spirit themes, partially due to Senate Bill 1

Lily Pace Managing Campus Editor

When students walk onto their dorm floor for the first time, the walls could be covered in pop culture references like Spongebob or favorite dogs that the resident advisor believes incoming students would enjoy. Now, that is all changing.

Ohio State has advised all RA’s to keep their welcome programming, as well as their dorm floor decor, Ohio State-themed. This means that students this year will have floor decorations that showcase Ohio State through the university’s scarlet and gray colors, Block O and Brutus.

This change is partially due to Senate Bill 1 compliance, according to University Spokesperson Dave Isaacs.

“SB1 was certainly a factor, but our goal is to create an open and welcoming environment for all students,” Isaacs said.

RA’s were told this news during their orientation, Isaacs confirmed.

The concept of Ohio State spirit themes was also be expanded to move-in events hosted in the dorms.

“This concept is also being carried out through a number of activities planned for our residence halls as Move-In continues, including buckeye necklace-making and mug decorating,” Isaacs said.

On Reddit, anonymous student accounts have posted complaining about this change, from some users saying that it is an overreaction on housing’s part.

The original Reddit post has over 400 upvotes and 43 comments.

One user was a former RA and said in a comment, “I remember staying up until 5 AM before students moved in putting up everything to make my hall feel a little bit more inviting. It felt like Christmas morning to me.”

That user went on to say that “SB1 and university leadership has sucked the life out of literally everything.” That comment has almost 150 upvotes.

Students have posted that they are upset with the university’s reaction.

“There is nothing that required OSU to ban chalk on campus or have dorm themes,” one user commented. “Although they may not be entirely responsible, institutions such as OSU hold a tremendous amount of power and resources and it’s shameful to see how they have rolled over for this administration and it’s fair for people to be critical of that.”

There were no comments supporting Ohio State’s decision. However, one user called on students to protest the state and national government over these decisions, rather than Ohio State’s administration.

The university has also banned window signage in dorms in the past, according to prior reporting by The Lantern. In 2017, the university put a flat ban on window art moving forward, with Isaacs saying that the decision “reflects the approach other universities take to similar situations.”

This ban included more than just post-it notes on the window, but also prohibited students from hanging any signage, lighting or other materials in dorm or university windows, according to prior Lantern reporting.

Students were also upset with this ban, with one student saying, “Why limit it? If it is not inappropriate and is just funny I don’t see a problem with it.”

The Lantern had 3,500 views on a Reddit post asking for a comment, but no student would go on the record to discuss their opinions on this change. The Lantern is still reaching out to students for comments.

A resident advisor room sits at the end of Park-Stradley hall. Dorm floor themes and decorations will look different this year, with new wall art being specifically Ohio State-themed, including the scarlet and gray school colors, images of Brutus and Block Os.

CARLY DAMON | LANTERN FILE PHOTO

Ohio State students win best prototype in NASA Human Lander Challenge

Audrey Van Schagen and Ally Wolfe Campus Senior Writers

What began as an idea sketched out by Ohio State students has now become an award-winning prototype that could one day help astronauts refuel their way to the moon.

The students’ work was named best prototype on June 26, in NASA’s Human Lander Challenge, which was held near the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

In the Human Lander Challenge, participants were tasked with developing in-space solutions for storing and transferring cryogenic liquids to support future long-term exploration, according to prior Lantern reporting. Used as propellants in spaceflight, hydrogen and oxygen gases must stay extremely cold to stay in a liquid state.

John Horack, project advisor and the Neil Armstrong Chair in Aerospace Policy at Ohio State, said that the fuel in space is drastically different than on Earth.

“The cryogenic fuel is basically supercooled hydrogen oxygen,” Horack said. “You take those gases and cool them down, almost, in the case of hydrogen, to about 20 Kelvins, just above absolute zero. In this case, then you have to try to figure out how to hook it up.”

Max Heil, the team project manager and graduate aerospace engineering student, said that since cryogenic liquids only last several hours in space, experts must find a solution to make the gases last several weeks or even years.

While other teams focused on categories like thermal methods to reduce boil off or refueling on the moon, Ohio State’s team chose to work on autonomous refueling to build an innovative solution in a key aspect of NASA’s missions to the moon, Heil said.

“It was really just any way you could think of to reduce that amount of thermal loss or increase the longevity of cryogenics,” Heil said.

Autonomous refueling can speed up the process of transferring fuel from a tanker to a spacecraft, said Heil.

Their prototype, Autonomous Magnetized Cryo-Couplers with Active Alignment Control (AMCC-AAC), was modeled after a Stewart Platform, which is a six-legged motion table that the International Space Station uses to dock spaceships, said Heil.

The team wanted to replicate the platform and apply it in space for the cryogenic system, where the table can be used to latch the two spacecrafts together to refuel through the port, said Heil.

The AMCC-AAC uses a computer vision system that identifies “AprilTags,” similar to how QR codes work, located on the other side of the spacecraft to make the exact movements it needs to make to connect and start refueling, Heil said.

Their functional prototype wasn’t the team’s initial idea for how they wanted to represent and build their concept.

“When we were initially thinking about the prototype, we were thinking, ‘Okay, let’s just 3D print a model or for our equipment,’ which is great to do, but a lot of other teams were going to do that, and we

kind of knew that,” Heil said. “So to set us apart, I had the idea that we should kind of expand upon this whole thing, and our paper emphasizes the whole movement system, and while it’s not really a novel idea, it’s unique in space.”

Despite a large team with varying schedules, Heil said they were able to build the prototype in four months.

“I think we were all just really good at communicating,” Heil said. “When everybody communicates in that way, it makes the project move faster.”

Horack said his role as the team’s advisor was consultative rather than very directive; his job was to help them stay on track and use his resources to support them in the best way he could.

Horack also said he was pleased with the success of his students with their prototype. While their team did not place first overall, they still built something worth celebrating, according to Horack.

“For me, they didn’t win first or second or third place, but they got the best prototype,” Horack said. “I’m thinking, well, isn’t that what engineering is all about? Building something.”

Heil said that Horack supporting graduating engineers like himself can help open doors and connect with other industry experts.

“I think his support went beyond just technical,” Heil said. “It was definitely relationship building and pretty instrumental in how students can connect with the industry.”

The team will continue the project with other partners or advance related projects relevant to the space industry, Heil said. At Ohio State, there has been a lack of emphasis on the space side of aerospace, and the team is hoping to change that.

“I think this competition really boosts our awareness and the notoriety that we have in space at Ohio State and it shows that we are working on projects that are space related,” Heil said. “So it’s huge for the university. It really is huge.”

The Ohio State team presenting at the Human Lander Forum, held at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. in June.

COURTESY OF PRESTON HARMON

Former Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee to return to the university

Lily Pace and Davis Beatty Managing Campus Editor and Campus Editor

Controversy and expenses have not held E. Gordon Gee away from Ohio State for long. Despite retiring as university president in 2013, President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. offered Gee an opportunity to return to the university in a consulting role.

Gee will report directly to Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda, according to the press release. In his role, he will be “a resource for university leaders” by helping them advance their strategic priorities.

The position is a one-year consulting role, said university spokesperson Ben Johnson.

“Ohio State will always be home for President Emeritus Gee, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to campus,” Bellamkonda said in the press release. “We are working on bold endeavors to accelerate student success, attract and support a world-class faculty, and strengthen academic programs that are recognized for their impact on society.”

Bellamkonda also said that Gee brings “invaluable perspective” from his years of working in academia, according to the press release.

Gee will also hold residencies with the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, the Moritz College of Law and the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society, according to the press release.

“We have an exciting vision for Ohio State to define the future of higher education, and we can only benefit from having experienced leadership voices around the table,” Carter said in the press release. “Gordon knows Ohio State well and will bring valuable insights to our conversations. I am pleased to welcome him to campus.”

Gee was previously Ohio State’s president from 1990-98 and 2007-13.

In a previous Lantern interview with Gee, he said that Ohio State is his home. During his presidency, Gee supported the proposed $9 million Columbus City Schools levy despite opposition. The levy would have supported school construction efforts, a new property tax levy and fund childhood education, per prior Lantern reporting.

The levy ended up failed at the polls despite Gee’s support.

He announced that he was retiring from his role as university president on June 4, 2013, but wanted to spend his retirement “focused, but relaxed.”

