The football team of Ohio State University is using Slipknot in an apparent attempt to troll the University of Iowa ahead of this weekend’s Big Ten matchup.

This move comes just days after the Iowa metal band announced its 2027 tour.

How Did Ohio State Invoke Slipknot Before Playing Iowa?

The Ohio State Buckeyes play the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday. To hype up their fanbase, Ohio State posted an image on Wednesday showing its players recreating a Slipknot album cover.

The image features eight Ohio State football players positioned in a field as a nod to Slipknot’s 2008 album, All Hope Is Gone.

For comparison, here is Slipknot’s album cover followed by the image shared by Ohio State University.

Slipknot – All Hope Is Gone (Deluxe Edition)

What Did Ohio State Get Wrong With Their Slipknot Troll Image?

While Ohio State’s Slipknot-inspired reference was unexpected, it also wasn’t a home run… or, uh, touchdown.

READ MORE: Favorite NFL Team of 47 Big Rock + Metal Musicians

There are three things I can’t get over about this image. And before you ask, no, I am not a fan of either college team.

1. Album choice

Slipknot, of course, has an album called Iowa. Was a goat not available to recreate that one?

2. Number of players in Ohio State’s image

The number of players in Ohio State’s image compared to the total number of band members on Slipknot’s album cover is also notable. The All Hope is Gone cover shows nine members of Slipknot, while Ohio State went with only eight players.

This raises the question: was this a clever way to call out Sid Wilson’s departure from the band? Maybe they deserve a pass on this one.

3. Font choice

The most jarring miss in Ohio State’s image to troll Iowa is arguably the font choice for “Buckeyes.”

Slipknot’s logo has a similar design aesthetic but keeps the letters aligned throughout the logo. The “Buckeyes” in Ohio State’s image has more of a “splatter” look.

This makes it come off as being a recreation of Buckcherry’s branding rather than resembling Slipknot’s logo, which isn’t even on the All Hope is Gone album cover.

Buckcherry – Black Butterfly

This may not matter to you if you’re just looking to watch some college football on Saturday.

What Do You Need to Know About Slipknot’s 2027 Tour?

Slipknot announced a massive tour for 2027 that will feature a rotating lineup of 11 different opening acts. The shows will be the first time the band has played live since July 2025.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Oct. 2. Additional information about ticket sales is available on Slipknot's website.

Slipknot 2027 World Tour Dates

The tour dates include:

• July 03 — London, U.K. @ Wembley Stadium #!
• July 16 — Washington, D.C. @ Nationals Park ~%
• July 18 — Queens, N.Y. @ Citi Field ~%
• July 21 — Montréal, Quebec @ Parc Jean Drapeau ~^@
• July 23 — Toronto, Ontario @ Rogers Stadium ~^
• July 25 — Chicago, Ill @ Soldier Field ~$
• July 28 — Hershey, Pa. @ Hersheypark Stadium ~!
• July 31 — Boston, Mass. @ Fenway Park ~!
• Aug. 03 — Nashville, Tenn. @ FirstBank Stadium ~^
• Aug. 06 — Houston, Texas @ Daikin Park ~+
• Aug. 09 — Commerce City, Colo. @ Dick’s Sporting Goods Park ~=
• Aug. 13 — Inglewood, Calif. @ SoFi Stadium ~=
• Aug. 15 — San Francisco, Calif. @ Golden Gate Park ~&=
• Aug. 18 — Phoenix, Ariz. @ Chase Field ~&
• Sept. 04 — São Paulo, Brazil @ The Town
• Sept. 08 — Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Estadio Huracán #
• Sept. 12 — Santiago, Chile @ Estadio Nacional #
• Sept. 14 — Lima, Peru @ Estadio Nacional #
• Sept. 16 — Bogotá, Colombia @ Vive Claro #

# w/ Marilyn Manson, Hatebreed
~ w/ Bring Me The Horizon
% w/ Acid Bath
! w/ Lorna Shore
^ w/ Kublai Khan TX
@ w/ Vended
$ w/ Lamb of God
+ w/ Polyphia
= w/ Loathe
& w/ Motionless in White

The shows in 2027 will also be the first ones without longtime turntablist Sid Wilson.

You can keep reading to catch up on Slipknot’s current roster and all of the musicians who have come and gone over the years.