While the loss at Texas is still fresh on everyone's mind, there is another opponent on the horizon. Ohio State will try to get back in the win column when Kent State comes to Columbus this Saturday. Dropping a game by giving up 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter is a devastating way to lose a game; however, this isn't the BCS system where one loss could eliminate any championship hopes. On to the next game.
A newer tradition that started just last season is the honorary bell ringer. The athletic department invites a former Buckeye great to ring the Victory Bell before the start of the game. Past bell ringers have included the likes of Archie Griffin, John Cooper, Jim Tressel, Jerry Lucas, Urban Meyer, and most recently, Maurice Clarett.
The honor this week goes to Buckeye basketball legend Katie Smith.
THE Bell Ringer for Kent State: Ohio's very own, Katie Smith 🌰@OhioStateWBB | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/XwPcdu2LQc
— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) September 15, 2026
Smith led Ohio State to the 1993 NCAA Championship Game as a true freshman, where the Buckeyes fell just short to Sheryl Swoopes and Texas Tech, 84-82. Smith would go on to be named the Big Ten and National Freshman of the Year. She was a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year as well as a two-time First-Team All-American. Smith would end her career as the all-time leading scorer in OSU Women's Basketball history with 2,578 points. She is currently third on the all-time scoring list. Her No. 30 was retired in 2001 and hangs in the Schottenstein Center, making her the first Ohio State female athlete to receive the honor.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Victory Bell ringer announced for Ohio State game against Kent State