He most recently served as West Virginia University’s president, but left after an 11-year term, according to the press release.

Gee’s time as president of West Virginia ended with a symbolic vote of no confidence from the faculty in September 2023 due to a budget shortage, according to the Associated Press. Gee stepped down from the position after his contract expired in June 2025.

University Spokesperson, Ben Johnson, said that Gee’s consulting agreement will not exceed $150,000.

Gee stirred controversy last time he was president of Ohio State due to his financial disclosure statements and comments against Catholics and other universities.

According to an article published by Sports Illustrated back in 2013, Gee criticized Notre Dame in an Ohio State Athletic Council meeting the previous December. In his remarks, he said that Ohio State had never invited Notre Dame to join the Big Ten since “they’re not really good partners.”

“I negotiated with them during my first term and the fathers are holy on Sunday and they’re holy hell on the rest of the week,” Gee said in the

meeting. “You just can’t trust those damn Catholics on a Thursday or Friday.” Gee also criticized the Southeastern Conference by saying that the SEC should “learn to read and write” and then they can figure out what they are doing, according to the Sports Illustrated article.

In August 2023, hundreds of West Virginia University students protested the administration cutting 9 percent of majors because the university budget was short $45 million. They removed one-third of the education department faculty and the entire world language department, according to the Associated Press.

Former Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee during an interview with The Lantern on Oct. 21, 2013.

ARTS & LIFE

University District market “Gateway Groove” to feature local businesses and music Friday

Helena Hennessy Arts & Life Senior Writer

A night of commemoration and celebration is right around the corner.

The Gateway – University District plaza and Eupouria bar are collaborating to host their third Gateway Groove market Friday. The event will host local vendors, bands and food from 4 to 8 p.m.

Welcome back, Buckeyes!

The 1970s-themed community event was founded by Jordan Popovsky, a fifth-year student in vocal performance and animal science.

In addition to live music, Gateway Groove will feature six booths consisting of local vendors and informational stands from Ohio State organizations, some of which include Chaotically Stitched Crochet, Retro Reese Vintage Streetwear and the OSU Community Music School, Popovsky said in an email.

“I hope that people can see the OSU community on a little more of a deeper level,” Popovsky said. “It’s this big community of amazing musicians, amazing artists and hardworking entrepreneurs … there are so many great people in this town.”

Popovsky said she worked closely with Christiana Moffa, general manager of the Gateway – University District plaza, and Emilee Morgan, owner of Eupouria bar, to organize and set up Gateway Groove.

Moffa said the process of curating the event with Popovsky has been an inventive one.

“I get to enjoy it and see it and watch our customers and visitors be happy, and it’s just so exciting and a collaborative process,” Moffa said. “I think we’re going to be doing a lot more going forward with students.”

Popovsky is a member of BuckeyeFunk Band — a Columbus-based cover band with an electic ‘70s sound. Her band will be one of three musical acts performing Friday, with the others being the indie-rock Snow Day Band and contemporary solo artist Max Rubin, Popovsky said.

“I like the idea of having a celebratory event for the University District community as a whole, where not only are there vendors and shopping, but live music, drinking, food and dancing,” Popovsky said.

Popovsky said her journey toward becoming an entrepreneur began when she founded her jewelry business — BeadznWirez — during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I’m excited to welcome you to campus for our new academic year.

Last year was a banner year for us – in the classroom, in our research labs, on the playing ﬁeld and in communities across our state. And I think this year we’re going to reach even higher. That’s because of you –the students, faculty and staff whose talents and creativity are building the future one day at a time, right here at The Ohio State University.

Now, let’s work hard, do big things together, and have some fun along the way.

As always, GO BUCKS!

WALTER “TED” CARTER JR. President

The view of Eupouria and its patio at the June Gateway Groove event.

