Buckeye Talk: Ohio State podcast by cleveland.com

Ohio State shifts attention to 2022 recruiting season. Ohio State coaching staff changes. Ohio State spring football practice right around the corner. NFL award for former Ohio State defender Chase Young. Ohio State assistant coach Al Washington targeted by Tennessee as potential defensive coordinator. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wrapping up the week on Buckeye Talk we delve back into the 2021 quarterback battle. The Buckeyes know they will have an unproven quarterback from Day 1, which is something no playoff team from the previous seven seasons can say. However, some of those teams had great success or won national championship games with true or redshirt freshmen quarterbacks. One example was Ohio State in 2014, which made its playoff push with redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett. What does that season tell us about what might lie ahead for Kyle McCord, Jack Miller and C.J. Stroud? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fridays will be all about recruiting on Buckeye Talk throughout the offseason. Nathan and Stephen teamed up to take a look around the Big Ten Conference in the wake of Wednesday's national signing day. Things were quiet for Ohio State, but other teams landed some notable names or signed a big portion of their class. Which teams had strong recruiting cycles for 2021, and which ones lacked impact? Then they take a closer look at what the Buckeyes still need to accomplish in the 2022 recruiting cycle. Ohio State already has 10 commitments for the class, but some positions with major needs are still looking for their first pledge. Stephen and Nathan rank 10 position groups based on urgency to complete this class. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State signed a grand total of ... no one on Wednesday's national signing day. But the Buckeyes still gave us plenty of news to talk about as Ryan Day made official the promotion of Matt Barnes to secondary coach and former quality control coach Parker Fleming to special teams coordinator. Doug, Nathan and Stephen discuss what this means for defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs and why focusing on the secondary made sense. But they also scrutinized Day's obvious preference for promoting and bringing back familiar faces and whether that could be a problem down the road. Also, Nathan and Stephen wrap up the show with a deeper look at Ohio State men's basketball, which plays a huge game at Iowa on Thursday night. Could this Buckeyes team be Final Four caliber? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time for another Big Wednesday pod, and this one happens to fall on the first day of the late signing period. So we continue our week-long recruiting theme with a look back at Ohio State's 2018 signing class, which remains mostly intact entering those players' fourth seasons in 2021. Doug Lesmerises provides historical perspective on what else was happening in the Buckeye program on February's signing day in 2018. That class was OSU's second in a row to be ranked No. 2 in the nation. However, unlike the heralded 2017 class, the top prospects in the 2018 group did not achieve individual success as quickly. Which 2018 players who have yet to secure a major role are best poised to finally break through in 2021? More to the point, which players does OSU NEED to break through this fall? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The late signing period for the 2021 class begins Wednesday, and Class of 2022 recruiting is already well underway for Ohio State. Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means take a look at the national landscape and debate whether the Buckeyes -- a runner-up for the nation's top recruiting class a handful of times in the past decade, can ever sign the No. 1 class. More specifically, is Alabama such a different animal from a recruiting standpoint that OSU should not even compare itself to the perennial champ. They break down how class size plays a role, and specifically, why a smaller class size in 2022 may play a factor in future rankings. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four Buckeyes play in the Senior Bowl. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Saturday Buckeye Talk Podcast, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means ask questions about one of the most controversial former Buckeyes in recent years -- Tate Martell. But it's not only about Tate, for those who are tired of the one-time OSU quarterback who transferred two years ago without starting a game. The guys, with the help of a texter survey, dig into how OSU fans feel about players who transfer, and whether that might change in the future. They also look at some other transfer quarterbacks in the Big Ten this offseason, discuss how successful the Buckeyes might have been with Martell at quarterback, talk about where Martell should go next now that he's transferring again, and then end the pod with how many marshmallows they could fit in their mouths. It's Martell and marshmallows on Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We critiqued the Ohio State offensive assistant coaches earlier this week. Now it's time to tackle the other side of the ball. Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means give their A-F grades for each defensive assistant, and so do our text subscribers. Also, which assistant on the entire staff did the best job in 2020, and which one has the toughest challenge ahead for 2021? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Ohio State fans were probably surprised that Michigan opted to give Jim Harbaugh a new contract -- even one with nearly unprecedented terms. Over the past couple of weeks he has also revamped his entire staff. Almost every position either turned over with a new coach coming in or saw a change in duties. The staff is also almost entirely comprised of coaches in their 30s. Could this be a turning point for the Wolverines? Doug, Nathan and Stephen discuss the possible benefits of this new approach, and debate whether or not it can put Michigan back in position to compete with Ohio State and beyond. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this big Wednesday Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means run through 15 rapid fire questions from Ohio State text subscribers. Most of them are about the offense, with a few focused on the looming QB battle. Other question topics include which Buckeye might wear the Block O jersey in 2021; linebacker K'Vaughan Pope; receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba; potential replacements for athletic director Gene Smith; which player might make for an interesting position switch; the best QB Ohio State has ever beaten; and something we could eat 1,000 of in a year. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you listened to the live postseason survey episode of Buckeye Talk, you heard us reference a couple of questions about the assistant coaching staff that we held off on for time. Those questions spawned this episode grading the offensive assistant coaches and another to come on the defense. We discuss the various aspects of job performance for Kevin Wilson, Greg Studrawa, Tony Alford, Brian Hartline and Corey Dennis and how the offensive staff as a whole is performing coming out of the 2020 season. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State defensive assistant Greg Mattison retires See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Day announced the retirement of co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison on Friday morning, and the Buckeyes' search for his replacement leads our discussion. What kind of coach -- age, position speciality, background -- should Ohio State prioritize? What coaches with ties to Day or Ohio would make sense as Mattison's successor? We also delve into the other topics of conversation from Friday morning's teleconference. How will Day handle the three-man quarterback battle this spring? Where is Ohio State on scholarship numbers and what does that mean for a couple of big recruiting options still on the board? Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Friday Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means take a first look at the Buckeyes expected to be part of the 2021 NFL Draft, which is scheduled to be held in Cleveland from April 29 to May 1. Of course quarterback Justin Fields will be taken in the first round, but Ohio State also could have a run on players in the third and fourth round. There's a lot of draft coverage ahead, but this is a first run-through of the OSU draft prospects, from Tommy Togiai to Trey Sermon, from Wyatt Davis to Pete Werner, from Baron Browning to Josh Myers. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Buckeye Talk episode, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means dissect the Ohio State defensive two-deep for the 2021 season. Nathan leads the way as the guys try to figure out how Lathan Ransom, Josh Proctor, Lejond Cavazos, Ronnie Hickman and others will be deployed in the secondary. With the top four linebackers gone from 2020, who makes up the entire new starting group in that room? On the defensive line, what's the deep defensive end rotation, and who helps Haskell Garrett most at tackle? The offensive depth chart was the previous episode on Wednesday, so don't miss that. And thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this big Wednesday Buckeye Talk episode, Nathan Baird, Doug Lesmerises and Stephen Means project Ohio State's offensive depth chart for next season. It starts with the offensive line and how the Buckeyes will sort out the tackle position with Thayer Munford, Nicholas Petit-Frere and Paris Johnson. Then it's the tight ends, headlined by the return of Jeremy Ruckert. At running back, how will the Buckeyes balance veteran Master Teague and freshman TreVeyon Henderson? The quarterback battle is wide open and fascinating. And then it's the stacked receiver room and how the snaps will be distributed with both Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson back. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State players make NFL Draft decisions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means run through the NFL Draft declarations of more than 10 Buckeyes, and what the decisions mean for the players and the program. Chris Olave, Tommy Togiai, Justin Fields, Jeremy Ruckert, Tyreke Smith, Shaun Wade, Josh Myers, Wyatt Davis, Baron Browning, Nicholas Petit-Frere ... what they're doing and what it changes for the 2021 Buckeyes. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk, now coming at you five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We went LIVE again to wrap up the best and worst of Ohio State football in 2020. And as always we turned to our Buckeye Talk subscribers to help us put the season in perspective. We gave our texters a series of questions to gauge their analysis of the Buckeyes. Who were the offensive and defensive MVPs? Who deserved more snaps than they received? Who were we most wrong about and most correct about compared to our preseason expectations. Who is best poised for a 2021 breakthrough, and which 2020 senior do you most wish could stay with the Buckeyes. One of those answers came Saturday morning, when Thayer Munford announced he will return. So we open with a discussion of what that means for the Buckeyes and, in particular, Paris Johnson Jr. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Only 72 hours removed from the national championship game, the biggest story around Ohio State football involved someone who did not play or coach in that game. With former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer reportedly set to take over the Jacksonville Jaguars, however, the repercussions could be felt in Columbus. Nathan Baird and Doug Lesmerises -- with help from the Buckeye Talk text subscribers -- discuss everything from which Ohio State staffers could follow Meyer, what the impact might be, how Meyer could fare in the NFL and what is his legacy only two seasons remove from the end of his Buckeyes tenure? Also, they wrap up their breakdown of Ohio State's defense against Alabama and what it does or does not say about Kerry Coombs as defensive coordinator. Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alabama beats the Buckeyes in the national title game. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After about five hours sleep, Doug, Nathan and Stephen are back for the Tuesday Buckeye Talk pod, going through the more than 1,000 questions and comments they received from text subscribers in the aftermath of Ohio State's loss to Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday night. Among the topics: Was it a failure that Ohio State didn't win a national title with Justin Fields? Did OSU make a mistake by not getting their young backup QBs more reps this season? Did the Buckeyes miss Tommy Togiai or Trey Sermon more on Monday? Which veterans with NFL decisions might come back? How interesting will spring football be? Did this season show the Angry Bama that we predicted in the preseason? Is the greatest Bama edge over Ohio State in talent or coaching? When does the breakfast cereal bracket start? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this national title game edition of Buckeye Talk, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means join from the press box at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., while Doug Lesmerises checks in from his basement and the three of them analyze Ohio State's 52-24 loss to Alabama in the College Football Playoff on Monday night. The guys run through Ohio State injuries and play calling on both sides, and debate whether the Buckeyes had a shot in this game if they'd played better, or if Alabama was just too dominant. They'll be back later Tuesday with a pod taking the postgame questions from subscribers. But for now, their thoughts. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One day before the national championship game we decided to have a little fun on Buckeye Talk. We looked through the various prop bets, from whether there will be a defensive or special teams touchdown to who wins MVP to whether Dabo or Urban is mentioned first on the broadcast. Nathan Baird, Doug Lesmerises and Stephen Means discuss which side of various bets they would take and why. (As always, this is only an exhibition. This is not a competition. Please, no wagering.) Also, Doug shared thoughts on what Urban Meyer's potential interest in the Jacksonville Jaguars job could mean for Ohio State's football taff. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special Saturday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are joined by more than 100 text subscribers in a live Zoom call to preview and make picks for Monday night's National Championship Game between Ohio State and Alabama. Before Nathan and Stephen makes their picks, and Doug explains why he's not making a pick, the guys run through several questions in a text subscriber survey, including: Which Alabama skill player should Ohio State most worry about? Which OSU skill player other than Justin Fields is the most important to the game? Which unit will decide the game -- OSU offense, OSU defense, Alabama offense or Alabama defense? Which is the best OSU team of the playoff era? Is this Alabama team the best OSU opponent of the playoff era, of the six teams the Buckeyes have played? What is the level of confidence for OSU fans in this game compared to the 2014 Alabama matchup? And how much will potential absences on the Ohio State defensive line affect the game? It's a great time with the texters, so get ready for this big Saturday preview. Thanks for listening all season to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. And there will be one more podcast episode before the game. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buckeye Talk delved into another day of interviews ahead of Monday's College Football Playoff national championship game near Miami. Alabama coach Nick Saban was not especially keen on pushing back the game for coronavirus reasons. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said that won't be necessary and the Buckeyes will have plenty of players available at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday. Justin Fields says he'll be fine by Monday night after his painful Sugar Bowl experience. All of that, plus some thoughts on Paris Johnson and Miyan Williams and projecting players in context. Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Thursday Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com, the focus is the National Championship Game interviews from Wednesday that featured the Alabama offense and the Ohio State defense. Nathan Baird, Doug Lesmerises and Stephen Means break all that down, including: Comparing Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith to Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Whether it's more about scheme or talent for the Ohio State defense. When bulletin board material is fake. A little discussion on Ohio State and two running back systems. It's another big pod of title game prep. Thanks for listening. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises is joined by Alabama beat writer Michael Casagrande of AL.com to break down the Alabama roster and compare this Crimson Tide team to the 2014 team that the Buckeyes beat in a playoff semifinal. How does Heisman-winning receiver DeVonta Smith compare to Amari Cooper? Is running back Najee Harris like Derrick Henry? And how much better is Mac Jones than the quarterback of that team, Blake Sims? Plus, how vulnerable is this Alabama defense and what might the Buckeyes do against it? But first, Doug and Nathan Baird broke down the title game news of the day, which centered on rumors of Monday's game possibly being pushed back, and the actual tweets that were sent by Nick Saban's daughter criticizing the Buckeyes over their possible positive COVID-19 cases. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are joined by 100 text subscribers in a live Zoom to place Ohio State's win over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl in context. How does it compare to the 2002 national title game win over Miami? The 2014 semifinal win over Alabama? The No. 1 vs. No. 2 Michigan game in 2006? The 2017 fourth-quarterback comeback against Penn State? The guys get texter input, reveal vote totals from a survey and talk it out. Then it's on to Alabama and what the Clemson win means for this national title game showdown. Will OSU fans be OK if the Buckeyes don't beat Bama because the Clemson win was so cathartic? How many fans truly believe the Buckeyes should chase a national title every year? And if the Buckeyes do beat Alabama, will this be the greatest season in Ohio State history? Thanks for listening to another Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State beats Clemson to advance to the National Championship Game vs. Alabama. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State's 49-28 victory over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl pushed the Big Ten's bowl record to 3-1. That one loss came courtesy of the one team -- Indiana -- that felt it had been shoved into a lower bowl slot than it deserved. Nathan Baird, Doug Lesmerises and Stephen means discuss the Hoosiers' late-season whining and what the Big Ten's bowl performance says about 2021. Also, the Buckeye Talk crew discusses Cincinnati's bowl loss to Georgia and the Ohio State's early position as an 8-point underdog to Alabama in the national championship game. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means take 10 rapid fire questions from texters who were celebrating in the aftermath of Ohio State's Sugar Bowl win over Clemson. Plus, there were a couple drunk texts and some swear words aimed at Doug and Nathan for picking Clemson to win. Beyond that, texters asked about what a later Heisman date may have meant for Justin Fields; if Fields is the best OSU QB ever; how Ryan Day now ranks among head coaches in college football; if Ohio State has passed Clemson in the college football hierarchy; whether the Buckeyes will have any emotional energy left for Alabama; and if the Buckeyes can beat the Tide. Plus, some travel stories getting home from New Orleans and talk about Tom Herman getting fired at Texas and Jim Harbaugh nearing an extension at Michigan. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to this Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com. It's very late, and Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are very tired. But Ohio State played an excellent game to beat Clemson 49-28 and set up a national title matchup against Alabama, and you care about all of that and know what the deal with this podcast is, so listen. Thanks as always. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Thursday Buckeye Talk Podcast from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means dive into a live Zoom with text subscribers to preview Ohio State vs. Clemson in Friday's Sugar Bowl and to make their game picks for the Buckeyes vs. the Tigers. Tyler Shoemaker, the officially unofficial bookmaker of Buckeyes Talk, joins to talk about the 7.5-point line that has the Buckeyes as underdogs. Doug, Nathan and Stephen also make their picks for Alabama-Notre Dame and Cincinnati-Georgia. And everyone discusses which players, other than Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, could be the key to the game, with the nominations including Haskell Garrett, Marcus Williamson, Josh Proctor, Pete Werner and Trey Sermon. The game is almost here. The next Buckeye Talk Pod will be a postgame episode after Friday night's game. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk all season. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk podcast episode from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means run through what they learned from Tuesday's Sugar Bowl interviews with Ohio State's defense and Clemson's offense. What does Clemson think of Pete Werner? Will the Clemson receivers have a better game against the Buckeyes this time? Is this a big test for first-year OSU defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs? And is Clemson the No. 1 recruiting rival for Ohio State? Plus, the guys run through ways in which the competitive balance in college football might be fixed, and whether they agree or disagree with some ideas on how to do it. The picks and preview pod is coming Thursday. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State and Clemson meet Friday in the Sugar Bowl. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means run through what they learned after interviews Monday with Ohio State offensive players and Clemson defensive players as both teams continue to prepare for Friday's Sugar Bowl. Are the Buckeyes really ready to play their best game of the year against Clemson, and have they been playing down to competition? Did Dabo Swinney's ballot explanation about ranking Ohio State 11th actually make sense? How much did Garrett Wilson miss having Brian Hartline on the sideline at the Big Ten Championship and what will it mean that Hartline is back? How is Justin Fields' thumb and what does he think of how he has played lately? And do Ohio State and Clemson players view each other as rivals or not? All that and more on the latest Buckeye Talk. Thanks for listening. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in the summer and early fall, we discussed whether any college football national championship should come with an asterisk due to the coronavirus pandemic. As we enter the final week of preparations for the College Football Playoff semifinals, we are asking the opposite question. If Ohio State falls short of a national championship, should the COVID-19 experience put an asterisk on an otherwise great season? Nathan Baird and Doug Lesmerises also delved into a text subscriber poll on what aspects of the Clemson offense concern OSU fans the most. And Doug summons up one final rant on Group of Five ultra-sympathizers and those who think they belong in the four-team playoff structure. Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark It Down Monday was a new addition to the daily Buckeye Talk rotation in 2020. We made our predictions on the outcome of the season, stat leaders, national awards, the Big Ten's coronavirus decisions -- basically every aspect of what could happen during the fall. We were wrong more often than we were correct, as you'll hear as we recap all of those decisions. Some were more wrong than others. For instance, Baron Browning fell a bit short of that 10-sack prediction. Justin Fields will not win the Heisman Trophy. On other topics, though, we had a good grasp on how the Buckeyes would perform. We're taking a small break from the pod, but come back bright and early for Monday Madness as we kick off a week of previewing the Buckeyes' playoff semifinal against Clemson at the Sugar Bowl. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday episode from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Stephen Means and Nathan Baird break the pod into three parts. First up, a discussion on the news of freshman slot receiver Mookie Cooper entering the the transfer portal. What does it mean for the OSU receiver room? Plus, why is Michigan firing assistant coaches and not the head coach? Then, Doug, Nathan and Stephen offer their opinions of Clemson, and where they think the Tigers could give the Buckeyes the most trouble. Finally, Matt Connolly, the Clemson beat writer for www.thestate.com, joins Doug to break down Clemson position group by position group and to analyze where the Tigers are better and worse compared to the team that beat Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl last year. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Way back on Aug. 3, the Buckeye Talk crew used an edition of Mark It Down Monday to predict that Ohio State's Justin Fields would win the 2020 Heisman Trophy. Unanimously. Well, like a lot of things in 2020, that did not go according to plan. Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means all gave their top three choices for the balloting, which ended Monday, and none of them have the Buckeyes' star in their top three. So who should win? Your hosts debate the contenders and how much career achievements and accolades should factor into the single-season award. Also, please take our survey at https://www.cleveland.com/buckeyetalksurvey/ to help us make the podcast an even better listening experience. Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State to face Clemson in a College Football Playoff semifinal. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nathan Baird and Doug Lesmerises open the week with another Monday Madness. They open with the hot topic of the day -- Clemson coach Dabo Swinney voting Ohio State No. 1 in his USA Today coaches poll. Unlike most fake "bulletin board" material, could this actually backfire on Tigers' coach? In addition to the usual Monday Madness categories we also talk about the angst many people have in the wake of the final College Football Playoff rankings. Why are people upset that the same four teams keep getting picked? What system or ranking method would possibly produce a better result? Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means break it down as the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes were matched in a College Football Playoff semifinal against No. 2 Clemson in New Orleans. Here's the reaction to the revenge rematch, the latest news about whether Chris Olave will be able to play, and questions about how much the Buckeyes should fear the Tigers. Plus, undefeated Cincinnati didn't get much of a look from the playoff selection committee. Was that unfair to the Bearcats or just the way it is? There's reactions from the guys and from text subscribers. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this postgame Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means break down Ohio State's 22-10 win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game. There's the good (Trey Sermon's record-setting rushing game), the bad (the OSU passing game) and the questionable (Ryan Day waiting too long to get to the run game.) But the Buckeyes are assured a spot in the College Football Playoff. The guys will be back with another pod Sunday afternoon after the playoff teams are announced, so this postgame pod isn't as long as usual. But thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Friday picks and preview pod, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are joined by the unofficially official bookmaker of Buckeye Talk, Tyler Shoemaker, to talk about what the betting lines would be if the Buckeyes played playoff contenders like Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Cincinnati and Texas A&M. Then, with 40 text subscribers joining them in the zoom room, the guys update what they know about any potential COVID situation with Ohio State and how it might affect the team. Then there's a discussion on how the playoff committee is viewing the Buckeyes, and then finally, their picks for the Ohio State-Northwestern Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday, as well as the ACC Championship between Clemson and Notre Dame and the SEC Championship between Alabama and Florida. Thanks to the text subscribers who joined live, and thanks to everyone who listens to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this big Thursday Buckeye Talk, there's about one hour and 45 minutes of recruiting talk and 25 minutes of football talk at the end. Just so you know. Wednesday was National Signing Day, so Stephen Means, Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird are here to break down everything about the Buckeyes' class of 21 players, which was ranked No. 2 in the nation. From Jack Sawyer to Denzel Burke, from Mike Hall to Kyle McCord, Stephen, Doug and Nathan answer a load of texter questions on the class after talking to Ryan Day and Mark Pantoni about what they described as a drama-free class. Then at the end, there was time for a little more talk about Saturday's Big Ten Championship between Ohio State and Northwestern. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk episode, the focus is the Big Ten Championship game between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 14 Northwestern on Saturday. To break down that game, Doug Lesmerises welcomes two guests. The first is Dan Olinger, a Northwestern football reporter for InsideNU.com who also happens to be a Northwestern student, an Ohio State fan and a listener of Buckeye Talk. Dan and Doug go over all the matchups on both sides of the ball, from Northwestern quarterback Peyton Ramsey to the Wildcats' back seven on defense that should be the best the Buckeyes have faced this season. Then Doug is joined by longtime Big Ten football writer Teddy Greenstein, who recently took a job with PointsBet.com after covering Big Ten football for well over two decades. Teddy talks about his career change, the challenges and successes of betting Big Ten football this season, how he thinks Saturday's game will go and the long-term future for Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Buckeyes prepare for the Big Ten Championship Game against Northwestern. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices