Buckeye Talk: Ohio State podcast by cleveland.com

Ohio State's summer camps wrapped up with a big commitment Wednesday. Bellefontaine's Tavien St. Clair completed his rise to the top of the Buckeyes' 2025 quarterback board. Stephen Means reports on how this commitment came together, what kind of player St. Clair is and how he fits in with the program's long-term quarterback project. Stephen and Nathan also discussed former OSU 2024 quarterback commit Dylan Raiola's transfer from Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona, to Buford, Georgia. Not only is that the back yard of his future college program, Georgia, but it is the high school of two major OSU targets in the 2024 class. Where does the Buckeyes' pursuit of safety KJ Bolden and defensive end Eddrick Houston stand? Finally, Stephen looks ahead to another round of official visits -- particularly a huge weekend for OSU's battle for two cornerbacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podcasting and text surveys shouldn't feel like homework, but for this edition of Buckeye Talk, they sort of did. So instead of only looking at the past, Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird are also predicting the future of Ohio State in the NFL Draft. The last section of this episode is the top 16 picks in the Ultimate Ohio State Draft from the text subscribers. Where are they similar and different to what Doug, Nathan and Stephen did on their two episodes of the Ultimate Draft? But the first two parts of the pod look at when Ohio State will get to 100 first-round picks. The Buckeyes currently lead all colleges with 90 first-rounders. When will No. 100 come -- in 2026? 2027? And which Buckeye could be that No. 100? Doug also has an idea for holding the NFL Draft in Columbus, and the guys look at whether 10 first-rounders in three years would be a stretch or in line with OSU draft history. And then no more Ultimate Draft talk after this. For now, thanks for indulging in this exercise and thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which Ohio State receiver is the best NFL Draft prospect ever at that position? That's one of the debates and discussions on Part 2 of The Ultimate Ohio State Draft of NFL draft prospects conducted by Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means. Don't miss Part 1, in which Doug, Nathan and Stephen made Picks 1-16 on a previous Buckeye Talk episode. This episode is the continuation of that, and there are still plenty of all-time Buckeyes to come off the board, including Garrett Wilson, Eddie George, A.J. Hawk, David Boston and more. The rules are that the real 90 Buckeyes who have been drafted in the first round in NFL Draft history are eligible to be picked. The guys then act like current NFL GMs and draft for the modern day based on the skills and draft places of Buckeyes across the decades. Major Buckeyes like C.J. Stroud, Orlando Pace and Nick Bosa came off the board in the previous episode. Now it's time for the second half of this all-time first round, and that means the first receiver will be drafted. Is it Boston? Wilson? Olave? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who is the greatest Ohio State draft prospect ever? How do the best Buckeyes compare to each other in how they were viewed by the NFL coming out of college? On this Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means try to answer those questions with The Ultimate Ohio State Draft. This is the first of two parts as the guys make picks 1 through 16 from the 90 Ohio State Buckeyes who were actual first-round NFL choices. Where will quarterbacks like C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields go in this Buckeye-only draft? Who is the first cornerback off the board? Where do the Bosa brothers fit in with Chase Young and other OSU defensive stars? How about all the great OSU offensive tackles, including Orlando Pace? This is the difficult idea of drafting these Buckeyes as NFL prospects -- not based on how good or accomplished they were in college, or how much they succeeded in the NFL, but on how the pros viewed them at the time they were leaving Columbus. Only those first-round players were eligible for this ultimate draft. Part 2 will follow soon, but for now, enjoy this start of The Ultimate Ohio State draft from Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Air Noland and Dylan Raiola will forever be linked as Ohio State's quarterback commits in the 2024 class. They went head-to-head this week at the Elite 11 showcase, where Noland showed where he stands next to now-Georgia commit Raiola and the rest of the best. Back home, in-state Class of 2025 quarterbacks Tavien St. Clair and Ryan Montgomery worked out for Corey Dennis and Ryan Day prior to one of OSU's summer camps. Both will be back on campus next week. Has St. Clair's physical development over the past year made him the likely front-runner to be the Buckeyes' QB in that class? Finally, an update on in-state cornerbacks Bryce West and Aaron Scott, who are also both scheduled to camp with the Buckeyes next week. How big of a threat is Michigan to OSU pulling off a sweep of these top-100 prospects? