Ohio State is no stranger to intense scrutiny, but this latest off-field controversy has sent shockwaves through Buckeye Nation in a way few saw coming.
Earlier this week, THE Podcast, a media outlet covering Ohio State athletics, suddenly parted ways with two of its most recognizable voices: Jeremy Birmingham and Austin Ward. The term used in the initial report was “fired for cause,” but no one knew what that meant—until the message boards lit up.
On the Eleven Warriors forum, a respected and longtime poster known as “The Oracle” dropped a bombshell that quickly gained traction. According to the post, Birmingham and Ward were tied to a serious mishandling of NIL funds connected to star Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. The claim? The two allegedly facilitated a $25,000 NIL deal through THE Media for Downs, but only delivered $5,000 to the player—pocketing the rest. If true, it would be a stunning breach of trust and potentially a legal nightmare, considering the direct financial ties between the media company and Ohio State’s NIL collectives.
Neither Birmingham nor Ward wasted any time defending themselves. Ward took to social media to say the “cause” was supposedly due to a sponsorship deal the company alleges he personally profited from—something he firmly denies. He claimed there is documentation to refute the accusation. Birmingham followed up, calling the rumors “patently false and libelous.”
Meanwhile, Ohio State and THE Media have remained eerily quiet. There’s been no public statement from the school, the collectives, or Downs himself. That silence only fuels speculation that something bigger might be going on behind the scenes—whether it’s a full-blown investigation or just a massive misunderstanding gone viral.
If these allegations are true, the fallout could be enormous—not just for the reputations of Birmingham and Ward, but also for how Ohio State handles its media relationships and NIL infrastructure. It raises uncomfortable questions about transparency, oversight, and whether some in the media world are getting too close to the business side of college sports.
It’s important to remember that as of now, these are just allegations. There’s been no confirmed wrongdoing by either media personality, and both maintain their innocence.
But one thing is clear: something strange is going on in Columbus, and it’s not just offseason smoke. Whether it’s a spark or a full-blown fire, Buckeye fans—and likely NCAA watchdogs—are paying very close attention.