COURTESY OF VICTOR VAN BUCHEM AND JORDAN POPOVSKY

Step Into Your Future with SCOPE

The Battelle Center tackles real-world challenges in science, technology and public policy. SCOPE (Student Community of Practice and Engagement) gives students hands-on experiences that connect classroom learning with practical application. Through SCOPE events, students from all majors can build skills, meet industry leaders, gain real-world experience and explore career paths that match their passions!

go.osu.edu/C7vg

Fall 2025 SCOPE Event Schedule

Date

9/3/2025 4-6PM

Event

Battelle Center Kickoff

9/10/2025 5-6pm Professional Training: Resume Writing

9/19/2025 12:45-2pm Building Braid: Community and Empowerment in PIT

9/23/2025 4-6pm Meet & Greet: Ohio Life Sciences

9/24/2025 4:30-5:30pm Community Conversation: Advanced Air Mobility

10/1/2025 4-5pm

10/8/2025 4-5:30pm

10/13/2025 4:30-5:30pm

10/28/2025 4:30-6pm

11/5/2025 12:45-2pm

11/5/2025 4:30-5:30pm

Community Conversation: Energy

Professional Training: Networking

Meet & Greet: Leeward Renewables

Community Conversation/ Meet & Greet: Invenergy

Veritas Maps: DA for Public Good

Community Conversation: Advanced Air Mobility

Event Info

The Battelle Center Kickoff will introduce students to the center’s programs, research and affiliated student organizations, helping them gain experience and connect with peers.

This event will show you how to write a resume that tells your story and effectively highlights your key skills and qualifications to get noticed by employers.

Dr. Lisa Frazier interviews Raymar Hampshire about Braid and how failure, empathy and confidence drive innovation.

Join Ohio Life Sciences to learn how they grow the life sciences market, develop talent for the industry and navigate their Career Portal connecting Ohio’s workforce with life science opportunities.

Join AV McNair, LLC founder, Amber McNair as they share their career path, discuss aeromobility planning and FAA airport land use projects and explore land use considerations in AAM.

Caitlin Holley from Trillium H2 Power will share her experience in hydrogen-based energy projects and her background at Battelle and Engie in this community conversation.

This professional training with Sarah Shumick from Battelle will help students prepare for networking events and present their best self with confidence.

Leeward Energy will highlight their work as energy developers, discuss challenges from new federal guidelines and share information about their upcoming internship program.

This meet-and-greet with Invenergy will give students a look at their energy projects, political adaptations and internship and job opportunities.

Dr. Lisa Frazier will interview Jeff Lumpkin about Veritas Maps and explore how curiosity, exploration, empathy and failure drive innovation.

Rich Fox, Director of the Ohio UAS Center, will discuss the center’s role in advancing uncrewed aircraft technology and supporting Ohio’s UAS industry and state agencies.

Wexner Center for the Arts to host percussive dance company

“SOLE Defined” as part of new series beginning September 4

Antonia Campbell Arts & Life Editor

The Wexner Center for the Arts is bringing live performances, film screenings, art workshops and more to the Ohio State community at a higher caliber this fall.

“First Thursday,” as the Wex has named it, is a new series this fall beginning Sept. 4. On the first Thursday of every month, the center will host a multitude of events for free or at an affordable price, said Emily Haidet, curator of academic and public programs at the Wex.

“‘First Thursdays’ are an initiative by the Wex to invite folks from across campus and our communities into the Wexner Center for the Arts to experience all we have to offer,” Haidet said. “There are going to be multiple events that are either free or low cost. On the first Thursday of each month, we have lineups of events that include artist talks, film screenings, performances, but also opportunities for folks to get something at our Heirloom Café at a discounted rate, check out our current exhibitions and also learn some new skills in our art making workshop.”

Haidet said the goal of the new series is to give the community an easy opportunity to see the different events that the Wex hosts.

“We were really trying to think about ways to more consistently engage with our communities,” Haidet said. “We thought, if we can provide a little bit of consistency and dependability for our communities, like, ‘Okay, we always know there’s going to be something to do at the Wex the first Thursday of the month,’ regardless of what it is, it’ll be an interesting, cool, fun time and an opportunity to gather your community, bring your friends and have a social moment.”

September’s “First Thursday” will consist of an author talk with Jim Daichendt, a campus community studio at Heirloom Café, a drop-in gallery exhibit, a film screening of “Sabbath Queen” and a percussive dance performance called “ZAZ” from the dance company “SOLE Defined,” according to the Wex’s website.

