New Delhi, Sept. 1 -- Ohio State football has named Maurice Clarett their first pregame Victory Bell ringer of the 2026 season. The job sounds simple. Before the Buckeyes take the field at Ohio Stadium, he will ring the same bell that has marked wins for generations of fans.

The meaning is not simple. Clarett remains one of the most important freshmen in program history. For a long stretch, he was also one of its most distant figures. Asking him to open the 2026 custom is the program saying both chapters belong in the same building.

Maurice Clarett's 2002 year is still easy to recite. He rushed for 1,237 yards, scored 16 rushing touchdowns, and finished with 18 scores in all. Under coach Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes went 14-0 and won the B...