Ever since their 2024 playoff run, the Ohio State Buckeyes have become the epitome of college football — the new Alabama. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are absolutely running both the AP Poll and on the field. They are sitting at 7-0 and ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches Poll. Based on 9 weeks of football, the Buckeyes look borderline untouchable—maybe only the Indiana Hoosiers could challenge them if they meet in the Big Ten Championship. To make things even more special, LeBron James, the King of Ohio himself, decided to bless the Buckeyes ahead of their matchup with Penn State.

On October 26th, the Ohio State Buckeyes’ official account hopped onto X and revealed that the greatest basketball player of all time decided to spoil his Buckeyes with a special pair of customized cleats. LeBron’s words: “What up!! This is King James. Ohio State means a lot to me. Obviously, if you follow my journey, I’m a big-time football fan. I played football all the way through high school. It’s always been fulfilling to me and an honor for me to be able to give back. So what I got is something special — when the Ohio State Buckeyes play Penn State, I got a special gift for y’all.” The King of Akron gifted the Buckeyes Ohio State–themed cleats in the traditional white, scarlet, and black colors for their Penn State game this weekend.

The Buckeyes even thanked the Goat for his kind donation: “The King always brings the 🔥Thank you for our cleat heat for the Penn State game King James 👑” This isn’t the first time LeBron has gifted Ohio State athletes with exclusive gear. LeBron’s been doing this kind of stuff for the Buckeyes for a while now. He’s dropped custom cleats for them before, like the “Graffiti” inspired pair they got in 2023. He’s also hooked them up with custom Beats headphones for a College Football Playoff game back in 2019.

His relationship with Ohio State runs deep. Even though he skipped college for the NBA, LeBron has said more than once that if he ever did go, it would’ve been to Ohio State. The four-time NBA champion said it before even though he famously jumped straight from high school to the NBA and never attended college, he often says that if he had gone to college, it would have been at Ohio State.

Although Ohio State players don’t have to wear the special custom cleats for the game against Penn State, but you can’t simply turn down the King’s gift. The Buckeyes will face the Nittany Lions at noon on Saturday at Ohio Stadium, and they are 20.5 favorites this weekend. Expect Brian Hart’s offense to put 25 points on Nitanny Lions. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

Is the Brian Hartline era coming to an end?

Brian Hartline has quickly become one of Ohio State’s most valuable assets — both on and off the field. Long before his promotion to offensive coordinator, Hartline was already widely regarded as the best wide receivers coach and recruiter in the country. His ability to land elite talent has paid off big for the Buckeyes, with players like Jeremiah Smith—now the best pound for pound player in the country—coming directly from his recruiting success. His consistency in developing a couple of NFL-caliber receivers over the years has made him a cornerstone of Ryan Day’s staff. 

However, Hartline’s success has also made him one of the most sought-after young coaches in college football. Over the past few years, his name has popped up in several head coaching conversations, and now, the list of potential suitors seems to be growing again. Following Penn State’s decision to fire James Franklin after a string of losses, boosters in Happy Valley are reportedly showing serious interest in Hartline. The timing is intriguing, as Penn State is set to visit Columbus this weekend, putting Hartline right in front of the very people who might want to hire him next.

To make matters even more complicated for Ohio State, LSU’s decision to part ways with Brian Kelly has created another major opening. Even if Hartline doesn’t land that particular job, it gives his agent valuable leverage to negotiate for other opportunities. Power 4 Programs across the country respect his reputation for player development and recruiting, even though he’s only been an offensive coordinator for one season. While Ohio State hopes to keep him for as long as possible, it’s clear that Hartline’s rise through the coaching ranks could soon lead him to his own head coaching gig.