Noah Weiskopf

My Best Work

The Lantern

The Lantern •

Behind closed doors: The meeting that transformed Ohio State into national champions

It was high noon when the Ohio State players shuffled into the football team meeting room, as they had countless times before

This time, however, was different.

The date was Dec. 2, 2024, 48 hours after one of the worst failures in program history — a 13-10 loss to Michigan, the fourth straight to their biggest rival.

The seniors had four years to earn the coveted gold pants.

Four times they tried.

Four times they failed.

There were no chances left.

The season was over.

Or was it?

The t...
The Lantern •

Ohio against the world: Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 34-23 to win 9th national title

ATLANTA — Six weeks ago, the Buckeyes were written off for dead.

Now, they’re national champions.

Ohio against the world, indeed.

The Buckeyes secured their ninth national title Monday night, defeating Notre Dame 34-23 in the first year of the 12-team playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The victory comes a decade after Ohio State claimed the first-ever, four-team College Football Playoff National Championship in 2015.

“After all the things that have been said throughout the year, these guys ar...
The Lantern •

Football: Walk-on player and content creator Caden Davis dismissed by Ohio State football program

Caden Davis, a walk-on football player best known for his substantial social media presence, has been dismissed from Ohio State’s football team, sources told The Lantern.

According to Ohio State football’s Sports Information Director Jerry Emig, the sophomore defensive end from Mason, Ohio, is no longer an official Buckeye athlete. During his time at the university, Davis has amassed a total follower count of approximately 300,000 users across platforms like Instagram, X and TikTok.

Davis neve...
The Lantern •

Football: Inside Jack Sawyer’s legacy-defining moment that secured Ohio State a National Championship spot

Buckeye captain Jack Sawyer and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers lived together as freshmen at Ohio State in 2021.

Four years later, the two met in the College Football Playoff semifinals, with one guaranteed defeat and the other promised a slot in the Jan.20 National Championship.

Trailing by a touchdown with 2:24 remaining, Texas was on the Ohio State 1-yard line, first and goal, moments away from tying the game.

A rush for no gain, a seven-yard loss and an incomplete pass set up fourth down....
The Lantern •

Football: Here’s why Ohio State is peaking when it matters most

Everything is finally coming together for the Buckeyes, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Neither Tennessee nor Oregon were able to keep up with Ohio State, and the Buckeyes are now preparing for a College Football Playoff Semifinal date with Texas Jan. 10.

Ohio State fans have been waiting for this dominant style of play all season — this is what the Buckeyes should be and could’ve been from the get-go.

Coming into the 2024-25 season, expectations couldn’t have been higher. The Buc...
The Lantern •

Football: Post-Michigan game brawl ends in fines, pepper spray and chaos; here’s what went down

Ohio State’s frustrations turned violent after an embarrassing, fourth straight loss to its rival Michigan Wolverines — one that is now costing both universities $100,000.

Instead of taking out its anger on Michigan during 60 minutes of football, Ohio State showed the most fight after the clock ran out. The result left some players and media representatives pepper sprayed by police, as well as the program facing criticism beyond what happened on the field.

“Following the game, officers from mu...
The Lantern •

Football: No. 2 Ohio State falls flat against Michigan, 13-10 loss sparks frustration and chaos

Humiliating.

That’s the only way to describe Ohio State’s fourth straight loss to its rival Michigan Wolverines.

Play after play, chance after chance, the Buckeyes failed to capitalize on potential game-altering opportunities, and an Ohio State team that seemed to dominate almost every Wolverines position on paper was outcoached, outplayed and eventually collapsed when it mattered most.

The No. 9 scoring offense in the country and the No. 2 overall Buckeyes failed to score a point in the seco...
The Lantern •

The Lantern sits down with Athletic Director Ross Bjork

On Oct. 16, Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork visited The Lantern’s newsroom and sat down one-on-one with Sports Editor Noah Weiskopf.

Bjork discussed his thoughts on the Oct. 12 Oregon game, head coach Ryan Day’s future at Ohio State, how he expects to balance recruitment and Name, Image and Likeness opportunities moving forward, expectations for the men’s basketball program, “Project 36” and more.

Oregon game

Bjork highlighted the high-intensity atmosphere at Autzen Stadium in Eugene,...
The Lantern •

Football: Emeka Egbuka strives to finish unfinished business while cementing his Ohio State legacy

Disclaimer: The Lantern’s “Best of OSU” polling was conducted via social media and should not be considered statistically representative of Ohio State’s extended student body.

Emeka Egbuka had a decision to make.

Many expected he would go to the NFL, be a high-round draft pick and the next great Buckeye wide receiver to play at the professional level.

Or he could return to Ohio State and complete some unfinished business.

He has never beaten Michigan.

He has never competed in a Big Ten Cham...
The Lantern •

Football: The next Buckeye great? Jeremiah Smith is well on his way

There was, what many considered, too much hype surrounding Jeremiah Smith since his arrival to Columbus. Somehow, the true freshman wide receiver surpassed those expectations in his first-ever game as a Buckeye.

Smith — who recorded six receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut — is the first freshman receiver to score twice in his first game at Ohio State since Michael Wiley did so 28 years ago, according to a Saturday article from ESPN.

Even so, the freshman jitters...