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are the expectations for Ohio State football creating a burden that fans feel, and that affects their enjoyment of their very successful program? On this Thursday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises once again dives into talk about his joy initiative and the hope that all OSU fans can love following their team. Some texters are sick of this topic already, and maybe so are you. But there are some interesting survey answers in this episode to questions like: Does the burden of expectations make rooting for the Buckeyes less fun at all? Have you ever thought you cared too much about Ohio State football? What is the best type of team to root for? Is Ohio State the most successful team you root for? Do you root for a second college football team? On a scale of 1-10, what's your joy vs. angst when it comes to rooting for the Buckeyes? There are comparisons made to the best teams in North American sports, and strong words on both sides when it comes to how OSU fans should view and handle expectations. It's a feelings pod more than a football pod, which sometimes happens here. As always, thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird react to some recent texter questions and comments around the topics percolating on Buckeye Talk. The discussion points: (0:30) How should the Buckeyes gather talent for this Jim Knowles version of defense and what can be learned from the players at Oklahoma State? (37:19) More on the TV package for the Big Ten and the outcome for OSU fans (43:32) Why Marvin Harrison Jr. could take a statistical step back (48:02) The type of head coach, from a media perspective, the guys would want to cover (59:05) More discussion of Mike Vrabel and Marcus Freeman as possible future OSU head coaches Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's news and analysis from two days of Ohio State recruiting camps on this Tuesday episode of Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. The Buckeyes hosted camps last Thursday and on Monday, and Stephen Means was there. He talks with Doug Lesmerises about: (1:40) The 2024 commit the Buckeyes landed Monday from Jaylen McClain (7:20) The defensive 5-stars Ohio State is targeting in this class (11:10) OSU vs. Georgia recruiting battles (14:05) 5-star linebacker Sammy Brown choosing Clemson (17:30) Ohio State's ranking in the 2024 class (19:00) How many more commits OSU should get this month (20:02) The remaining recruiting camp schedule (21:00) The official visitors at Ohio State (22:14) The 5-stars in Columbus on Monday (27:30) The opponents making it harder for OSU in recruiting (38:02) The big target for OSU OL coach Justin Frye (39:52) Young WR Chris Henry Jr. visits again (45:00) Previewing OSU pledge Ari Noland at the Elite 11 camp Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Expect a couple more camp update episodes over the next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Monday Buckeye Talk, it's a deep dive into Ohio State head coach Ryan Day with Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird. With the help of a survey of Ohio State text subscribers, Doug and Nathan look at the evolution of Day as a head coach and discuss what might be different, better or worse for the OSU boss as he enters his fifth season. The first four years included three playoff appearances and a 1-2 record against Michigan, so how much do OSU fans believe in Day right now? And how much has he changed after his hiring for the 2019 season with no previous full-time head coach experience? The topics covered include: Ohio State's decision to hire Day as a rookie head coach Comparing Day and Lincoln Riley Day's changes for the Michigan game and what he felt he did wrong last year The plan to hand over play calling to Brian Hartline Overall faith in Day Faith in Day against Michigan A comparison for his final evolution as a head coach And more. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Big Ten released its football opponents for 2024 and 2025 in the new 16-team conference with no divisions. For Ohio State, it’s a new world of games, with teams like Penn State, Michigan State and Rutgers on the schedule less frequently, teams like Northwestern, Illinois and Iowa on the schedule more frequently, and USC and UCLA joining the ranks as new conference opponents. Over the 24 regular-season games in 2024 and 2025 that had been scheduled for the Buckeyes previously, eight opponents have changed. That includes the Buckeyes no longer playing Penn State every season. Is this better for Ohio State fans? Worse? Just different? Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird break all that down on the latest Buckeye Talk. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for more Ohio State rants on this Thursday Buckeye Talk, as Doug Lesmerises responds to the strong words of Ohio State text subscribers. The topics, in order: The future of freshman QB Lincoln Keinholz and the history of quarterbacks recruited by the Buckeyes How Michigan should be covered on Buckeye Talk Why Josh Simmons should start at right tackle Home-field advantage at Ohio Stadium Fat is flavor Is Notre Dame trolling the Big Ten? Mobile apps are annoying Stop talking about Big Ten money Thanks as always to the texters for their rants and thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last season was a low point for the Ohio State basketball program as the Buckeyes finished 13th in the Big Ten. Will this season's team benefit from the growing pains of a year ago? On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises and Stephen Means reset an Ohio State program that should have a rotation this season of three sophomores, three freshmen, three transfers and a senior. Will that work? How much will the rest of the Big Ten stand in their way? Is there an opening for the Buckeyes to take a big jump? All of that is included in this hoops discussion. First (0:30) is a look at how the Buckeyes might fit in with the Big Ten considering what players other teams kept and lost. Then (6:46) it's a look at the three big-time returning sophomores, headlined by point guard Bruce Thornton. Then (19:08) it's a discussion of Brice Sensabaugh going to the NBA Draft. Then (24:50) the potential freshmen contributors and the transfers (28:17). Finally (46:04) what could the Buckeyes do better as program, (50:57) where does Chris Holtmann fit