Have more comments, questions? Please contact me: bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters have been lightly edited for clarity.
Unfortunately, we don’t have enough space in the print edition to accommodate all of the great reader feedback we receive. For more letters, visit Dispatch.com. Have more comments, questions? Please contact me at bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters have been lightly edited for clarity.
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About Ohio State University Football
Notes to the Editor: Woody Hayes and Ryan Day walk to the Pearly Gates together.
St. Peter said to Woody, “State your case.”
Woody didn’t blink. “God. Country. Beat Michigan.”
The door opens like a Kroger automatic door.
Tian took a step forward. “God. Family. National championship. Sometimes I beat Michigan State.”
Saint Peter sighed. “Coach, let me let you in.”
Heaven smiled. “Thanks.”
St. Peter added, “But it’s just a reprieve.”
“probation?”
“One more win for Michigan next year…and you’re totally saved.”
Michael N. Oser, Upper Arlington
To Michael:I’m curious: Where has Hayes been since his death in 1987, only to now be at Heaven’s Gate? Trial period? Detained? In the great waiting room of heaven?
On November 4, 1967, Woody Hayes coached against Michigan State.
Dear Mr. White: Now that the CFP Championship Game is over, I suggest you update Mike Adamkosky’s answer to the Dispatch article “Downs still say Buckeyes are better” that was in your inbox last week. You said the Buckeyes were “very good but exposed in the last two games.” The offense was definitely exposed, but the defense definitely wasn’t. They held Indiana’s national championship team to 13 points, something no other defense could do. And that was in front of a pro-Hoosier crowd in Indianapolis. OSU’s defense in 2025 is exactly what we imagined it to be – an elite No. 1 defense.
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Michael O’Connell, Columbus
To Michael: Well said, I should clarify. Ohio State’s defense wasn’t exposed. The crime is. None of this season’s shortcomings fall on Matt Patricia’s team.
About college football
To Brian: After watching the IU-Miami game and other games, I have come to the conclusion that receiver situations at the line of scrimmage and downfield occur on almost every play in football. So, how do you get the referee to award a penalty kick? This is a mystery to all of us. It seems that the referee is the one who really decides the outcome of the game.
Chet Ridenour Sr., Worthington
Go to Chet: you’re right. A timeout occurs every play because it is allowed. Players will look for any advantage they can get before officials continue to crack down. Also, I’m glad your email wasn’t one of the many “Ohio State is calling every game and everyone else isn’t” complaints. Thank you. I’ve heard enough of this and blocked it out.
Ohio State Buckeyes fans celebrate during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Value City Arena on Thursday, January 22, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.
About Ohio State Basketball
Notes to the Editor: If the Telegraph continues to publish articles by Rob Oler and Philip Droe, it will become another newspaper that has unfortunately gone out of business. Why would new subscribers pay to read their drivel? Their logic, their reasoning, lacks the intellectual standards normally maintained by The Telegraph. Amelia Robinson and Michael Arace establish a highly consistent standard of logic. (Unfortunately, Alas was kicked out).
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Oler blamed low attendance at Ohio State men’s basketball games on the lack of a high-profile coach. Was Michigan State’s Tom Izzo a high-profile entity when he was named their coach? Coach Diebler is an admirable employee who has demonstrated character, integrity and ability. Who buys tickets to see the coach? Will Oler realize that Ohio State made a multimillion-dollar mistake in building the stadium?
Schott is not welcome. The venue is not designed for college basketball games and the sightlines are terrible. Thousands of the main arena seats are unused offset seats reserved for university employees. Parking is expensive and the neighborhood is inconvenient. Can early afternoon game times be ensured so residents across the state can have a fun day out? The atmosphere of an arena cannot replicate that of a professional basketball venue, filled with ridiculous special effects and annoyingly blaring music for excitement. The arena reeks of elitism. The university would be better off admitting its mistake and ramping up its fundraising efforts to build a college-friendly basketball court and then potentially use Shorter Hall to house students displaced from outdated dormitories. Start fundraising by asking college football coaches for donations. However, Oler can only quote the superficial side and complain constantly.
I’m a cheerleader for The Telegraph and love the subscription benefits and the growth of the newspaper over the past few years, but Dro and Oler are eroding my desire to be fulfilled every day through community benefits.
Danny Finn, Worthington
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To Danny: Thank you for being a loyal subscriber. I can’t speak for Dro because I only cover the athletics part of our operation, but as for Oler, he’s right to point out that there are serious issues with attendance. The numbers are staggering. The attendance of 8,750 on Jan. 20 was the smallest for a Big Ten men’s basketball game in the 28-year history of the venue, which seats 18,809. As our Adam Jardy pointed out, Schottenstein Center has had five games with less than half capacity, a drop in attendance from 2024-25, when the Buckeyes averaged 11,578 fans. The Buckeyes haven’t played a sold-out home game since March 6, 2022. They have had 81 sellouts in the arena’s history, but only nine since the start of the 2014-15 season. Oler and anyone with any sense agrees that Diebler is a good coach and a very decent man. But would John Calipari, Dusty May or Sean Miller have recruited better players? And win more? This team didn’t exactly capture the attention of fans. In the end, Mike Alas was not “kicked out of the house.” He left voluntarily and, as they say, remains a friend of the program.
To Brian: Watching an Ohio State women’s basketball game recently, rebounding seemed to be a flaw. I looked up the stats for a few games and even though they have overcome this and are still winning regularly, I see the same pattern, specifically allowing the opposing team too many offensive rebounds. It amazes me that coaches shouldn’t put more emphasis on the fundamentals for fourth graders, which are often not followed. Just hoping the ball bounces in your direction is not an effective strategy. Maybe Jerry Lucas could stop by and give them some advice and inspiration. Correcting that could pay huge dividends this season.
Dennis Singleton (Dayton)
Kyle Whittingham speaks during a press conference to introduce him as the new head coach of the Michigan Wolverines at the Hyatt Regency Orlando on December 28, 2025 in Orlando, Florida.
About Michigan Football
To Brian: Finding a good head coach in college football has become trivial and prohibitively expensive. After a lull in the Ohio State rivalry for about 20 years, Michigan brought Jim Harbaugh back to reinstate the program, at least in terms of wins and prestige… briefly. Michigan has struggled to find consistency in coaching since Lloyd Carr retired and often lost to OSU’s Jim Tressel. Harbaugh won the championship and headed to the NFL. They need Sherron Moore to continue their success. It’s unclear whether he will pass the test. He lost it off the field.
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Kyle Wittingham understandably “retired” from Utah at age 66 after 21 seasons (which included a loss to Ryan Day in the Rose Bowl) despite not earning a CFP (12-2 in 25 years). Michigan caught him without hesitation. Why? They need stability first. College football needs quality programs.
Larry Cheek, Dublin
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This article originally appeared in The Columbus Dispatch: What would happen if Woody Hayes, Ryan Day reached Heaven’s Gate?