Cleveland.com

Cleveland.com •

Kirtland boys basketball falls short vs. Monroe Central, 58-54, in OHSAA Division VI semifinal

WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Kirtland’s extraordinary playoff run has ended, just one step short of the state title game.In front of 4,000 fans — most of whom were from Monroe Central — the Hornets fell to the Seminoles, 58-54, Saturday in the OHSAA Division VI semifinal game at Otterbein University.It was the first time in 34 years that Kirtland (19-9) reached final four. Hornets coach Shawn McGregor summed up their historic run in one word: magical.“Being on this ride and getting to this level, it’s ju...
Cleveland.com •

St. Ignatius ice hockey denied back-to-back titles, loses 5-2 to Upper Arlington in state final

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was devastation for St. Ignatius in Columbus on Sunday.Upper Arlington ended the Wildcats’ hopes of winning their second consecutive OHSAA ice hockey state title, 5-2, behind four third-period goals Sunday at Nationwide Arena.The Wildcats — who were seeking their ninth state championship in school history — were never able to get it going offensively as the Bears captured their school’s first-ever state championship.“A lot of tears in the locker room, myself included,” St. Ig...
Cleveland.com •

St. Ignatius ice hockey tops Toledo St. Francis de Sales for shot at 9th state championship

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Despite a regular-season overtime loss to Toledo St. Francis de Sales, St. Ignatius knew the state semifinals meant more.And when it mattered most, the defending state champion Wildcats pulled through — for the fifth straight time at state against the Knights.St. Ignatius downed St. Francis de Sales, 3-2, behind an overtime goal from senior center Nolan Ignacio Saturday at Nationwide Arena to advance to Sunday’s championship against Upper Arlington (a 7-2 winner over Mentor in t...
Cleveland.com •

Mentor ice hockey’s historic season stopped short of state final in 7-2 loss to Upper Arlington

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A historical run for Mentor has come to an end.Seven unanswered Upper Arlington goals slashed the Cardinals’ hopes at winning their school’s first state title Saturday as the Golden Bears beat Mentor — in its first-ever final-four appearance — 7-2 at Nationwide Arena.“If you told us at the beginning of the year that we were gonna go to states, we’d probably laugh at you,” Cardinals senior goalie Ryan Wilkinson said. “Just being here right now, it’s hard to take in.”Mentor’s seas...
Cleveland.com •

Kenston’s Sofia Macias captures all-around championship at OHSAA state gymnastics

HILLIARD, Ohio — In the OHSAA gymnastics individual competition one year ago, freshman Sofia Macias left disappointed: She finished 21st out of 36 in the all-around competition.This year, she was back for revenge.Macias — now a sophomore at Kenston — is heading back to Northeast Ohio with a gold medal as she took home first place in the all-around competition Sunday afternoon at Hilliard Bradley High School.Walking up to the highest level of the podium, Macias said she couldn’t believe it.“It wa...
Cleveland.com •

Brecksville extends national record with 22nd straight OHSAA gymnastics state title

HILLIARD, Ohio — Another year, another trophy for the Brecksville-Broadview Heights gymnastics team.It’s been more than two decades of superiority for the Bees, as they earned their national-leading 22nd consecutive state title Saturday with a total score of 148.700 at the 2025 OHSAA gymnastics state tournament at Hilliard Bradley High School.Magnificat finished as the tournament’s runner-up, 5.100 points behind Brecksville. In third and fourth place was Strongsville and Hudson, respectively, an...

Associated Press

AP News •

Ohio State freshman star and former No. 1 recruit Jeremiah Smith lands in national championship game

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — When Ohio State faced Texas in the Cotton Bowl, Jeremiah Smith was expected to shine. After all, he had piled up 290 yards receiving in two postseason wins and was looking like the star to stop for the rest of the College Football Playoff field. Instead, he was double-teamed by the Longhorns and limited to a single catch for three yards as Ohio State advanced to Monday’s national championship game against Notre Dame with a 28-14 victory.The 6-foot-3 freshman is a big reason...
AP News •

Buckeyes rally around oft-criticized coach Ryan Day and ride momentum to CFP semifinal vs. Texas

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — When Ohio State lost to archrival Michigan for the fourth straight year, calls came from seemingly everywhere for Buckeyes coach Ryan Day to be fired.Fast forward five weeks and Day has Ohio State on the cusp of a national championship game appearance and is garnering praise from Buckeye fans thanks to dominating wins against Tennessee and Oregon in the College Football Playoff.“(There are the) same guys in the room as was there a month ago,” Day said after the win over the...
AP News •

Ohio State QB Will Howard gets one more chance against old nemesis Texas, this time in CFP semifinal

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Second chances are not easy to come by. One victory over Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals would more than make up for years of frustration for Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.Howard lost all three of his starts against Texas when he was at Kansas State and the Longhorns were in the Big 12. He was on the sidelines for a fourth defeat.“Personally for me,” Howard said, “there’s definitely a little extra motivation there because I never got the chance to beat...
AP News •

Blue Jackets fans and players remember the Gaudreau brothers at a candlelight vigil in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Fans and Columbus Blue Jackets players gathered for an emotional candlelight vigil outside the team’s arena to remember Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who died last week when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey.The crowd of roughly 1,000 outside Nationwide Arena was encouraged to light their candles at at 7:49 p.m. Wednesday evening. For the next 13:21 minutes — for Johnny’s No. 13 jersey and Matth...