in among Big Ten coaches and how (56:30) should Holtmann's job status be viewed? Thanks for listening to this basketball Buckeye Talk. Next episode is back to football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk, it's a load of Ohio State football questions in rapid fire and a little nonsense with Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means. The topics: (0:30) Will a Big Ten with no divisions be good or bad? (27:35) Who's the next defensive line coach after Larry Johnson? (40:59) What's wrong with freshmen offensive linemen playing? (49:58) Eating food off the bone (56:11) Greg Studrawa's health in his last years at OSU and what the effect was (1:03:27) What to think of Jim Knowles' recruiting? (1:13:44) Will any schools ever get punished over NIL? (1:24:19) Eliminating hurdling over tacklers? (1:32:00) Angry Bama vs. Angry Doug Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jaxon Smith-Njigba set Ohio State's single-season receiving record with 1,606 yards in 2021. Will Marvin Harrison Jr. break that record in 2023? On this edition of Mark It Down Monday, where Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means make specific predictions for Ohio State's football season, the subject is MHJ receiving yards. Last season he had 1,263 yards, the fourth-most in any Ohio State season. What will he do now? The guys discuss everything that will affect his stats: The quarterback play of Kyle McCord or Devin Brown What the Buckeyes want their offensive style and strategy to be The role of Emeka Egbuka, who had 1,151 receiving yards last season, and how that will affect Harrison's numbers How much defenses will try to take Harrison away How many times the Buckeyes targeted Harrison last season and if they'll do it more this season How many games Harrison should play this season, whether it be 12, 14 or 15 And then Doug, Nathan and Stephen Mark It Down -- predicting the Marv yards and whether he'll top JSN's mark. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An Ohio State text subscriber asked Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means this question; How should Ohio State (and by extension its fans) handle national championship expectations? That question created a lot more questions, and that created a lot of debate on this Friday episode of Buckeye Talk. Looking at Ohio State's history and Ohio State's current place in college football, Doug, Nathan and Stephen got into what fans should expect and how they should look at this recent run of Ohio State history, which in the last 52 seasons includes two national titles in 2002 and 2014. With the help of some interesting survey answers from Ohio State text subscribers, the guys dug deep on whether a national title is the standard of Ohio State success. This one got a little off the rails, which is nothing new, so thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time to talk Ohio State offensive assistants on this Thursday Buckeye Talk as Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means discuss their conversations with staffers this week. That starts (0:30) with offensive line coach Justin Frye and what he's thinking about the offensive line, including his first chance to discuss the offensive tackle the Buckeyes added in the portal after spring football, Josh Simmons. Then it's onto (21:37) offensive coordinator and receivers coach Brian Hartline. That includes his few comments on the recent off-road vehicle accident that sent him to the hospital, plus the addition of his former NFL head coach, Joe Philbin, to the OSU staff. Finally (56:00), it's quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis and his comments on the QB battle, plus check-ins with tight ends coach Keenan Bailey, running backs coach Tony Alford and special teams coach Parker Fleming. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has adjusted his view on at least one aspect of the Buckeyes' defense, and that was among the topics discussed when OSU coaches met with reporters on Tuesday. On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means debate everything they learned from the defensive coaches. The offensive coaches discussion will be on the Thursday pod. That starts with (0:30) Knowles, the defensive coordinator, changing his view on something about the players who could be on the field. That relates both to linebacker C.J. Hicks and to (23:16) the safeties. There's talk of defensive players added to the roster recently in Tywone Malone and Lorenzo Styles Jr. And (51:12) there's another explanation from Knowles about last year's defense that tells you something about this year's defense. That's where the 11 Tommy Eichenbergs come in. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk, an Ohio State text subscriber asked where Ohio State might turn if Ryan Day and the Buckeyes win the national title this season and Day is lured away to the NFL. Doug Lesmerises thinks the next OSU head coach would come from this list. And he offered these categories for candidates: Huge names you'd have to call OSU connections who might not have the experience ... yet Established coaches currently not working Current head coaches who are winning but without direct OSU ties Current head coaches with direct OSU ties Maybe there's a name in your head that Doug doesn't mention, but the hope is that this list covers the bases, because an AD always needs to be prepared. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's an Ohio State-Michigan recruiting discussion on this Buckeye Talk with Doug Lesmerises and Stephen Means. (0:30) An overview of where things stand in the 2024 class (4:12) Buckeyes vs. Wolverines with their future quarterbacks (15:19) How the teams landed their running backs in the 2024 class (29:26) A lot of the offensive line recruits know each other (36:32) Michigan recruiting efforts in Ohio (44:44) The Buckeyes still generally recruit better than Michigan in the rankings, but how big is the gap? Thanks for listening to another Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Thursday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises is back with Ohio State rants ranging from Kevin Warren to Jim Tressel. The topics: (0:30) How much did former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren confuse things with the new Big Ten TV deal and what does it mean for fans? (16:40) Doug was wrong about a 9-3 season in 2019 -- but could it happen this season? (26:48) Comparing this OSU offensive line to the 2014 offensive line (33:54) Jim Tressel as a title-winning play caller (44:09) Should Tressel dot the i against Youngstown State? (48:06) What could the ACC's future mean for the Big Ten? (53:28) Michigan making a hiring mistake Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are talking Ohio State quarterbacks. Specifically, what should have fans concerned or confused about this OSU quarterback competition and where it stands, and what is an absolutely typical part of the process? Doug, Nathan and Stephen discuss the evolution of Kyle McCord, and how it compares to quarterback battles at places like Georgia and Alabama. And they look at some good teams with established quarterbacks, like Week 4 OSU foe Notre Dame, and ask if the Buckeyes should follow that plan, maybe with a transfer quarterback, or whether the way they are handling it is better for them with bigger upside. This isn't as much about quarterback play -- it's about quarterback feelings. And it was time to analyze how OSU fans might be viewing this. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In July 2021, with five-star defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau and five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers among the major recruits just committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes, Buckeye Talk considered the idea of 2023 Ohio State as a national title team. As a super team. As potentially one of the best teams in college football history. Now, with the start of the 2023 season just over three months away, an Ohio State text subscriber wanted to know if Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means still thought that was possible. If not, what changed? If so, what kind of season could these Buckeyes? Over the last two years, the guys have referenced that 2023 super team pod a few times. On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk, they dug back into. The strength of that 2021 recruiting class, the players who are now preparing to be third-year Buckeyes, drove that conversation, and on this episode, Doug, Nathan and Stephen went back through all those recruits, how their careers have gone, and how the reality has compared to the initial perception. From quarterback to cornerback, from defensive end to running back, and of course at receiver, how on track are the Buckeyes from what they were projected to be? That’s the Tuesday Buckeye Talk. Thanks as always for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Monday Buckeye Talk, it's a deep look into how Ohio State football has done in big games in the four years under head coach Ryan Day. To analyze that, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means have to look at the evidence from a lot of different angles. What is a big game? How does Ohio State's big game record under Day compare to teams like Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Clemson, Penn State and more? How does Day's record in big games compare to past OSU coaches like Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel, John Cooper and Woody Hayes? And there are four questions asked of text subscribers and discussed, looking at whether the Buckeyes have the necessary qualities to win games. Do they have enough: Elite talent Smart coaching Fundamentals Motivation This conversation plays off the Friday episode that relived the biggest win of the Day era -- the 2020 semifinal win over Clemson. So make sure you listen to that episode to pair with this one. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With revenge on their minds for a year, the Ohio State Buckeyes knocked off Clemson 49-28 in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the COVID-plagued 2020 football season, and Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means take you through it on the latest edition of Buckeye ReTalkables. This is the 16th episode of the ReTalkables on Buckeye Talk, as the guys relive the best games from Ohio State history with their categories that highlight great players, unsung heroes, game-changing plays and fun and odd moments from the game. This game, the biggest win over the four-year Ryan Day era, includes a career-making performance from quarterback Justin Fields. That means the discussion starts with two questions: Is this Ryan Day's perfect game? Is this the greatest single-game quarterback performance in Ohio State history? This is one for the history books, for reasons on the field and off, and that makes it a great return for the first ReTalkables episode in 11 months. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Thursday Buckeye Talk opens (0:30) with a long and hotly debated discussion about where Ohio State's line is for firing a coach, and how that may or may not change in the looming world of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means discuss that for so long, there's no way this episode could be deemed a Rapid Fire. But they do take multiple interesting questions from Ohio State text subscibers. Following that first topic are discussions about: (43:23) What a Jim Harbaugh dream says about an OSU fan (50:10) Whether Ohio State will play sophomore safety Sonny Styles or not (57:07) The future of ESPN's College GameDay at Ohio State (1:10:48) Why Ohio State revenge worked on Clemson and not against Michigan Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a deep dive into Ohio State recruiting strategy on this Wednesday Buckeye Talk as Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means drop a two-hour episode for the first time in a while. There's a lot here, talking about the recruitments for players like Dylan Raiola, Quinn Ewers, Terrelle Pryor, Micah Parsons, Bronny James, Tate Martell and times where the Buckeyes did or didn't accept a certain amount of risk in a recruitment. First (0:30) is a discussion comparing how much risk the Buckeyes should take in football recruiting compared to basketball recruiting. Then it's on to five areas of potential risk in football recruiting and what Ohio State should do: Players with a degree of celebrity (23:31) Players who are focused on NIL (41:41) Players who are national five-stars with no OSU connections who might easily change their minds (1:02:20) Players with potential off-field issues (1;23:39) Players who might create NCAA issues (1:38:29) And last, a wrap up of fan thoughts and if the guys think Ohio State is handling risk correctly right now (1:46:55). Ohio State text subscribers were surveyed to judge how they feel about each area of risk, and Doug, Nathan and Stephen dug into each one. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a mini version of Ohio State football rants on this Tuesday episode of Buckeye Talk as Doug Lesmerises runs through some thoughts from Ohio State text subscribers. First (0:30), Doug shares his own view on the Big Ten television plan for football games, now that some networks and game times have been announced for 2023. Then (15:24), it's more on the transfer of Ohio State receiver Kaleb Brown to Iowa and how OSU fans should view the Hawkeyes this season. A discussion about redshirting (25:15) and how it should be viewed then follows. Next (30:05) is more reflections and feedback on the Ohio State offensive line based on the podcast episode from a couple weeks ago. Finally (41:02) there's a brief follow on college sports betting as texters share their thoughts. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State’s 2023 football schedule includes a handful of quarterbacks who can really throw the ball, one of the best edge rushers in the nation, a backfield combo to be reckoned with, and some head coaches and coordinators who will have some plans ready for the Buckeyes. They are among those on the list of the 10 Most Dangerous Opponents for Ohio State’s 2023 season on this Monday Buckeye Talk. Following two podcasts last week that laid out the 10 Most Important Buckeyes for 2023, as voted on by Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird, Stephen Means and the Ohio State text subscribers, Doug is back with this companion pod featuring those on the other side of the ball. There are familiar foes from programs like Michigan, Penn State and Notre Dame, and there’s also an under-the-radar combo for OSU fans to keep their eyes on. First (0:30), Doug runs through the 10 most dangerous players from Ohio State’s last 10 regular-season losses in normal years (excluding 2011). Nine of the 10 games had clear players and coaches that gave the Buckeyes enough trouble to knocl them off. Then (11:34) it’s Nos. 10 through 6, starting with a quarterback, followed by (30:57) Nos. 5 through 1. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

USC and UCLA are joining the Big Ten in 2024 and that means the Ohio State Buckeyes will be playing the Trojans and Bruins on a regular basis. Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means even see the slot in the schedule where they believe the Buckeyes will most likely visit the Trojans in the 2024 season. But what about the long-range plans for Ohio State's schedules in this new world? Will the Buckeyes have more tough games? Will that be good or bad for their playoff chances? And most importantly, what does adding USC and UCLA mean for Ohio State's major non-conference plans in future seasons with schools like Alabama, Georgia and Texas? The guys look at the opponents officially added to Ohio State's future schedules this week, and there were several, and then theorize about what future schedules will look like -- and what could be changed. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the five most important Ohio State Buckeyes for the 2023 football season on this Thursday Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. No surprise, the quarterbacks and head coach Ryan Day are part of the top five, and that leads to some very deep discussions about the Buckeyes from Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means. They run through the top five, which includes both coaches and players and hits both offense and defense. They covered the Buckeyes ranked 10 through six on the previous episode. This importance discussion leads to a long debate about how good the quarterback play for Ohio State must be this season. Must Kyle McCord and/or Devin Brown play at at a Dwayne Haskins/Justin Fields/C.J. Stroud first-round draft pick level? Or could something more like Georgia's Stetson Bennett, who was good but not the most important part of the Bulldogs during their two national titles, be enough? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means begin to unveil their rankings of the 10 most important Buckeyes to Ohio State's football season. This podcast covers the players who just missed the top 10, plus Nos. 10 through six. The top five will be discussed on a separate episode. Players and coaches are combined in this ranking, and it's not a best-of list. It's value. It's importance. Doug, Nathan, Stephen and the Ohio State text subscribers each ranked their top 20 Buckeyes, and the lists were then combined to choose this top 10. Thanks for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

