Real Pod Wednesdays

There are plenty of good vibes emanating from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center following its most recent weekend of official visits.While Ohio State hasn’t landed any new commitments yet, the Buckeyes certainly appear to be expecting some soon following a weekend in which they hosted four five-star defensive prospects: defensive ends Dylan Stewart and Eddrick Houston, safety KJ Bolden and cornerback Kobe Black. Landing even one or two of those prospects would be a huge and much-needed boost for a 2024 recruiting class that currently includes only three defensive commits: linebackers Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce and safety Jaylen McClain.Several more marquee targets will be making their way to campus this weekend for Ohio State’s final official visit weekend of June, including in-state cornerbacks Bryce West and Aaron Scott Jr., five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott, California linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Glenville tight end Damarion Witten. The Buckeyes are facing real competition for all of them, with Michigan providing the stiffest competition for West and Scott, making this weekend just as important as last weekend for Ohio State to make a big impression on its visitors.We talk about all of that to start this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays. We also talk about who’s stood out to us most during Ohio State’s high school football camps. Later in the show, we shift gears to discuss where Brice Sensabaugh could land in Thursday night’s NBA draft, who we voted for to be Ohio State’s Four Kings at quarterback and linebacker and Ohio State’s top athletes of 2022-23.The full rundown for this week’s episode:0:28: Ohio State feels good about its chances with KJ Bolden, Dylan Stewart and Eddrick Houston5:42: The perception that Ohio State has struggled in defensive recruiting is overblown11:16: With Michigan lurking, Ohio State must impress Bryce West and Aaron Scott this weekend13:58: Ohio State will be fine with losing Elias Rudolph if it lands Stewart and Houston18:20: Ohio State must focus on landing best players possible, not who could end up at Michigan21:15: Buckeyes must also impress Damarion Witten, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa this weekend25:20: Tavien St. Clair giving Ryan Montgomery real competition to be Ohio State’s 2025 quarterback33:12: Devin Sanchez, Damarion Witten, Luka Gilbert, Will Griffin among camp standouts41:11: Brice Sensabaugh’s NBA draft selection should strengthen Chris Holtmann’s recruiting pitch45:18: Potential landing spots for Sensabaugh as a likely (but not a lock) first-round draft pick51:48: Our picks for Ohio State’s four best quarterbacks and linebackers of all-time1:03:53: Dan’s picks for Ohio State’s top athletes of the year and who Griffin would have ranked higher

The Big Ten’s new scheduling model should help Ohio State, but it might make for a less entertaining regular season.Following last week’s announcement that the Big Ten will go divisionless and that Michigan will be Ohio State’s only protected annual opponent beginning in 2024, we spend the majority of this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays discussing what we like and what we don’t like about the Big Ten’s new scheduling model and why it should give Ohio State an easier path to both the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff going forward.Later in the show, we talk about the latest developments in Ohio State football recruiting after two weekends of official visits and the first two high school football camps of the month. We wrap up the show by discussing the latest developments surrounding Ohio State men’s basketball, including what Griffin learned from attending last week’s high school team camp, what former NBA assistant Brandon Bailey will add to Ohio State’s coaching staff and the likely nail in the coffin for Ohio State ever playing another game in St. John Arena.The rundown:1:18: We think Ohio State vs. Penn State should be a protected rivalry, but OSU seems happy that it isn’t11:05: Ohio State will be expected to make every CFP, Big Ten Championship Game going forward15:15: Ohio State will have only one marquee Big Ten home game in both 2024 and 202517:13: Big Ten prioritizes getting more teams into CFP over more big regular-season matchups20:18: Everybody playing everybody at least once every two years will be a welcome change25:25: All of this could change with further expansion, which is why it’s only a two-year model for now28:19: Ohio State playing Michigan twice (or even three times) in one season is only a matter of time37:51: Like it or not, college football is about to become even more of a playoff-driven sport39:51: Chris Henry Jr., Mylan Graham, Dorian Brew among early standouts of camp season46:39: Ohio State hoping Jaylen McClain will start a run of defensive commitments in 2024 class50:48: Ohio State trending up with several defensive linemen including five-star DE Eddrick Houston53:20: Colin White, Nikola Bundalo and King Kendrick among notable prospects at basketball team camp57:09: Brandon Bailey can help Chris Holtmann with in-game coaching, basketball schematics1:00:50: The dream of more Ohio State basketball games in St. John Arena is dead

