TCU's Forward Drops Bulletin Board Material Ahead of Matchup Against Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to kick off the March Madness tournament with a big opening-round test against the TCU Horned Frogs.

With Thursday’s matchup less than a day away, conversations surrounding the game’s outcome have become much more prominent for this battle between the East Region’s No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in the Round of 64.

Tensions have flared between both fanbases, which is the case for almost every matchup in the tournament regardless of the round.

The heat may have just turned up a notch after a comment made by TCU forward David Punch surfaced on Wednesday regarding his thoughts on their matchup with Ohio State.

Here’s what Punch had to say in his interview with The Columbus Dispatch.

TCU forward David Punch to The Columbus Dispatch:

“I think at the end of the day, we win this matchup nine times out of 10 based on our physicality and athleticism.”

👀 Bold words ahead of the matchup. pic.twitter.com/N3tJM53aeB
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) March 18, 2026

What Did Punch Have to Say

“I think at the end of the day, we win this matchup nine times out of 10 … based on our physicality and athleticism,” Punch shared.

The Buckeyes could easily turn this comment into bulletin board material, fueling their desire to take it to TCU right out of the gates. While both teams are relatively evenly matched, these are two very different teams in terms of the conferences they play in.

If Ohio State and TCU played 10 games, the general consensus would be an even split between the two if you take into account the teams’ regular-season records.

TCU finished the 2025–26 regular season with an overall record of 22 wins and 11 losses, while Ohio State finished with 21 wins and 12 losses—furthering their similarities.

Both teams possess lineups with three or more players standing 6-foot-6 or taller, all of whom play significant minutes to contribute to the team. Each team respectively showcases different levels of both physicality and athleticism in different scenarios throughout any given game.

Punch’s comments seem much bolder when a roster assessment is shown, because the more their statistics are compared, the more the pendulum swings in Ohio State’s favor—especially led by all-time leading scorer and Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton.

History Between Ohio State and TCU

These two teams have never faced off in the NCAA tournament before, but a quick dive into their head-to-head history sheds light on just how dominant Ohio State has been over TCU—physicality and athleticism aside.

Ohio State is undefeated against TCU in all-time matchups, with their last faceoff taking place all the way back in 1970. While this last meeting was over half a century ago, take it with a grain of salt—mainly due to the overall differences between today’s game and 50+ years ago.

Fast forward to present day: Ohio State hasn’t had quite the success in the March Madness tournament that TCU has had.

Ohio State has been without a tournament berth since 2021–22, while TCU has made appearances from 2022 through 2024 after missing last year’s tournament. The Buckeyes have appeared in the tournament many times, accumulating an overall record of 58 wins and 34 losses, while TCU only has an all-time record of 3 wins and 10 losses.

This backs Ohio State as the much more experienced team. While overall appearances don’t impact their current on-court performance, that can be the Buckeyes’ bulletin board material heading into their big game this Thursday, with tip-off set for 12:15 p.m.