Buckeye Talk: Ohio State podcast by cleveland.com

Ohio State lands another receiver recruit, Kyion Graves. Ohio State now with 11 recruits in the class of 2022. Ohio State on track to host Oregon in the 2nd game of season. Ohio State planning to practice, spring game potentially April 17. Vegas odds on teams to potentially challenge Ohio State this season. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The top three programs in college football are not in dispute as the offseason ramps up into spring practices. However, could there be another team lurking in the weeds as LSU did in 2019, ready to spoil the party and make a run at "Super Team" status? Doug, Nathan and Stephen give their criteria on what attributes such teams need to have, and which programs seem poised for a peak in 2021. Also, they discuss the changes to Ohio State's season tickets and giving policy and what that could mean for fans and the athletic department. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State football sent out a flurry of Class of 2023 offers over the past few days. Nathan and Stephen open this episode of BFFs discussing what foundation OSU is laying for that class and how the extended dead period and last season's lack of visits might impact early commitments. They also run through questions from text subscribers about Philadelphia-area recruiting, Kerry Coombs and continuing the streak of signing the nation's No. 1 receiver prospect. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Branching off of our Big Wednesday draft, we wanted to continue the conversation on the young vs. old position battles facing Ohio State football in 2021. is there really evidence that this Buckeyes coaching staff has a blind spot when it comes to leaning to veterans, to the detriment of team performance? Which positions will the young vs. old question apply to the most for the 2021 season? Also, we break down the upcoming week for OSU men's basketball and how the Buckeyes can still improve their case for a No 1 NCAA Tournament seed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We came up with another big draft for the Big Wednesday episode of Buckeye Talk. Doug, Nathan and Stephen each built eight-man teams for a fictional parking lot football game of Ohio State players. They were spending on a budget, based on the recruiting ranking tiers the Buckeyes fell into when they came out of high school. Along the way they discussed the stars who need to step up on defense, the depth in the running back room, the questions still lingering in the secondary and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a rare sporting event that lived up to the hype, Ohio State and Michigan played one of the season's best college basketball games on Sunday. Nathan and Stephen open this episode by discussing where the Buckeyes came up short in a 92-87 loss and what this game told us about their deep NCAA Tournament hopes. Also, they took questions from Buckeye Talk text subscribers on OSU's first-round prospects and other NFL Draft-related topics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of Doug's favorite features on Buckeye Talk is when he and Stephen critique one of Nathan's projects. For this weekend episode of Buckeye Talk, Nathan combined all of the Big Ten football and men's basketball programs together and ranked them 1-28. The No. 1 team is fairly obvious, and there wasn't much argument about the bottom few, either. How do Sweet 16s and bowl victories compare? Which schools put both programs in our consensus top 10? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nathan and Stephen are back for another edition of Buckeye Future Fridays focusing on Ohio State recruiting. Today they open with a discussion on the NCAA extending the dead period through May 31 and the consequences for both athletes and the Buckeyes. Then they delve into OSU's success at finding prospects before they climb the recruiting rankings and who might fit that description for 2022. Lastly, they go rapid fire with questions from our Buckeye Talk text subscribers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State and Michigan play this weekend, with the winner potentially taking the driver's seat for the Big Ten championship and rising even higher than its current lofty national stature. That is how we should be talking about The Game every November, but alas, the Wolverines are not living up their end. Of course last football season, we did not even get to have The Game. But Sunday's men's basketball matchup at Value City Arena between No. 4 OSU and No. 3 Michigan gives us a small taste of the rivalry. We use this big weekend for the Buckeyes to jump into a conversation on where the program stands and where it could be headed under Chris Holtmann. But it's not all football talk, as we discussed how the programs complement each other and what it means when both are among the best in the nation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many months ago, a text subscriber posted the question: What one quarterback, one running back and three receivers would you