With Ohio State’s 2022-23 year in sports just about complete and a new year of Buckeye sports just a few months away, we decided it was the perfect time to sit down with Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith to talk about the hottest topics in Ohio State sports, college athletics as a whole and the Big Ten.In a 30-minute conversation with Gene Smith to begin this week’s Real Pod Wednesdays, we talk to Ohio State’s athletic director about his expectations for the Buckeye football and basketball programs, how Ohio State is adapting to NIL and why he still wants federal legislation, why Ohio State has no plans to switch back to grass in Ohio Stadium, how the Buckeyes are adapting to the Big Ten’s new TV deal and much more.The full rundown of our conversation with Smith:0:36: Smith’s overall thoughts on the 2022-23 year in Ohio State sports1:42: Why Smith hasn’t talked specifically with Ryan Day about beating Michigan4:08: Why Smith is confident Ohio State’s quarterback success will continue6:00: Why Smith still believes Chris Holtmann is the right coach for Ohio State men’s basketball7:59: Smith expects Ohio State men’s basketball to be “in the hunt”9:52: How Ohio State can capitalize on the increasing popularity of women’s basketball/sports11:09: Why Smith remains hopeful about federal NIL legislation12:30: Why Smith believes Ohio State is in a “much better” position with NIL than it was early15:38: How Ohio State is preparing for possible changes to the college athletics model18:06: Why Ohio State has no plans to change Ohio Stadium’s field back to grass22:04: What the Big Ten’s new TV partners will bring to the conference23:30: Why this will be the only year Ohio State plays a mid-November home night game26:11: The impact of some Big Ten games being only on Peacock27:45: Smith sees new commissioner Tony Pettiti as “outstanding leader” for Big Ten28:32: The Big Ten’s criteria for expansion candidates and why B1G isn’t looking to expand again yet30:29: How Ohio State is preparing for a changing future while staying in the present31:49: Highlighting the academic achievements of Ohio State athletesIn the second half of this week’s show, we react to what we heard from Smith, plus we talk about the game times for Ohio State football that were announced last week and what Ryan Day had to say during his recent appearance on Chris Holtmann’s podcast.33:07: November night game issue could be a moot point once USC and UCLA join the Big Ten36:14: Notre Dame, North Carolina, Virginia are likelier B1G expansion targets than Washington, Oregon40:21: We don’t know how college athletics will change next, but OSU is preparing accordingly44:23: It seems like it’s only a matter of time before college athletes get a direct cut of the revenue48:16: The narrative would be different if Ohio State beat Georgia, but The Game will always matter51:35: The NCAA Tournament sounds like the benchmark for Ohio State basketball this year53:58: Smith’s case for turf in the Shoe makes sense, but the question will be asked again if injuries hit56:30: We‘re very glad the Youngstown State won’t be a night game (or on Peacock)1:00:45: Day recognizes a need to prepare more specifically than philosophically for Michigan1:04:18: It’s not shocking Day sees NIL and the transfer portal as the most difficult parts of his job1:06:52: Day has made Ohio State more player-friendly, but he’ll ultimately be judged on results

For the first time since the end of spring practices, we had the opportunity to talk to all of Ohio State’s assistant football coaches on Tuesday.All 10 of Ohio State’s on-field assistants as well as director of sports performance Mickey Marotti met with the media on Tuesday, giving us the opportunity to get updates on every Ohio State position group and how summer workouts are going for the Buckeyes.Just a few hours after finishing up those interviews, we sat down to record this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays and talk about what stood out to us, including plenty of praise for C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles, coaches’ initial thoughts on the newest transfer additions and much more.The rundown of what we talked about during our hourlong discussion this week:1:24: Jim Knowles sounds ready to find roles for C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles10:21: Sonny Styles could be in the mix for the starting free safety job this preseason12:48: Knowles is open to rotating more this year, but there has to be a method to the rotation18:32: Ja’Had Carter is another safety to watch in the preseason23:54: The battle to start opposite Denzel Burke at cornerback is ongoing26:30: Lorenzo Styles might not play a big role right away, but Ohio State likes his potential29:15: What Justin Frye likes about Josh Simmons and how the offensive line could shake out36:40: Frye expected some offensive line struggles this spring, but he’s still optimistic39:36: Avery Henry isn’t likely to play this year, but he’s inspiring his Buckeye teammates41:59: Adding Joe Philbin as an analyst is a great hire46:22: Tywone Malone is fully focused on football now, which excites Larry Johnson50:16: Corey Dennis isn’t ready to name a starting quarterback yet56:30: Tony Alford’s running back room is as deep as it’s ever been59:00: Parker Fleming feels Ohio State’s kicker competition is “in a good place”1:00:25: There’s plenty of optimism entering year two for Knowles’ defense