C.J. Stroud said in a recent interview that he felt disrespected when Quinn Ewers arrived at Ohio State -- earlier than expected just before the 2021 season. On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird try to put that Stroud reaction into perspective and answer some questions now that Ewers is two seasons removed from the Buckeyes. Was there any way Ohio State could have saved the Ewers situation considering how it went down? What would have happened if Ewers had stayed on his expected timeline and arrived for the 2022 season? Should Ohio State learn anything from Ewers that it can apply to quarterback recruiting? Did the Ewers situation have a negative or positive effect on Stroud? How should Ohio State stack quarterback recruits now? It's not quite a BuckeyeFly Effect, but spurred by Stroud sharing his thoughts, it's a reason to revisit an odd chapter in OSU quarterback history. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Monday Madness edition of Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird dive into two ideas about Ohio State football and college football before getting to Whatcha Watchin’, Whatcha Eatin’, Whatcha Thinkin’ at the end of the pod. First (0:30), it’s possible that the 12-team college football playoff starting in 2024 will eventually mean the entire college football schedule moves up, with the regular season starting and ending a week earlier. That would mean, among other things, Ohio State-Michigan sliding to the week before Thanksgiving instead the week of Thanksgiving? What do Doug, Nathan and the Ohio State text subscribers think? Then (31:00) there's a brief conversation about calendars and whether people work more or sleep more in a week. Then (39:28) there was a betting controversy with college sports that started with a bet placed in Ohio. What should and shouldn’t be legal when it comes to betting on college sports? Finally (1:03:43) the guys run through ideas from baby birthday parties to a celebrity that annoys one of them. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State's tackle situation is up in the air for 2023, but what happens after that? What will the Ohio State offensive line look like in 2024 and beyond, and what will it take to get the Buckeyes back on track with the development, recruiting and transfer portal additions they need on the offensive line? On this Friday Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means dive into all of that, and they find a comparison for a turnaround that should give Ohio State fans hope. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Thursday Buckeye Talk, it's time to dive into Marv again. And then it's a taste of Notre Dame football coming off spring, as the Ohio State Buckeyes look forward to a September visit to South Bend. On this episode, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means start by diving into Marvin Harrison Jr. as an NFL Draft candidate. The guys predicted the entire 2024 draft for the Buckeyes in the previous episode, but MHJ required his own discussion. So what other receivers does Harrison Jr. compare to as a prospect? (0:30) And what NFL teams might be most interested in him a year from now, and which teams might go after a quarterback like Caleb Williams instead? Could Harrison really go first? And could he wind up on the same team where his dad was a Hall of Famer, with the Indianapolis Colts? Then (43:35) it's a visit from Eric Hansen on InsideNDSports.com on the Rivals network, as the Fighting Irish are done with spring practice and had some transfer portal movement. The Irish host the Buckeyes on Sept. 23, so this matters to OSU fans. How did transfer QB Sam Hartman look this spring? What's the Notre Dame side of Lorenzo Styles transferring from Notre Dame to Ohio State? How good are the Irish on the offensive line and on defense? And what will Year 2 be like for former Buckeye Marcus Freeman as the head coach in South Bend? Eric has info on all of that. It's a busy Buckeye Talk, and thanks as always for listening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2023 NFL Draft just ended, which means it's time to look at what Ohio State might do in the 2024 NFL Draft. Clock is ticking. On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk episode, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means begin by looking at what they projected would happen for the Buckeyes in the 2023 NFL Draft when they did this exercise a year ago. Actually, they weren't too bad, although there was one major way in which they were off. Then it's quickly to a player by player breakdown of projected draft position for 2024, with votes from Ohio State text subscribers joining what the guys have to say. How many first-round Buckeyes do they project? How many total NFL Draft picks do they project for Ohio State? And could an NFL Draft record for a single team be within range for the Buckeyes? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means discuss the latest names from the spring transfer window. The portal has now closed for players who want to go in, though they still have time to choose their destinations. The Buckeyes added two big names and lost one over the weekend. This episode discusses: (0:30) Portal news update (2:41) Ohio State adding OT Joshua Simmons (24:52) The passing of Ohio State PA announcer Bob Kennedy (27:08) Ohio State adding CB Lorenzo Styles (36:21) Ohio State losing WR Kaleb Brown (42:07) Ohio State's roster numbers as they stand Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2023 NFL Draft is over, and on this Buckeye Talk episode, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means wrap up the final picks for Ohio State after three Buckeyes went in the first round, which was covered on the Friday pod. This is your Monday episode, but it's dropping early on Sunday, and it covers the final three OSU picks: (0:30) Final draft numbers for the Buckeyes and the Big Ten (12:41) Zach Harrison going in Round 3 to Atlanta (18:38) Dawand Jones heading to the Browns in Round 4 (38:11) Luke Wypler also going to Cleveland in Round 6 (57:13) A final run through the undrafted Buckeyes Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three Ohio State Buckeyes were picked in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday night, and Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are here to break it all down. First (0:30) C.J. Stroud to the Houston Texans at No. 2, Then (27:34) Paris Johnson Jr. to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 6, Then (43:36) Jaxon Smith-Njigba to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 20, and finally (50:51) all the numbers and stats on the Buckeyes and the Big Ten in the first round. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Thursday edition of Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means start out with more transfer news, and then get into rapid fire questions from Ohio State text subscribers. The topics: * How underrated and overshadowed is OSU receiver Emeka Egbuka? * What does USC hiring Kliff Kingsbury mean for Ohio State? * What’s the over-under on portal losses at different positions for the Buckeyes? * Should OSU fans have football fever yet? * Ohio State QB recruit Air Noland is left-handed -- what does that mean for the Ohio State program and his future teammates? * Have we ever thought a recruit shouldn’t sign with Ohio State? * Is rooting for a college football team with lower expectations more fun? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk, transfer news opens (0:30) the pod -- one transfer that could affect teams that matter to Ohio State, plus one Buckeye leaving in the portal, and another that could be interested in coming in as a transfer. Then (15:29) it's onto the main topic of the episode -- the Ohio State run game, how the Buckeyes use their running backs and how often, and what that might look like this year. How will the OSU running backs factor into the offense compared to last season? Compared to J.K. Dobbins' 2,000-yard season in 2019? Compared to the run game history of Ohio State? Compared to how the pass game is used? There are some numbers about the frequency of the running back usage a year ago that might surprise you. And Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means dig in deep on this topic, as spurred on by text subscribers. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a full first-round mock draft featuring eight cleveland.com reporters. It's a crossover pod of Buckeye Talk, Orange and Brown Talk, and Strictly Stripes, as the cleveland.com experts on Ohio State, the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals come together for one monster episode. All 31 picks in the first round are here, and in this mock four trades are made (including one involving C.J. Stroud), five quarterbacks are taken in the first round, and a good time is had by all. The drafters: Nathan Baird, OSU writer Doug Lesmerises, OSU writer Mary Kay Cabot, Browns writer Dan Labbe, Browns writer Mohammad Ahmad, Bengals writer Andrew Gillis, Bengals writer Jimmy Watkins, Rivalry writer Tim Bielik, NFL Draft writer You'll find the same pod on our Browns and Bengals feeds. But for Ohio State fans wanting to get a feel before Thursday on how Stroud, Paris Johnson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba fit into the bigger picture, we think this is worth your time. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Monday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are going on the clock in the 2023 NFL Draft. They're predicting where they think Ohio State players will be drafted this week. Listen to their picks for: (0:30) C.J. Stroud (30:49) Paris Johnson Jr. (42:31) Jaxon Smith-Njigba (52:32) Dawand Jones (1:01:59) Zach Harrison (1:12:00) Luke Wypler (1:20:19) Ronnie Hickman (1:27:17) Cam Brown and Tanner McCalister Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for a break from OSU-Michigan talk, as Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means get back to rapid fire questions about everything related to Ohio State football on this Saturday edition of Buckeye Talk. First up, (0:30), who do the guys list as their stars of spring football? Then (13:38) it's suggesting one thing they would change about Ohio State football. Next (23:00) is a deep discussion about whether Ohio should have spring football in high school and what it would mean for the Buckeyes. Then (41:14) the fallout from Brian Hartline's UTV accident is discussed, and what it might mean for Hartline and the Buckeyes, and how Ryan Day might handle it. Next (57:35) is the ongoing discussion about offensive line options in the transfer portal. Finally (1:02:20), would an OSU-UM national title game overwhelm the rest of the rivalry? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the final episode of our three-part Ohio State-Michigan miniseries here in April on Buckeye Talk, as Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird, Stephen Means and Jimmy Watkins turn the discussion toward intangibles. Part 1 was feelings in the rivalry. Part 2 was football in the rivalry. Part 3 is how the feelings affect the football. First (0:30), the guys talk about Michigan's current trash talk in the series after two straight wins and what, if anything, Ohio State can do about it. That includes a discussion (25:14) about some social media words exchanged recently by recruits on both sides. Then (32:44), it's what Ohio State might be like as an underdog in The Game this season, if that happens. Then (35:29) comes a long discussion about what happens in the rivalry when the talent is pretty equal. That includes a look at history and the record in the series, since Woody Hayes, when both teams are ranked in the top 10. Finally (1:06:53) there's an insider vs. outsider discussion, and a debate (1:13:45) on whether the last two wins for the Wolverines were more about what Michigan did right or what Ohio State did wrong. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Thursday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird, Stephen Means and cleveland.com rivalry reporter Jimmy Watkins are here for the second Ohio State-Michigan episode this week. This pod is about the football -- the strengths and weaknesses of both teams on the field, how they match up, and why they both might be among the four best teams in the country again. Off the bat (0:30) Doug asks the other three about his theory that these very well could be two playoff team. Then (2:07) it's a discussion of Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy, what the Wolverines need from him, and how he compares to the Ohio State QBs and to other returning QBs around the country. Next up are breakdowns of the offensive lines (32:03), running backs (38:44) and receivers (43:22) on both sides. Answers from texters about how these teams compare (53:06) are then followed by a more thorough discussion (1:00:24) of whether an Ohio State-Michigan national title game is really possible this season. Then it's a dive into both defenses (1:13:44) and which should be better this season. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk, and come back for part three of this OSU-UM series on Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the start of a three-episode series on the Ohio State-Michigan game on this edition of Buckeye Talk. First up, Doug Lesmerises asked Ohio State text subscribers for their feelings about the state of the rivalry after the conclusion of spring football for both the Buckeyes and Wolverines. The next pod on Thursday will deal with the football matchup between the two teams, and the Friday pod will focus on the intangibles within the rivalry. But first, the fans check in. To do that, Doug focused on three areas with survey questions and responses from texters. First (0:30), how much does the fact that Ohio State has lost the last two games to Michigan affect the everyday lives of OSU fans? Then (35:46), are fans optimistic or worried about Ohio State's chances of winning in Ann Arbor in November, and how have their thoughts changed over the last five months? Finally (1:04:31) what do fans think are some of the reasons that Michigan has won the last two games, and is Ohio State doing the right things to change that? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.co, and don't miss the next two episodes on The Game, as Doug will be joined by Nathan Baird, Stephen Means and cleveland.com rivalry reporter Jimmy Watkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Monday Madness edition of Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird are here with: (0:30) Final points after rewatching the Ohio State spring football game on Kyle McCord, Marvin Harrison Jr., Sonny Styles, the offensive line and more. (24:58) A look at Ohio State's roster management situation, with how many scholarships over the Buckeyes are on their roster count, and at which positions they could lose players or add players. (1:07:24) Whatcha Eatin', Whatcha Watchin' and Whatcha Thinkin', featuring waffles, live music shows, Jack Ryan, the baseball pitch clock and more. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spring football is over for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are here to wrap up what they saw at Ohio State's spring game Saturday, with more than 75,000 fans in attendance. First (0:30), Ohio State added two football recruits on Saturday. Then (6:29) it's into the game and how quarterback Kyle McCord looked. Devin Brown couldn't play because of an injury, but does the QB battle continue? That continues into a discussion about the offensive line (46:35) and how that group looked. Then it's the receivers (54:38) and the defense (57:19). There are some final overall thoughts (1:04:00) from spring, then a final take on the play-calling handoff (1:11:45). Finally, the transfer portal (1:22:50) is open again. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Friday Buckeye Talk on the eve of the Ohio State spring football game, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are talking recruiting. First (0:30), the guys check in on texter thoughts from two previous podcasts. There are texter survey results on the idea of Haskins Heisman Hill in Buckeye Grove (3:30), and there are the answers about whether Ohio State could put together a mini-dynasty in the next decade (10:10). Then it's onto recruiting (14:19) and whether Ryan Day is feeling momentum after six commits in the last three weeks. One is quarterback Air Noland (20:46) and another is linebacker Payton Pierce (26:29). What do their pledges mean? Then the guys get into a debate about the current offensive line recruiting strategy (35:07) and what needs to happen next at that position. Finally (1:05:17) the talk turns to the latest collective and if it might be more effective in helping Ohio State get the NIL money to land some major national recruits. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk, and talk to you after the spring game on Saturday with a postgame pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices