The Ohio State Buckeyes have surprised those who thought they weren’t quite tough enough this season with a stellar playoff run. They’ve really been one of the most successful teams in the College Football Playoffs and have worked their way into the semifinal round.

There are plenty of reasons for Buckeyes to be happy right now, but not everything is going so peachy.

Ohio State Buckeyes Get Bad News in Football

Ohio State began the debut 12-team College Football Playoff with a 42-17 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers. Then, just when their foes thought that would be it for them, following the win over the SEC juggernaut, Ohio State beat Oregon, 41-21.

While this is all good stuff, unfortunately, Ohio State suffered a loss in the transfer portal on Saturday, January 4.

Following three solid years with the Buckeyes, offensive lineman George Fitzpatrick entered the transfer portal. In 2024, he was a depth piece for an offensive line, but he has struggled in that role, so it makes sense that he would want to find a place where he has more playing time.

Fitzpatrick first committed to the Big Ten team as a four-star prospect and ranked as the No. 19 offensive tackle and No. 244 overall player in the nation, according to the experts at 247Sports. He was quite in-demand at the time and also entertained offers from colleges such as Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma and Florida.

So, Fitzpatrick is gearing up for the open market. It’s kind of like he’s a “free agent.” Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are getting ready for the semifinal of the College Football Playoff. They’ll take on the Texas Longhorns in the semifinals on January 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Ohio State Has an Unlikely Supporter in Tom Izzo

Michigan State University men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo expressed his support for Ohio State during a presser on Friday, January 3.

“Go Bucks. Win the National Championship,” he said at the end of the presser, via Dillon Davis of the Delaware Gazette.

While Izzo might not seem like your typical Buckeye fan, this kindship makes sense. As sports analyst and expert Jerred Johnson of Sports Illustrated notes in a January 5 feature, “It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Izzo is rooting for the Buckeyes to win it all, particularly after recently announcing his friendship with Ohio State head coach Ryan Day.”

Johnson added, “In fact, Izzo indicated that he reached out to Day not long after the Buckeyes dropped their fourth consecutive game to the Wolverines back on Nov. 30. Considering the fact that the entire sporting world was debating Day’s job security in Columbus, there’s no doubt that Buckeye head coach needed words of encouragement from Izzo.”

Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press added in a Sunday, January 5, post on X that, “MSU coach Tom Izzo on pregame radio show says Ohio State football coach Ryan Day stopped by Spartans’ shootaround today.”

Solari added, “Met previously/talked, spent time last year together. ‘We’ve become friends,’ Izzo says. Reached out to Day ‘a few weeks ago’ after U-M loss and backlash.”