“ZAZ” is “an immersive sensory performance that shifts traditional viewing practices beyond just sight and sound. The performers embody the oral histories and recorded experiences of survivors of Hurricane Katrina,” according to its

page on the Wex’s website.

“‘ZAZ’ is a fictional place about real people who experienced something real, Hurricane Katrina,” Ryan Johnson, playwright and director of “ZAZ,” said. “I have goose bumps thinking about what ‘ZAZ’ is, because it’s so many things. It’s a performative archive, so it’s holding these oral stories, these histories of people who experienced Hurricane Katrina firsthand. Some of them will actually be coming to Columbus to see the show, which is exciting.”

Jodeci Millhouse, associate director and performer in the show, said the story not only explores the stories of those who experienced Hurricane Katrina, but it also dives into Johnson’s personal relationship with New Orleans.

“It’s where we get to see Ryan [Johnson] explore what New Orleans means to him as an artist, and how the culture affected [Johnson], which is also a big part of the show,” Millhouse said. “It is about Hurricane Katrina and how it affected the people and the culture there. But a big part of it is also [Johnson] narrating how New Orleans affected him as an artist and a person, so I think that’s important too.”

As far as what the show entails, Johnson said the show combines the five senses to really immerse the audience into the performance.

“It is the intersection of movement and technology and using these physical practices with technologies to create an almost 4D experience,” Johnson said. “You know, what do you feel? What do you see? What do you taste? What do you hear? It’s how that creates an atmosphere for you to go on a journey for 70 minutes.”

Millhouse said the show provides an experience that has never been done before.

“People can expect to learn a lot, to feel a lot,” Millhouse said. “When you come, it’s really a roller coaster. I think [Johnson’s] idea of it being this immersive experience is the biggest thing that people can expect, like you’re gonna be in it, from the way that the seating is in the space to the way that you experience the art and the story. I think it’s unprecedented. There’s no kind of percussive dance, at least that is like this, with a meaningful message and storytelling as well.”

For people planning to see the show, Johnson said he hopes viewers are reminded by the show to have empathy and look at the bigger picture.

“I really just hope that people remember what humanity is and understand and remember what it means to care about something larger than themselves, because we are all trying to figure it out,” Johnson said. “The people of New Orleans are still navigating the psychological, financial and emotional effects of Hurricane Katrina and the government’s poor response to it.”

Millhouse said she’s looking forward to people experiencing the show, down to its smallest details.

“I think this has been living in [Johnson’s] mind for a long time and we’ve had different iterations, but it’s never been alive like this before,” Millhouse said. “So, I think I’m really excited for people to really experience every tiny detail that so much thought has gone into. It’s going to be really fulfilling.”

Along with the “First Thursday” performance at 7 p.m., “ZAZ” will also be performed on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 7 at 3 p.m. at the Wex. Tickets for the “ZAZ” performances can be purchased for $12 on their event page. For more information on the other events, as well as to reserve and purchase tickets, visit the Wex’s website.

Ryan Johnson’s “ZAZ” will be performed at The Wex on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.

COURTESY OF BECCA MARCELA OVIATT

What’s Up: Welcome Week activites

Grayson Newbourn

Managing Arts & Life Editor

Welcome Week at Ohio State hosts a variety of events for all kinds of students — offering plenty of opportunities to make friends, enjoy free food, games, activities and more.

Welcome Week for the ‘25-‘26 academic year began Sunday and events will continue to take place through next Sunday. While Welcome Week starts off with notable events such as Convocation and the Student Involvement Fair, the rest of the week is stocked full of events catered to students’ individual interests.

Friday, Aug. 29:

Graduate and Professional Involvement Fair and Picnic

Sponsored by Google Gemini, the Graduate and Professional Involvement Fair and Picnic will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. on the second floor of the Ohio Union in the Archie Griffin Ballroom. The free event will allow graduate and professional students to explore student organizations, as well as network with other students.

Off-Campus Community BLOC Party

Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement will host their Buckeyes Living Off Campus — or BLOC — party from 4 to 6 p.m. at University Square, which is located at the corner of 15th Avenue and North High Street.

The event will offer on campus, off campus and commuter students the opportunity to meet other students in the area and give them the chance to introduce themselves to their neighbors. The BLOC party intends to maintain a laidback and casual environment, complete with free food, drinks and activities, according to their website.