pick from the year 2000-on for Ohio State football? We decided that challenge was not tough enough. Doug, Nathan and Stephen picked TWO quarterbacks, TWO running backs and FOUR receivers from that era. Even better, the did so via a draft, so they could take the players each other hoped to get and critique the picks their podmates ended up making. Also, what one album, one book and one male and female celebrity would you take if stranded on a deserted island for one year? All of that and more on the Big Wednesday edition of Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Al Washington stays put in Ohio. Ohio State adds analysts to staff. C.J. Barnett hired as director of player development. Minor adjustments to 20-21 college football season. Ohio State vs. Michigan face off in basketball this coming Sunday. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're kicking off the week with a rapid-fire edition of Buckeye Talk. Among the Tuesday topics: What role does diversity play in hiring assistant coaches, is an Alabama-like dynasty attainable for the Buckeyes, would you take Ryan Day over other national coaches to lead a program over the next decade and who would win an arm wrestling match between Nathan and Stephen? (Notice no one asked how Doug would fare in that competition.) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a week of speculation, Al Washington is staying at Ohio State as linebackers coach -- and, we assume, some other change in title and duties. The Tennessee defensive coordinator job will not be the only one dangled in front of the Buckeyes' rising young defensive assistant in the coming years. But for 2021, would losing Washington have potentially punched a hole in Buckeyes' season that would have been difficult to repair? Doug, Nathan and Stephen also discuss the addition of analysts on offense and defense and the return of C.J. Barnett in a player development role. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the second installment of Buckeye Future Fridays -- BFFs if you're short for time -- Nathan and Stephen take a look at the national recruiting map. Ohio State has enjoyed great success in both California and Texas, but major programs in those states are in the process of turning things around. OSU has also exploited other areas when home-state programs take a dip, such as New Jersey. So where could the Buckeyes next make similar inroads and pick up some big recruiting wins over multiple years? 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 from cleveland.com, the episode is split into two parts. Up first, Doug, Nathan and Stephen discuss fifth-year seniors in the OSU program, how they help the Buckeyes, which members of the 2017 recruiting class now in Year 5 could help in 2021, and how fifth-year seniors could help playoff pushes in 2022 and 2023. Is the transfer portal lessening the chances of finding Buckeyes who pop in Year 5? And are Ohio recruits more likely to be those Year 5 guys? Then, Doug interviews Clay Raterman, because he's ripped. Not Doug, but Clay. He walked on the Ohio State football team in 2017 while at the same time competing in American Ninja Warrior competitions. Clay talks about why he was so motivated to try to play football at Ohio State, how he balanced football and Ninja Warrior at the same time, and the difference between training for football and for warrior competitions. Fun stuff. Thanks for making Buckeye Talk part of your week. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week's Big Wednesday episode we are taking a big leap into the future. We already projected the 2021 depth chart, but that was child's play. What will Ohio State's starting offensive and defensive lineups be in 2023? Obviously, accuracy is not the goal here. A similar exercise in 2017 only predicted 11 of 22 spots for 2020. However, it opened some interesting discussions of what we expected from the good young players on the current Buckeyes roster and how quickly we think incoming recruits and prospects -- some of whom remain uncommitted -- will make an impact. Also, we discussed Tennessee's pursuit of Al Washington to be its defensive coordinator, including why or why not the Volunteers make sense as his next destination and why his departure would be a big loss for Ohio State. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL season is over, and the 2021 draft in Cleveland is two months away. Buckeye Talk wanted to wrap up one and look ahead to the other by taking stock of the best Buckeyes in the pros as of the end of the 2021 season. Doug, Nathan and Stephen each ranked their top 10, as did our Buckeye Talk text subscribers. Would you still rank Michael Thomas No. 1 despite his odd and injury shortened 2021 season? Which pass rusher would you rank the highest? How high should Ezekiel Elliott rank coming off of a sub-par performance? Doug also lists his man team of current OSU NFL players, and we speculate which other college programs could put together a similar team. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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