If you’re eager to bet on Ohio State football this season, there’s already plenty of wagers you can make.Even though the start of the season is still more than three months away, betting lines have been released for half of Ohio State’s 12 regular-season games this year. Sportsbooks have also put out futures odds for which team will win the national championship, who will win the Big Ten, how many games each team will win this season and who will win the Heisman Trophy.On this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we take a look at all of the lines released so far by FanDuel and DraftKings for Ohio State’s 2023 games, the national championship, the Big Ten championship, win/loss totals for each Big Ten team and every Buckeye who currently has Heisman odds. Among all of those categories, we analyze why the lines are what they are and make our picks for which bets we’d be most and least inclined to make.At the end of the show, we also spend a little time talking about this weekend’s report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel that shed light on the Big Ten’s still-incomplete TV deal and why Ohio State will host a night game against Michigan State in November even though it doesn’t want to.The rundown for this week’s show:2:00: Ohio State is favored by 28 against Indiana, which says as much about the Hoosiers as the Buckeyes4:18: It’s tempting to bet on the Buckeyes vs. Notre Dame with only a seven-point spread6:49: 10.5 is a logical line for Ohio State vs. Penn State, but history suggests it could be closer9:30: Wisconsin could be more dangerous for Ohio State than it’s been in recent matchups11:48: 24.5 seems like a large spread for Michigan State, but it’s really right where it should be14:13: Ohio State is an underdog against Michigan, and it’s hard to argue the Buckeyes shouldn’t be18:18: Picks for the best and worst bets on Ohio State’s preseason game lines20:34: Purdue, Maryland likely to have the closest spreads among Ohio State’s other six games22:54: Ohio State’s upside gives it better national championship odds than Michigan25:01: Our thoughts on Georgia, Alabama and other potential national championship contenders32:35: Ohio State has the best odds to win the Big Ten, but is far from a prohibitive favorite35:12: Wisconsin, Penn State might offer the best value in Big Ten championship futures37:07: 10.5 wins is the right over/under for both Ohio State and Michigan40:01: The overs and unders we like best in the Big Ten42:14: Caleb Williams should have the best Heisman odds, but history says not to bet on him43:51: Michael Penix Jr., Drake Maye among Heisman candidates to watch44:46: Why Marvin Harrison Jr. is the Buckeyes’ best bet to win the Heisman Trophy48:23: Drew Allar a Big Ten Heisman candidate to watch – but he’ll have to beat Ohio State or Michigan50:18: Kevin Warren wants a bonus for a TV deal he didn’t even finish52:57: November night games in the Midwest aren’t ideal, but that’s the cost of doing business57:52: It’s no coincidence that the Big Ten hired a TV executive to clean up the mess59:20: You know the Big Ten’s Week 2 schedule is bad when Youngstown State might be on NBC1:01:14: Shoutouts to Joshua Perry, Ohio State men’s tennis and Ohio State baseball

With usual podcaster extraordinaire and general Eleven Warriors superstar Dan Hope on vacation, Chase Brown makes his RPW debut alongside Griffin Strom, who returns from a one-week hiatus to discuss all things Ohio State sports.Griffin and Chase discuss Ohio State’s latest transfer portal addition, Ole Miss defensive tackle Tywone Malone, who is expected to be the final player added to the Buckeye roster from Transferland this offseason. After that, we rank all eight Ohio State transfer acquisitions in terms of their potential impact on the Buckeyes during the 2023 season.There was plenty of other football news to break down as well, as Ohio State now has official kickoff times and networks for two big East Division showdowns in November – including The Game itself – in addition to several future schedule adjustments in both the 2024 and 2029 seasons.On the basketball front, we talk about Brice Sensabaugh’s potential to improve his draft stock at the NBA Combine this week in Chicago, and how Seth Towns surprised us all with his decision to enter the transfer portal two seasons after he last played for the Buckeyes.Finally, Chase takes us through the most significant developments Around the Oval in the world of Ohio State’s Olympic sports, but not before we share our exuberance for Avery Henry following the news that his cancer has gone into remission.The full rundown for this week’s episode:0:28: Griffin is back from New Orleans, but with Dan now on vacation, we welcome in Chase Brown for his debut appearance as a co-host on RPW2:52: The Big Ten’s new TV deal will see OSU take on Michigan State on NBC this season, but a night game in mid-November might be a chilly one5:28: No change for The Game as Ohio State and Michigan will still play at noon on FOX in 20239:20: Another Ohio State-Georgia quarterback storyline emerges as Dylan Raiola commits to the Bulldogs12:58: The commitment of Ole Miss transfer Tywone Malone brings depth to Ohio State’s defensive tackle position19:42: With almost three times as many transfer additions this offseason as the Buckeyes have ever had under Ryan Day, it appears the program’s portal philosophy has shifted25:35: Griffin thinks Davison Igbinosun could be the most impactful transfer for Ohio State in 202332:09: Should Josh Simmons win a starting tackle job, he may end up the most important piece Ohio State added to its roster from the portal35:30: Ja’Had Carter is still well-positioned for a spot on the two-deep at nickel safety despite seeing his spring cut short with an injury38:45: Long snapper transfer John Ferlmann may be more impactful than some might think after the special teams snafus late last season42:00: Victor Cutler could wind up a non-factor, but there are still questions to be answered at the center position this season43:38: Malone will likely be more impactful at DT beyond 2023, but could still receive reasonable playing time given Larry Johnson’s penchant for rotating linemen45:10: If all goes well for OSU, Tristan Gebbia won’t see the field in 2023 (aside from blowouts), but we’ve seen a third-string QB have to step up for the Buckeyes before51:15: Lorenzo Styles figures to be a prospect for the future at cornerback after transferring in from Notre Dame and converting from wide receiver54:42: Huge shoutout to Avery Henry, whose cancer is in remission after receiving an osteosarcoma diagnosis in December56:36: Seth Towns surprises everybody by entering the transfer portal101:14: Chase runs down the latest happenings in Ohio State’s Olympic sports

This week’s Real Pod Wednesdays is all about recruiting as Garrick Hodge fills in as co-host for this week’s episode.With Griffin Strom on vacation, Garrick joins Dan Hope for nearly an hour’s worth of conversation about Ohio State’s recruiting efforts in the 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes. It’s an apropos time for Garrick to join the show, as both Dan and Garrick were at the Under Armour Next camp on Sunday and the start of official visit season is just a few weeks away.A lot has changed since Garrick’s last appearance on RPW in March, when Ohio State had just four commits in the 2024 class. The Buckeyes have 13 commits now and are ranked second in the 2024 rankings, giving Ohio State fans plenty to feel good about on the recruiting front. Michigan is the one team ranked ahead of Ohio State, however, so we spend some time evaluating to what extent the Buckeyes should be worried about the Wolverines’ recruiting momentum.We also discuss our biggest takeaways from attending Sunday’s camp, including impressive performances by Ohio State commits Garrett Stover, Mylan Graham and Sam Williams-Dixon, how Bryce Underwood and Ryan Montgomery continued to solidify themselves as Ohio State’s top two quarterbacks in the 2025 class and how Ohio State can benefit from a surge in talent in its own backyard.Then, we play a game of “In or Out” with 16 of the Buckeyes’ top remaining targets in the 2024 class: cornerbacks Bryce West and Aaron Scott, safeties KJ Bolden, Peyton Woodyard and Reggie Powers, linebackers Sammy Brown and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asu, defensive ends Dylan Stewart, Eddrick Houston and Nigel Smith, defensive tackle Justin Scott, offensive tackle Brandon Baker, guard Jordan Seaton, tight end Damarion Witten and wide receivers Jeremiah McClellan and Joshisa Trader.Finally, we shift gears to a bit of Ohio State basketball talk to discuss the two dominoes that fell last week to likely set the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 roster – the addition of Penn State transfer Evan Mahaffey and Bronny James’ commitment to USC – and share our thoughts on whether that roster is good enough for Chris Holtmann’s squad to make a long-awaited breakthrough.The full rundown for this week’s episode:1:19: Garrick told us not to panic about only four commits in March, and he was right3:02: But business needs to pick up in defensive recruiting5:10: Michigan’s improved recruiting makes its emergence as a championship contender more sustainable7:19: Jordan Marshall is UM’s only true recruiting win over OSU, but Wolverines remain aggressive in Ohio12:50: Garrett Stover, Mylan Graham and Sam Williams-Dixon stand out at Under Armour Next camp16:08: Xavier Johnson’s role this year could lay blueprint for Williams-Dixon’s role at Ohio State20:43: Deontae and Devontae Armstrong, Marc Nave Jr. are O-line projects with promise24:21: Ryan Montgomery is an OSU-caliber QB, but Bryce Underwood is too talented not to pursue32:11: Jamison Kitna, Tavien St. Clair give Ohio State additional in-state QB options in 2025 class35:51: Bo Jackson shows why he’s a top target for Ohio State in the 2025 class37:41: Sunday’s camp showed there’s no shortage of top talent in the Midwest right now39:28: “In or Out” predictions for 16 of Ohio State’s top remaining targets in the 2024 class54:18: Edwin Spillman, Miles Lockhart, Zabien Brown, Jayden Jackson among other potential commits55:28: Bronny James was probably never coming to Ohio State, but it would have been fun to watch58:35: Which much-hyped prospect will have the better career: Arch Manning or Bronny James?1:00:30: Ohio State basketball should be better than last year, but the Sweet 16 still looks like a stretch

It was a busy week on multiple fronts for the Ohio State football program.Ohio State brought two new transfers into the program with the additions of former San Diego State offensive tackle Josh Simmons and Notre Dame wide receiver-turned-cornerback Lorenzo Styles. A few other players left the Buckeyes before the post-spring transfer window closed. And six members of last year’s Ohio State football team, headlined by first-round picks C.J. Stroud, Paris Johnson Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, were selected in the 2023 NFL draft.We analyze all the comings and going of the transfer portal and where each of the Buckeyes landed in this year’s NFL draft, plus look ahead to what could be one of Ohio State’s deepest NFL draft classes ever in 2024, on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.The full rundown of what we’re talking about this week:1:15: Josh Simmons isn’t a lock to start at right tackle, but Ohio State needed to add competition5:45: Bringing in Lorenzo Styles was an obvious move, but he’s more likely to contribute in 2024-2510:00: Ohio State still pursuing two more transfers in Ole Miss DT Tywone Malone, UAB S Jaylen Key18:44: Ohio State needed to be more aggressive in the transfer portal this year, and it has been20:44: Kaleb Brown’s transfer is more surprising than Caleb Burton’s, but neither is shocking26:48: Ben Christman’s departure could prompt a Vic Cutler or Tegra Tshabola move to guard32:43: Houston Texans remind us not to believe everything you hear before the NFL draft39:33: C.J. Stroud will begin his career with less pressure in Houston than he had at Ohio State41:02: Paris Johnson Jr. has extra motivation playing for the team that drafted his dad43:41: If 2021 was any indication, Jaxon Smith-Njigba won’t be a No. 3 wide receiver for long46:36: Dawand Jones’ slide was surprising, but Luke Wypler’s fall was even more surprising50:36: “Advisors” didn’t make Wypler’s decision, and returning wouldn’t have guaranteed anything56:26: OSU’s UDFAs aren’t shocking, though we expected Taron Vincent to get a contract58:22: Two defensive draft picks in two years is a big reason why the defense has struggled59:50: Ohio State could have one of its best draft classes ever in 2024 (but not eight first-rounders)1:07:07: QB and OL play, defensive cohesion will determine if OSU takes advantage of all that talent

NFL draft week has arrived.We’re just one day away from finding out which teams will draft C.J. Stroud, Paris Johnson Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba and perhaps Dawand Jones. Over the next three days, 259 players will be drafted, and at least seven Buckeyes are likely to be among those who get that call, while numerous others are also likely to sign with teams shortly after the draft as undrafted free agents.This week’s show is all about the Buckeyes in the draft as we talk about why teams shouldn’t be worried about Stroud’s ability to read defenses and process information, predict where Stroud and the rest of the Buckeyes will end up and discuss some of the draft-related milestones Ohio State could achieve this weekend.At the end of the show, we also spend a few minutes talking about a quiet start of the post-spring transfer window for Ohio State – both in terms of incoming and outgoing activity – and three players who have emerged as transfer targets for the Buckeyes. (This episode was recorded before Caleb Burton entered the transfer portal.)The full rundown for this week’s episode:0:42: Ohio State will have at least three first-round NFL draft picks, maybe four with Dawand Jones4:58: It’s looking like C.J. Stroud won’t go second, but someone (Titans?) will likely trade up to take him third7:56: Despite the narratives, Stroud was great at reading defenses and plenty coachable at Ohio State15:35: In one scenario, Paris Johnson Jr. could be the first Buckeye drafted – but he’ll likely be the second17:54: Jaxon Smith-Njigba is WR1 and could go anywhere between 10th and 15th (if not higher)22:46: Luke Wypler looks like a solid third-round pick with the potential to go late in Round 223:54: Zach Harrison’s upside could get him into Round 2, but questions about fit could push him into Round 327:45: Ronnie Hickman’s draft projections have run the gamut, but Round 6 feels like his landing spot30:44: Tanner McCalister is Dan’s pick to be Ohio State’s eighth and final draft pick in 202331:51: Cameron Brown’s injury history, disappointing 40 time could keep him from being drafted33:16: Taron Vincent never quite did enough at Ohio State to become a sure-fire draft pick36:20: Mitch Rossi is a real sleeper to make an NFL roster even though he’ll probably go undrafted41:08: The most ideal team fits for Ohio State draft prospects42:55: C.J. Stroud could be Ohio State’s highest-drafted quarterback ever, or at least tie that mark44:12: Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be OSU’s third Round 1 WR in two years (with more to come next year)45:20: Three offensive line draft picks for the first time since 2004 should help Ohio State’s recruiting46:04: Ohio State will have at least six picks for the eighth straight year – and could have six top-100 picks49:15: It’s more surprising Ohio State has lost almost no transfers than Ohio State adding no transfers yet50:36: Lorenzo Styles seems likely to be a Buckeye, especially since he’s planning to play cornerback54:30: Tywone Malone would be a depth piece at defensive tackle, at least for this season56:20: Ohio State hosting San Diego State’s Josh Simmons in pursuit for a transfer offensive tackle

Spring football is complete at Ohio State, which means it’s time to wrap it all up and project ahead to how it will all translate to the games that count this fall.We begin this week’s episode by discussing everything that stood out to us in Saturday’s spring game, including a not-great but not-terrible performance by Kyle McCord, the offensive line remaining Ohio State’s biggest problem, the defense continuing to show improvement and impressive performances from young Buckeyes like C.J. Hicks, Sonny Styles, Carnell Tate and Hero Kanu.Later, we project what Ohio State’s starting lineup would look like right now and which non-starters we also expect to see significant playing time for the Buckeyes this fall.Finally, we discuss Ohio State men’s basketball’s newest transfer addition and why the Buckeyes could still be in the market for one more transfer.The rundown for our post-spring episode of Real Pod Wednesdays:0:30: Kyle McCord didn’t win the job on Saturday, but that doesn’t mean you should write him off8:09: The door remains open for Devin Brown, but we still see McCord as the favorite to start11:15: The offensive line remains Ohio State’s biggest area of concern by far15:46: Ohio State must control the line of scrimmage to beat Michigan, and the OL could determine that16:58: The defense outplayed the offense in the spring game more than the scoreboard even showed18:53: Defense did give up three long touchdowns, but those came with almost all backups on field21:05: Why Dan is confident cornerback play will be a strength for Ohio State this season22:50: A slew of second-year defenders had standout spring game performances30:30: Carnell Tate and Jayden Ballard continued to make their push for playing time at WR33:00: Chip Trayanum continued to make his case for playing time at running back35:39: A quiet concern for Ohio State: Will the Buckeyes have a reliable field goal kicker?38:02: Projecting Ohio State’s starting lineup and who else will play regularly at each position on offense48:04: Projecting Ohio State’s starting lineup and who else will play regularly at each position on defense59:15: Why Dale Bonner is a logical addition for the basketball Buckeyes as a backup point guard1:03:26: Why Ohio State remains in the market for one more transfer1:05:00: Ohio State has an NCAA Tournament-caliber roster, but can it be a Sweet 16-caliber roster?

