Dave Portnoy makes his debut on Fox's 'Big Noon Kickoff' Screen grab: ‘Big Noon Kickoff’
By Ben Axelrod on

All things considered, I largely enjoyed the first episode of Big Noon Kickoff featuring Dave Portnoy.

Admittedly, I know that puts me in the minority of Ohio State alums.

Say what you will about Portnoy — and plenty has already been said — but I think his addition to Big Noon Kickoff has already provided a much-needed jolt to a weekly Fox pregame show in desperate need of one. In recent years, Big Noon Kickoff has become closer to a glorified Big Ten Network program than a viable College GameDay alternative. And if it’s ever going to reestablish itself as the latter, there would have been worse ways to go about it than Portnoy’s presence.

It didn’t take long for the Barstool Sports founder to lean into the sports entertainment of it all, literally arriving on the Big Noon set via a WrestleMania-esque entrance before cutting a WWE-style promo on the Ohio State fans surrounding the stage. Portnoy played it up by riling up the audience with jabs about Michigan avoiding significant sanctions from its sign-stealing scandal and, of course, the Buckeyes’ four-game losing streak to the Wolverines.

The only problem: nobody else seemed to be playing along.

Urban Meyer did his best, but doesn’t exactly embody the type of rah-rah spirit necessary to combat Portnoy’s everyman act. And despite their best efforts, the chemistry was clearly lacking. Don’t hold your breath hoping for this to become Fox’s version of the Pat McAfee and Nick Saban odd couple on College GameDay.

Such disconnects weren’t just limited to Meyer, as Matt Leinart also seemed to take legitimate offense to a relatively playful jab that Portnoy took at USC’s defense. Based on recent comments, it doesn’t sound like there were many (if any) dress rehearsals, and Portnoy’s on-set segments certainly gave the impression that it was the first time most of his new coworkers were familiarizing themselves with his schtick.

If there was one character willing to play along with Portnoy on Saturday morning, it was the Ohio State audience, which was eager to boo the Michigan alum every opportunity it got. Only these weren’t fans going along with a pro wrestler criticizing their local team, but closer to LeBron James’ first game back in Cleveland with the Miami Heat, with jeers so loud that they often drowned out Fox’s audio while simultaneously distracting Portnoy.

Portnoy, for his part, was more than willing to return fire, and I’d argue that the banter actually added more to the Fox broadcast than it detracted. But it’s also easy to see how this entire act could grow old, especially knowing how often Big Noon Kickoff will be in Columbus this season and for years to come.

It’s also fair to wonder whether this will be the case elsewhere, especially considering that Michigan is one of the most-hated programs in the Big Ten. Fox and conference executives may have wanted a Big Ten fanboy to combat the SEC, but the reality is that Portnoy’s passion is primarily tied to a single school.

In his final segment on Saturday, Portnoy cut one last promo, but this one wasn’t aimed at the home team. Instead, it was aimed at the SEC. And in extolling the virtues of Big Ten and Midwest football, he even went as far as to pick Ohio State to beat Texas, a prediction that would have seemed unfathomable even just an hour earlier.

Perhaps he’s genuinely backing the Buckeyes, or maybe this was an olive branch intended to lessen the backlash during his next trip to Columbus. Either way, Portnoy’s Big Noon Kickoff debut flashed plenty of potential. But it’s only going to last for so long if his colleagues don’t start to play along.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod