The Portnoy Problem: How One Personality Is Souring Big Noon Kickoff for Buckeyes Fans

For many college football enthusiasts, especially those with allegiances to the scarlet and gray, Big Noon Kickoff on FOX should be a beacon of Saturday morning excitement. It’s a show designed to build hype, offer insightful analysis, and celebrate the grand spectacle of the sport. Yet, for an ever-growing number of Ohio State Buckeyes fans, the program has become less of a pre-game ritual and more of a weekly exercise in frustration, largely thanks to the polarizing presence of Dave Portnoy.

Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, brings a certain brash, unfiltered energy to the panel.

While some might find this entertaining, his unapologetic, often over-the-top Michigan fandom and relentless jabs at Ohio State have crossed the line from playful rivalry banter into genuine annoyance for a significant portion of the audience. What should be a balanced discussion about the week’s top matchups frequently devolves into Portnoy’s personal crusade against the Buckeyes, making it feel less like analysis and more like a partisan broadcast.

The issue isn't merely that he supports Michigan; it's the pervasive nature of his bias that overshadows any pretense of objective commentary.

Other analysts on the show, like Matt Leinart or Brady Quinn, can offer passionate opinions without alienating entire fanbases. Their commentary, even when favoring a particular team, generally maintains a level of respect for the game and its participants. Portnoy, however, often seems more interested in trolling and provoking, reducing serious discussions to schoolyard taunts.

Consider the typical Saturday: Ohio State fans tune in hoping for a comprehensive breakdown of their team’s upcoming challenge, perhaps a fair assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, or even just some impartial hype.

Instead, they are often subjected to a stream of consciousness where every point is bent to either glorify Michigan or diminish Ohio State. This isn't just a minor irritant; it fundamentally changes the viewing experience, transforming a potentially engaging show into a partisan soapbox.

The underlying sentiment among many Buckeyes supporters is one of bewilderment and disappointment.

Why would FOX, in an effort to appeal to a broad national audience, choose to feature a personality whose primary contribution seems to be alienating one of the sport's largest and most passionate fanbases? The show’s potential for broad appeal and insightful commentary is being undermined by a single personality’s inability (or unwillingness) to rise above his personal biases.

For Ohio State fans, Big Noon Kickoff is quickly becoming a skip-able segment, a disheartening development for a program that should be a highlight of their college football Saturdays.