“The Game” is here, and so is the unfiltered conflict of Urban Meyer and his Fox Sports colleague. Dave Portnoy, the loud, unapologetic Michigan superfan, has taken shots at the Buckeyes throughout the season. He wasn’t going to miss out on taking another jibe as Ohio State prepares to take on the Wolverines today.

Portnoy enters the Big Noon Kickoff studio wearing a bizarre Michigan jacket with Men vs Boys written at the front. Portnoy posts the video of it on X while he loiters in front of Urban Meyer. It’s not hard to distinguish who he’s referring to as ‘men’ here and who are the ‘boys’. This is the same person who’s been calling Ryan Day a ‘coward’.

And the former Buckeyes HC’s reaction? Meyer asks Charles Woodson if he has a jacket like that, to which Charles replies, “I need one.” Meyer quickly conflicted it, saying, “No, you don’t.”

During the entire 2025 season, Dave Portnoy hasn’t let go of any opportunity to bring down Meyer because of his association as a Buckeye head coach in the past. His arrival at the Big Noon Kickoff followed a deal bringing Barstool content to FS1, creating cross-platform buzz. Portnoy’s Michigan fandom and bold personality fueled lively on-air moments. However, it obviously didn’t go along with Urban Meyer’s loyalty towards scarlet and white. The whole thing was bound to explode, and it did, almost instantly.

Portnoy made it crystal clear early on that Big Noon Kickoff was missing a major Michigan voice. “I’m going to be on the road every single week with these guys. Now, they don’t have a Michigan guy on the panel,” Portnoy said. “They do have an Ohio State guy, even though Ohio State hasn’t beaten Michigan in about a hundred years.” Man’s got a point, though. Dave Portnoy doesn’t even leave former Buckeye players like Will Howard. He’d been trash-talking the Ohio State quarterback after that November 2024 game.

As a die-hard Michigan fan, he called Howard a “coward” and a “bum” after Ohio State fell to Michigan. But once OSU banned him for all his wild anti-Buckeye takes during the season opener, Portnoy suddenly flipped into full-on damage-control mode. So what did he do? He rolled into Columbus with a plan. Portnoy passed out 1,000 pairs of replica gold pants charms he bought off eBay. And while he was at it, he even met with Will Howard, the former OSU QB. Portnoy shook his hand, kept things friendly. The fiery back-and-forth between them reflects not only college football’s biggest rivalry but also a shake-up in sports media.

So now, as Ohio State walks into Ann Arbor with fire in their eyes and a clean streak, another battle will be brewing in the Fox Sports studio, and Dave Portnoy has already given his wishes for the GameDay in his style. “Happy Gameday! It’s been 2191 days since Ohio State beat Michigan,” he wrote on X.

Dave Portnoy’s soft side on sportsmanship

Dave Portnoy never backs down. However, the loudmouth Michigan fanatic might love to troll Ohio State, but even he knows where to draw the line. Ahead of the biggest college football rivalry weekend, he stepped up with an urgent message. And guess what? It’s not for his own safety but for OSU head coach Ryan Day. Portnoy is warning about serious threats aimed at Day and his family. Since Ryan Day took over the Buckeyes in 2019, he’s struggled to beat Michigan, with just one win in five years.

That losing streak has driven hardcore Ohio State fans absolutely crazy, to the point where Day and his family have felt the heat. Day’s wife, Nina, revealed that the family received death threats last season. It forced them to tighten security around their home. Fans in Columbus unleashed disturbing chants and hateful messages, including telling Day to “follow in his father’s footsteps” and kill himself. Even former OSU coach and FOX analyst Urban Meyer has faced blowback from these fringe fans.

Portnoy wants it clean this time. “This rant is for Ohio State fans’ eyes only,” he said. “Let’s keep it civil after we beat you guys again.” He knows the deep frustration in Columbus but calls for an end to the madness and personal threats. The bitter rivalry, with Michigan leading the all-time series 62-52-6 and owning recent wins, has long had heated moments. But this new wave of personal attacks on coaches’ families crosses all lines of sportsmanship.