Ohio State officially has a new NIL collective, and two of its leaders join us on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays to tell us what it’s all about.Former 97.1 The Fan station manager Todd Markiewicz is the president of The 1870 Society while former Ohio State safety Tyvis Powell is its director of player engagement, and both of them join us for the first part of this week’s show to tell us why they chose to get involved with the new NIL collective and how they believe The 1870 Society can get Ohio State’s NIL efforts where they need to be. (Disclaimer: Eleven Warriors publisher Jason Priestas is a founder and board member of The 1870 Society.)After that conversation, we turn our focus back to spring football to discuss the latest thing we’ve learned at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and preview Saturday’s spring game at Ohio Stadium. Later in the show, we discuss Ohio State football’s continuing momentum on the recruiting trail and look at how the Ohio State men’s basketball roster is stacking up with the addition of Minnesota transfer Jamison Battle.(Note: This episode was recorded on Tuesday afternoon before Payton Pierce’s commitment to the Buckeyes and Ryan Day’s announcement that Devin Brown will not play in the spring game.)The full rundown for this week’s show:0:20: Introducing Todd, Tyvis and The 1870 Society2:59: What makes The 1870 Society different from Ohio State’s other NIL collectives6:15: How 1870 can help elevate Ohio State’s NIL efforts in recruiting10:25: How 1870 hopes to work in tandem with Ohio State’s other NIL collectives13:28: How Tyvis’ background playing for the Buckeyes can bolster 1870’s efforts14:32: What Tyvis thinks Ohio State’s defense must do to perform at a national championship level again16:16: Jordan Hancock, Denzel Burke, Sonny Styles among DBs catching Tyvis’ eyes this spring17:20: 1870’s message to Ohio State fans19:37: 11W’s relationship with 1870 and why it won’t change how we cover Ohio State22:40: Ohio State is shorthanded at LB right now, but backups are taking advantage of the opportunities27:36: Cameron Martinez is building momentum as Ohio State’s potential starting nickel safety29:32: We’re still waiting to see a quarterback stand out this spring31:34: Good signs for Jelani Thurman, Malik Hartford as they shed their black stripes34:44: Outside of quarterback, right tackle will be the key position to watch Saturday38:09: Cornerback will be another position in the spring game spotlight39:51: Backup linebackers, wide receivers and running backs have chance to make statement41:36: Kenyatta Jackson is a player to watch on the defensive line42:55: Our picks for Spring Game MVP: Carnell Tate and Kyle McCord44:45: Weight of the spring game will factor in the quarterback competition48:10: Air Noland’s commitment gives Ohio State another future quarterback to be excited about50:48: Mylan Graham’s commitment continues Brian Hartline’s unmatched recruiting excellence52:10: The 2024 class is offense-heavy, but more defensive commitments could be coming soon53:25: Jamison Battle is exactly what Ohio State needed in a transfer forward55:46: Buckeyes still need a transfer guard, Javon Small emerging as a potential option57:22: Projecting what Ohio State’s starting five will look like next season with Battle’s addition1:03:26: Taylor Mikesell goes to Indiana and Seini Hicks could be the first of two Buckeyes in her family