Today,

Aug. 26:

International Student Welcome Party

This year’s International Student Welcome Party will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Archie Griffin Ballroom — located on the second floor of the Ohio Union. The event is hosted by International Friends Inc., a registered Ohio State student organization that intends to help international students adjust to life in the United States. The party offers a safe and welcoming space for international students to find and make lasting connections with other international students.

Wednesday,

Aug.

27: OUABlock Party

The Ohio Union Activities Board will host their OUABlock Party from 6 to 9 p.m. on the South Oval. The event is sponsored by Google Gemini, according to the Welcome Week website. Dave Isaacs, a university spokesperson, said the event will give students the opportunity to mingle with others, take part in interactive activities and enjoy free food and music.

Esports Open House

The Esports Arena — located on the second floor of Lincoln Tower — will host an open house from 7 to 9 p.m. According to the esports website, the event will offer free food, party games and access to several video games among different platforms — including Mario Kart and Quiplash, as well as Just Dance and the virtual reality game Beat Saber.

LANTERN FILE PHOTO

SPORTS

Two decades later, Buckeyes and Longhorns rekindle their rivalry

Jack Diwik Managing Sports Editor

Bobby Carpenter still remembers looking out the window of the Blackwell Inn on the afternoon of Sept. 10, 2005.

The Horseshoe was just down the street, but what caught his eye was everything outside it — thousands of people crowding Lane Avenue, tens of thousands more filling up parking lots and sidewalks. The type of atmosphere that only comes with a marquee matchup.

“It was like the State Fair effect,” Carpenter said. “You had 100,000 people going to the game, and another 100,000 who just wanted to be there. That’s when you knew it wasn’t just another Saturday.”

That night, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 2 Texas collided in one of the most anticipated nonconference games of the BCS era. On Saturday, the two programs will meet again with similar stakes. Both teams are ranked within the top five and have championship or bust expectations.

This Saturday, the Buckeyes will look to win back-to-back games against the Longhorns, following their 28-14 victory in the 2025 Cotton Bowl, which ended Texas’ season and springboarded the Buckeyes to the national championship, which they went on to win.

But rewind 20 years, and the buildup wasn’t all that different.

The Buckeyes’ defense — Carpenter, A.J. Hawk, Donte Whitner, and a front seven full of NFL talent — faced a Texas team on the rise, led by quarterback Vince Young.

Carpenter said the Buckeyes spent all offseason preparing for Texas — and for Young in particular. Then Young walked on the field.

“He’s all of 6-5, 240 pounds,” Carpenter said. “You look at him and think, holy crap — this dude looks like a defensive end. And then he’s running, and he’s such a long strider that he outruns your angles. You don’t realize how much ground he’s covering until it’s too late.”

What followed was a bruising, back-and-forth contest that still lives in the memory of everyone who played in it. Texas escaped with a 25-22 win, riding Young’s late touchdown pass to Limas Sweed. The Longhorns would go on to have an undefeated season that ended in a national championship. The Buckeyes would end the season 10-2.

For Carpenter, the game remains unforgettable. He remembers how the energy fed into the game itself — especially on defense.

“If you want the crowd to be in it, you’ve got to give them something to cheer about,” he said. “You make plays, they’ll feed off you. And then you feed off them. It becomes symbiotic. That’s when the ‘Shoe is at its absolute best.”

Despite the buildup and the chaos of the night, Carpenter said head coach Jim Tressel kept his team grounded.

“People always ask about his big pregame speeches,” Carpenter said. “But that wasn’t his deal. He was the same guy every week. That’s what we respected about him.”

Looking back, Carpenter said games like that reveal more than just the score.

“One team was going to win, one team was going to lose. That’s football,” he said. “But what a game like that reveals is who you are and what you need to improve. And then you’ve got three months to get better. That’s the beauty of it.”

Now, 20 years later, the stage is set again.

No. 3 Ohio State will host No. 1 Texas at Ohio Stadium, and once again, the college football world will have its sights set on Columbus.

It will be the first time the Buckeyes have played a No. 1 team at home since 1985, when Ohio State defeated No. 1 Iowa 22-13, and it’s a matchup that could shape the College Football Playoff picture before the calendar even flips to September.

