Some players find their college destination through exhaustive campus visits and late-night family deliberations. But Carnell Tate’s journey to Ohio State never really involved much of a choice at all. It was always going to be Columbus, even when the rest of the recruiting world didn’t know it yet. The Chicago native had his heart set on the Scarlet and Gray long before coaches started flooding his phone with scholarship offers.

Indiana center Pat Coogan, who played alongside Carnell Tate at Marist High School just outside Chicago, recently revealed just how deep those Buckeye roots run. Coogan said Tate told him before he had any offers that Ohio State was his dream school. Coogan, who played at Notre Dame before transferring to Indiana, faced his old teammate multiple times over the years. And every matchup against OSU has been “incredibly intense,” he noted. That intensity makes sense when you consider that for Tate, wearing the Buckeyes uniform was about living out a dream he’d carried since childhood.​​

When Ohio State finally extended that coveted scholarship offer on April 23, 2021, Carnell Tate didn’t drag out the process for attention. “I was shocked at the offer. All my life, I wanted to go to Ohio State. I grew up a Buckeye fan,” Tate told Eleven Warriors at the time. “It meant everything to me to get my dream school. My dreams are coming true.” He committed just over a year later in June 2022, choosing the Buckeyes over scholarship offers from powerhouse programs like Tennessee and Notre Dame.

In his commitment video, Carnell Tate made it official with a simple declaration, “I will be taking my talents to the Ohio State University.” The five-star receiver ranked as the No. 3 wideout in the 2023 class never wavered, never flirted with other schools, and never second-guessed the decision.​​

That unwavering loyalty faced its biggest test earlier this year. Rumors swirled that other programs were trying to poach Carnell Tate through the transfer portal with massive NIL offers. Reports suggested that rival schools were dangling more than $1 million to lure him away from Columbus.

Tate’s response shut down the speculation immediately and emphatically. “The plan was never for me to leave,” Tate said in January 2025. “I don’t know where that came from, where that started. I bleed Ohio State.” When asked about the program’s ability to retain its entire roster despite the transfer portal chaos, Tate offered perhaps his most revealing quote about what makes Columbus special. “It shows we have a true Brotherhood here in Columbus. All the guys are here for the program, and it’s bigger than themselves.”

Three weeks ago, Tate finally achieved something that had eluded him throughout his college career. OSU finally defeated Michigan. Tate had missed the previous three games with a lower-body injury. His availability for The Game wasn’t confirmed until pregame warmups. But nothing was going to keep him off the field for this one. “It means everything,” Tate said after the win, soaking in the moment he’d waited years to experience.

With that checkmark finally in place, Tate has accomplished nearly everything there is to achieve at Ohio State. He’s got a national championship ring from last season, he’s beaten Michigan, and now only one thing remains on his bucket list: winning the Big Ten championship. The top-ranked and undefeated Buckeyes (12-0) face No. 2 Indiana (12-0) this Saturday in Indianapolis, with the conference title, the No. 1 overall playoff seed, and potentially the Heisman Trophy all on the line. Once again, Tate will line up against his friend, yet again with everything on the line.

For a kid who always wanted to be a Buckeye, the dream keeps getting better. And he’s not going anywhere until it’s complete.​

Ohio State, Carnell Tate’s biggest challenge against Indiana

While Tate and his teammates chase that elusive Big Ten title, the biggest obstacle standing between them and Indianapolis glory might not be Indiana’s 12-0 record or their stingy defense.

Few coaches around the sport know the quarterback position as well as Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day. Asked about the Hoosiers’ quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, during a media teleconference on Sunday, Day offered genuine praise that should concern Buckeye fans. “He looks very intelligent in terms of his ability to identify pre- and post-snap schemes and makes those decisions as well,” Day said.

The numbers back up Day’s assessment and explain why Mendoza holds a slight edge over Julian Sayin in the Heisman race. Mendoza has thrown for 2,641 yards with 30 touchdown passes while completing 73% of his throws, fourth-best in the nation. Saturday’s matchup will pit two Heisman contenders against the two top-scoring defenses in the country.

To complete his dream, Tate and the Buckeyes’ defense will have to overcome their biggest challenge yet: a showdown with Indiana and their Heisman-favorite quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.