College basketball season is over, but spring football season remains in full swing.The NCAA basketball tournaments came to an end on Sunday and Monday, so we begin this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays with a conversation about how the Final Fours played out and make some early predictions for how Ohio State’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will fare next season.The rest of the show is focused on Ohio State football, as we share our biggest takeaways from Saturday’s second scrimmage of the spring, including Carnell Tate being one of the best players on the field, the defensive line and cornerbacks continuing to build momentum and the quarterback competition remaining unsettled.To conclude the show, we talk about Ohio State staying hot on the recruiting trail with the commitment of top-five running back James Peoples (this episode of Real Pod Wednesdays was recorded before five-star wide receiver Mylan Graham’s commitment on Tuesday night) and which commitments could be next to join the fold.The full rundown for this week’s show:0:16: The women’s national championship game generated more conversation than the men’s8:00: Initial predictions for how far both Ohio State teams will go in next year’s NCAA Tournaments9:45: Carnell Tate continues push for early playing time with standout scrimmage performance14:39: The defensive line is looking great, but questions remain on the offensive line21:34: Neither quarterback has clear separation in the starting competition yet25:30: Cornerback is looking more and more like a position that could go from weakness to strength30:16: Ja’Had Carter’s knee injury doesn’t appear serious, but he needs all the reps he can get31:33: Why Sonny Styles is more likely to be a situational player than a starter this year36:44: Josh Proctor, Cameron Martinez and Lathan Ransom have a lot to prove as projected starters43:40: Good news at safety is Ohio State has a lot of depth and options45:35: Why more snaps in the slot for Marvin Harrison Jr. is something for Ohio State to consider48:46: Chip Traynaum, Dallan Hayden making push for roles in deep running back unit53:06: Freshman tight ends don’t usually play much at Ohio State, but Jelani Thurman is one to watch55:26: James Peoples is exactly what Ohio State needed after losing Jordan Marshall56:43: Ohio State could land its 2024 quarterback when Air Noland commits Saturday59:15: Jeremiah McClellan, Reggie Powers among other recruits on commitment watch

After attending Ohio State’s first scrimmage of the spring and the Buckeyes’ pro day last week, there was plenty for us to talk about on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.The first half of this week’s episode is focused on the current Ohio State football team, as we talk about who and what stood out to us while watching the Buckeyes’ scrimmage on Saturday, as well as what we learned from last week’s interview sessions with offensive linemen and defensive linemen and Tuesday’s interview sessions with Jim Knowles and Brian Hartline.In the second half of the show, we talk about what we saw from Ohio State’s NFL draft prospects at last week’s pro day and how Ohio State’s efforts to add future Buckeyes on the recruiting trail are heating up, then conclude the show by wrapping up a great season for Ohio State women’s basketball and looking at some of the top transfer targets for Ohio State men’s basketball.The full rundown for this week’s show:1:14: The quarterbacks had some struggles on Saturday, but Kyle McCord looked like the frontrunner to start7:23: Jayden Ballard, Kaleb Brown and freshman wideouts show how loaded Ohio State is at receiver14:04: Kenyatta Jackson, Jack Sawyer, Steele Chambers, Gabe Powers among defensive standouts21:58: Carson Hinzman and Josh Fryar look like starters, but right tackle remains a huge question26:39: Cornerbacks keep building momentum, especially Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun29:06: Josh Proctor and Lathan Ransom appear positioned to start, but nickel safety not as clear33:58: Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson on the same page about Jack Sawyer, who should play Jack37:09: C.J. Stroud only strengthened his standing as a top-two overall NFL draft pick at pro day42:21: Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 4.48 40 should cement his standing as the NFL’s draft top wide receiver43:48: Tanner McCalister helped himself the most of any Ohio State draft prospect at pro day45:21: Cam Brown didn’t run as fast as he said he could, and he might have needed to47:40: Zach Harrison left his 40 time a mystery, but that might have been a smart strategic decision49:40: Deontae and Devontae Armstrong’s commitments continue Justin Frye’s strong start in 202452:11: More Ohio State commitments could be coming soon53:58: Jordan Marshall is a big loss for Ohio State, but Michigan’s other Ohio commitments aren’t58:39: Ohio State women’s basketball lost to Virginia Tech but still had one of its best seasons ever1:00:03: Ohio State’s future looks bright with Cotie McMahon, maybe Jacy Sheldon returning1:02:22: Big Ten women’s teams benefit from conference tournament one week earlier than men’s1:03:40: Brice Sensabaugh leaves the door open for a return, but his departure still seems more likely1:06:04: Nick Timberlake, Jamison Battle, Chris Ledlum among Ohio State transfer targets1:08:27: Our Final Four predictions1:09:57: It was a great year for many Ohio State winter sports teams ... just not men’s basketball

