While Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch are knee-deep in their off-season dirt racing endeavors, prepping for the Chili Bowl Nationals, Denny Hamlin has been soaking up the college football atmosphere. He recently took in the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Texas Longhorns clash at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, capturing memorable moments to share with his followers.
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Hamlin posted two photos: the first showed him in a red t-shirt, deep in conversation on his phone during the first half of the game. The second captured his exhilaration during the more thrilling second half. He aptly captioned the comparison: “First half vs second half.”
The excitement stemmed from Ohio State’s 28-14 victory over Texas, a game marked by critical turnovers in the last 2 minutes and 13 seconds. Since a painful loss to arch-rival Michigan in late November—a defeat that ousted Ohio State from the Big Ten championship and stirred doubts about coach Ryan Day’s tenure—the Buckeyes have rebounded with a 3-0 run in playoff games.
But Hamlin’s hunger for college football isn’t a newfound interest. He’s been a fan for quite some time. Following his post highlighting the game’s contrasting halves, when a fan inquired about his affinity for Ohio State, Hamlin shared,
“I never went to college so no allegiance to any other schools. I’ve got 2 friends who are absolute lunatic fanatics of OSU. Went to a game to watch them be fans and I was wildly entertained. Friends ride with OSU, so I ride with them.”
I never went to college so no allegiance to any other schools. Ive got 2 friends who are absolute lunatic fanatics of OSU. Went to a game to watch them be fans and I was wildly entertained. Friends ride with OSU, so I ride with them. https://t.co/Nmr7zt1qaX
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) January 12, 2025
He was even captured on the big screen waving the Ohio State flag next to his friend. Interestingly, while he professes loyalty to Ohio State, Hamlin confessed during the Buckeye anthem that he didn’t know the lyrics, resorting to swinging his arms awkwardly, which certainly amused the crowd.
The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran, along with college football, also accepted his affinity towards any sport that has a ‘racing’ aspect and revealed last year, saying: “For sport, track and field is the most exciting as it’s racing. Yeah, I really enjoy that. Certainly, I’ll watch basketball and things like that. But, to me, track and field, and obviously swimming.”
With the relatively active offseason after the 2024 championship year, it remains to be seen how well Hamlin has rejuvenated himself as a driver considering all his attention being diverted towards the developments in his charter lawsuit against NASCAR.
The season kicks off with the sport visiting the Bowman Gray Stadium for the Clash next month, followed by the regular season-opening Daytona 500 two weeks after that.