This time, it’s Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes’ loaded offense against a Texas defense that many believe is the best in the country. It’s Arch Manning, making his first trip to Columbus as the Longhorns’ starter, carrying the weight of skyhigh expectations. And it’s Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian trying to prove their programs belong at the very top of the sport.

“These are two of the most talented teams in college football,” Carpenter said. “Both have young quarterbacks. Both have first-time starters figuring things out. And games like this — early, high stakes — they show you what you’re really made of.”

Carpenter will be in the stands Saturday, still chasing the adrenaline he felt as a player that night in 2005.

“You ride the wave with them, good or bad,” he said. “The hard part is, as a former player, you can’t impact it anymore. You want to. But you can’t. So you just sit there and feel it.”

James Laurinaitis, then a freshman and now Ohio State’s linebackers coach, said the legacy of that game is exactly why this weekend’s matchup matters so much.

“The pageantry around it is why college football is so beautiful,” Laurinaitis said. “Like amidst everything — it’s Texas, it’s Ohio State, it’s the history, it’s the burnt orange, it’s the scarlet and gray — and you’re like, what else do you want?”

Ohio State cornerback Ashton Youboty (26) breaks up a pass in the end zone during a game against Texas at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 10, 2005.

LOUIS DELUCA/DALLAS MORNING NEWS VIA TNS

Sonic and Knuckles: Peoples and Donaldson set to carry the torch in 2025

Liv Rinaldi Sports Editor

For the first time since 1975, when Archie Griffin and Pete Johnson did it, Ohio State had two running backs go for 1,000 yards in the same season.

TreyVeon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins revolutionized the Buckeyes’ offense, rushing for a combined 2,119 yards and 21 touchdowns, leading Ohio State to their ninth championship trophy.

Now both are off to the NFL, and the torch has been passed. Replacing that kind of production is a tall task – but sophomore James Peoples and senior transfer CJ Donaldson aren’t shying away from the spotlight. In fact, they’ve already given their tandem a nickname.

“I think it’s going to be Sonic and Knuckles,” Peoples said, referring to the iconic video game duo. “We both run hard. He’s, what, 6-2, 230? I’m excited to see what he’s going to bring and how we’re going to be able to feed off each other.”

Peoples embodies the Sonic name, while Donaldson, a senior who spent three seasons at West Virginia, is perfectly fine wearing the Knuckles name tag.

“I gotta do the dirty work,” Donaldson said. “I’m definitely cool with doing the dirty work. [Peoples] is more of the personality guy. Bad cop, good cop.” Peoples spent his first season preparing for a leading role in the backfield. While sitting behind Judkins and Henderson, the freshman rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns, and while it was a great learning experience, Peoples said he is ready to take the jump.

“I’m totally different,” Peoples said. “Through training and the guys I sat behind, just learning from them, and what I’ve seen. I’ve gotten faster, stronger, quicker. Everything has just taken another level up.”

Donaldson delivered nearly identical stat lines with the Mountaineers in 2023 and 2024, tallying between 700 and 800 rushing yards, 4.5–4.7 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns. But his version of leveling up came through trimming down.

“It definitely helps a lot,” Donaldson said. “I can accelerate a lot faster right now. I think I weighed in today at like 227. It feels great not having all that body fat on me. It allows me to play more downs and be more explosive.”

That wasn’t the only thing he was shedding. On Aug. 6, Donaldson’s black stripe was removed, signaling the newcomer has earned right to play as a Buckeye.

Donaldson’s rise wasn’t easy under running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, who drives home the idea to his players that everything they want, they’re going to have to earn.

“He told me he was going to challenge me,” Donaldson said. “He’s going to bring a different personality and a different animal out of me, which I’m like, ‘I need that challenge.’ It’s important to be challenged.”

For Peoples, the coaching style has been different this season as well, with Locklyn being more critical and pushing him harder in practice. That hasn’t bothered Peoples, who said he trusts Locklyn’s coaching style.

“He preaches all the time there’s a method to the madness,” Peoples said. “The one thing he really stresses is that we play as one in the running back room.”

Even with a national championship under his belt, Peoples is focused on the present.

