No. 1 Ohio State will begin its 2026 college football season against Ball State on Saturday, and the Buckeyes decided to call upon one of their most famous supporters to help set the tone for Week 1.
OSU released a trailer for their season-opening matchup, featuring a collage of Buckeye players, including star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, while using Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” as its musical backdrop.
Philadelphia 76ers player and Akron, OH native LeBron James was tasked with narrating the trailer, titled “The Bell Tolls,” and delivered a strong message centered on the need to earn success at Ohio State as the Buckeyes begin another pursuit of a national championship.
“In old Ohio, there’s a team that’s known throughout the land whose name is met with reverence and an understanding of one thing: The Bell Tolls,” James said in the video. “Every new beginning is born from another reckoning. A judgment of toughness, of fight. Nothing is given, everything is earned.
“Once these gates close, there’s no more options. Stand before us, woe to the vanquished.”
James begins the narration by referencing the Buckeyes’ traditional “Buckeye Battle Cry,” then carries the message through the remainder of the video.
© Joe Maiorana-Imagn Images
James has maintained a public connection with Ohio State throughout his basketball career after growing up in Akron. He has regularly supported the football program and attended the Buckeyes’ national championship victories following the 2014 and 2024 seasons.
The new Sixers player also said back in 2013 he would have attended the university had he played college basketball.
“I promise, I say this all the time — if I had one year of college, I would have ended up here,” James said.
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The Buckeyes enter the opener as the nation’s No. 1 team and a 50.5-point favorite against Ball State. Ohio State has won 26 consecutive season openers and is 39-1 all-time against current MAC opponents.
Ohio State hosts Ball State on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 12:30 p.m. ET at Ohio Stadium on Big Ten Network.
