Ohio State will turn Saturday’s season opener into a Jim Tressel celebration, and the details go well beyond the Ring of Honor ceremony itself.
The Buckeyes announced Thursday that they’ll hand out custom rally towels designed to echo Tressel’s signature sweater vest look. The first 1,500 students in attendance will get one, and fans can also buy towels around Ohio Stadium.
Tressel’s honor will come between the first and second quarters, when his plaque is unveiled next to Woody Hayes’.
“Everyone loves THE sweater vest 🌰
We can’t wait to unveil Coach Tressel in the Ring of Honor & we’re giving away sweater vest THE towels to the first 1500 students!
Towels can also be purchased in the Stadium at 08A, 11A,12A,16A, 23A, 24A, and 39A. pic.twitter.com/11FaPpD4ft
- Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) September 3, 2026”
Elsewhere in the college football world, playoff expansion talks continue to grind forward, with the Big Ten and SEC possibly moving closer to common ground.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, who has backed a 16-team playoff while the Big Ten has pushed for 24, recently sent a memo to the CFP Management Committee. One of the big items in that memo, according to a report by Ross Dellenger, was a demand that schools play 10 “qualifying events.”
In practical terms, that means Sankey wants teams to face at least 10 power conference opponents. The SEC already meets that standard this season, with one power conference opponent - or Notre Dame - required on nonconference schedules, plus nine SEC games.
CBS Sports reported that the Big Ten would be “comfortable” going that route if the playoff expands to 24 teams.
Key dates
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Jay Timmons is one of the more intriguing pieces in that mix, a freshman cornerback whose role could grow as the season settles in. For a defense that needs both confidence and chemistry, a game like this matters beyond the final score because it gives Ohio State a chance to see which combinations hold up, which ones need more time, and where the early uncertainty still lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Is Giving Jim Tressel One Of Its Highest Honors
Ohio State is adding Jim Tressel to one of the programs most visible tributes, with his name set to join the Ring of Honor at Ohio Stadium. It is a fitting nod to a coach whose tenure in Columbus helped define an era, from the 2003 national championship to eight Big Ten titles, all of which will now be part of the display alongside his name.
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Since then, Smith-Njigba has only added to the intrigue around that missed opportunity. He has become one of the NFLs top receivers, leading the league in receiving yards and earning a contract extension, which only sharpens the old debate over how much Ohio State might have gained if he had been able to suit up. For Buckeyes fans, it is the kind of conversation that never really dies, especially when the player at the center of it has gone on to prove just how high his ceiling really was. [Read more 🡒]