“That team last year is a whole other team,” Peoples said. “A lot of those guys moved onto their NFL careers. I was there, of course I want to be in it now.”

Locklyn shares the same outlook. He was quick to say that “last year is last

year” and that Peoples and Donaldson are carving out their own identity, separate from Henderson and Judkins.

“Those kids are not Q and Tre,” Locklyn said. “They’re themselves. I don’t want them to be nobody else but themselves.”

And he doesn’t sugarcoat the work required to step into the spotlight.

“They’ve got to fill their own shoes,” Locklyn said. “Those things will settle themselves. We’re competing out there every day. If you think you have arrived in that room, you’re going to get your feelings hurt. Because I’m going to make sure I hurt them. You got to come to work every day. If you don’t humble yourself, I will.”

For Peoples, making those shoes fit is a weighty responsibility—but one he’s ready to shoulder.

“That is something I hold upon my shoulders to constantly uphold the standard that those guys before me left,” Peoples said.

Donaldson, meanwhile, has found his footing as a leader in the backfield.

“In the spring, I definitely had those times when I was like ‘Man, am I in the right spot or am I saying the right thing?’ But now it’s like I know what I’m here for and I know the player that I need to be to help this team out.”

That growth comes with a clear vision for the running back group heading into the season opener against Texas. Reflecting on the identity he wants the backfield to carry, Donaldson emphasized cohesion.

“We all dress the same, we look the same, we’re gonna talk the same language and we all go as play as one.”

Sonic and Knuckles might have started as a video game duo, but in Columbus this fall, it’s the backfield tandem Ohio State hopes will power the Buckeyes to another level.

Freshman running back James Peoples (20) smiles during the singing of “Carmen Ohio,” after The Buckeyes 45-0 victory over Purdue Nov. 9, 2024.

CARLY DAMON | LANTERN FILE PHOTO

Football: Meeting QB1

Julian Sayin

Caroline Hebert Sports Senior Writer

fter a months-long competition for the starting quarterback position, we finally have an answer.

On Aug. 18, Ryan Day announced that Julian Sayin is no longer just a promising five-star talent on the depth chart for Ohio State. He’s now QB1.

With a bright future ahead as a Buckeye, the redshirt freshman from Carlsbad, California, is worth getting to know.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound quarterback graduated from Carlsbad High School, and in 2023, was named Elite 11 Finals MVP – one of the highest honors for high school quarterbacks – with past winners like C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields.

The quarterback’s journey to Columbus, however, was far from linear.

touchdown. In the race to uphold the spot as starting quarterback for the Buckeyes, his main competition was junior Lincoln Kienholz, who has not played since the 2023 Cotton Bowl in Missouri.

Sayin’s recent surge set him over the top.

“He’s done a good job about being consistent and taking care of the football,” offensive coordinator Brian Hartline said. “He’s done a good job with giving the guys an opportunity to make plays, and I just think it’s the body of work.”

After enrolling early at Alabama, Sayin entered the transfer portal following head coach Nick Saban’s retirement and the arrival of a new coaching staff. The Buckeyes saw this as a clear opportunity.

Once ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class, his transfer to Ohio State added immediate interest to an already competitive quarterback pool.

“I definitely made the right decision coming up here,” Sayin said. “It came down to a lot of factors, but I really wanted to be at a school with great tradition and great quarterback history.”

Sayin appeared in four games playing for Ohio State during the 2024 season, logging 27 snaps and completing 5 of 12 passes for 84 yards and a

The body of work, especially Sayin’s poise and ability to lead the offense, is ultimately what led to Day naming the redshirt freshman the starter amid the monster week one matchup against Texas.

“He’s smart, poised, has good composure,” Day said. “[Sayin] has good timing, and has really built command and confidence as time has gone on.”

But as always, when there is a firsttime starter, there is a shadow of the unknown around Sayin. However, Day and the team have full confidence that the young quarterback is the guy to lead the Buckeyes to their first back-toback championship.

“He knows that the team and the coaches have confidence in him,” Day said. “We’ve worked them hard in practice. It’s our job to make sure when they’re out there, it’s as game-like as possible. When he gets in the game, we told him–let it rip. Go get it, man. Play with confidence because that’s what all the preparation rewards you with.”

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