The next three-and-a-half weeks will be some of Ohio State’s busiest weeks of the year from an on-campus recruiting perspective.Ohio State is set to host a multitude of top targets this weekend, next weekend, during the April 15 spring game and in between, so we brought Eleven Warriors recruiting analyst Garrick Hodge on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays to help us break down which visitors you need to know about and where things stand for the Buckeyes with some of their top targets at key positions of need. (Note: This episode was recorded before Jordan Marshall announced his commitment to Michigan.)Later in the show, Dan and Griffin talk about Ryan Day’s most notable comments from his most recent press conference, why several assistant coaches received sizable raises, Ohio State women’s basketball’s chances of upsetting UConn and the Big Ten’s continued struggles in the NCAA Tournament.The full rundown for this week’s show:2:05: Five-stars Dylan Stewart, Bryce Underwood among Ohio State’s most notable visitors this week6:37: James Peoples, Air Noland, Charles Lester, Marcelles Williams are marquee visitors next week8:58: Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Montgomery, Miles Lockhart among spring-game week visitors of note10:08: Ohio State is the leader of the clubhouse for three top cornerback targets, but not Lester12:24: Jeremiah Smith will probably be a Buckeye as long as Brian Hartline remains at Ohio State15:23: What Marc Nave Jr. will bring to Ohio State and who could join him in the offensive line class19:18: Air Noland and Ryan Montgomery are the frontrunners to be Ohio State’s 2024 and 2025 QBs22:30: It’s too early to sound the alarm bells about Ohio State only having four 2024 commits23:15: Miles Lockhart, Sam Williams-Dixon, Armstrong twins top candidates to be Ohio State’s next commits24:16: Bryce West is the biggest must-get for Ohio State in the 2024 class26:06: We’ll learn more about the current Ohio State football team during Saturday’s first scrimmage28:20: Carson Hinzman seems to be the early frontrunner to start at center30:17: Ryan Day seems to like how things are progressing at cornerback, maybe not at right tackle33:22: Why Day said Ohio State’s QB doesn’t need to be “extraordinary” but needs an “extraordinary trait”37:48: Brian Hartline got a huge raise, but that was no surprise38:45: Tim Walton’s raise was a surprise, but that’s likely an indicator of NFL interest41:11: Justin Frye’s raise is a sign of appreciation after he wasn’t named offensive coordinator43:38: Mark Pantoni might be Ohio State’s most underpaid staffer45:58: James Laurinaitis’ salary is further proof he’s no ordinary graduate assistant48:18: Ohio State’s assistant coach salary pool shows OSU is invested in being elite in football49:30: Thrilling win over UNC sends Ohio State’s women’s basketball back to the Sweet 1651:38: Beating UConn will be a tall task, but it’s not impossible55:51: Pistol, women’s hockey, wrestling among other Ohio State sports deserving recognition58:20: The Big Ten’s NCAA Tournament struggles continue (but they might be a bit overblown this year)1:00:56: Once again, March Madness shows us a lack of size is not Ohio State’s problem1:02:18: Updated Final Four picks and second-weekend upset predictions

Ohio State’s men’s basketball season came to an end last week, but not before the Buckeyes offered some hope for the future.Ohio State’s run to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals couldn’t save the Buckeyes from missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years and finishing with a losing record for the first time in 19 years, but it did give Ohio State some much-needed positive energy entering the offseason and gave Buckeye fans reason to be excited about Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr. and Felix Okpara going into their sophomore seasons.As such, we spend a little bit of time talking about the season that just ended but most of our time looking ahead to next season as we focus primarily on Ohio State men’s basketball on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.With the NCAA Tournament set to begin without Ohio State on Thursday, we also make our predictions for who will make this year’s Final Four and the biggest upsets we expect to see in the first weekend of March Madness. We also preview the first weekend of NCAA Tournament action for Ohio State women’s basketball and Ohio State women’s hockey’s trip to the Frozen Four. Finally, we discuss what we heard from Ohio State’s wide receivers and linebackers during the most recent spring football interviews.The full rundown for this week’s show:0:34: Ohio State had a bad year, but Big Ten Tournament run gives them something to feel good about3:32: Freshman class growth is the biggest reason why Chris Holtmann will be back for another year5:37: Bruce Thornton will be Ohio State’s most important player entering next season7:46: Roddy Gayle Jr. and Felix Okpara needed time to grow, but their talent is clear to see now13:00: Justice Sueing and Sean McNeil stepped up their game to finish their collegiate careers strong15:30: Ohio State must bottle up what it did the last few weeks and play like that all season next year19:50: Is just making the NCAA Tournament next season enough for Chris Holtmann to keep his job?24:25: Making the Sweet 16 and contending for a Big Ten title should still be expectations25:45: Sueing, McNeil and Isaac Likekele weren’t superstars, but they’re still notable departures26:36: It doesn’t seem likely Brice Sensabaugh will be back for another year29:28: Assuming Sensabaugh leaves, Ohio State will need new scorers to emerge outside the sophomores31:30: Will a lineup with both Felix Okpara and Zed Key work? We’re skeptical34:47: Who can replace Sensabaugh and Sueing: Tanner Holden? Eugene Brown? Freshmen? Transfers?36:59: Devin Royal’s physicality as a scorer should enable him to make an impact quickly37:49: Taison Chatman is the top incoming freshman offensively, but will need to get physically stronger38:39: Scotty Middleton should make an immediate impact defensively, but has to develop offensively40:06: Louisville’s Kamari Lands, Towson’s Nick Timberlake among early transfer targets43:50: Much like this season, Ohio State will need its freshmen to make an immediate impact next year45:49: Our Final Four predictions47:41: Our upset picks for the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament51:04: A look at Ohio State women’s basketball’s NCAA Tournament draw54:39: Women’s hockey can defend its national title this weekend, but challenging matchups await58:26: You can breathe a sigh of relief if you were worried about Marvin Harrison Jr. returning punts59:00: Xavier Johnson is already showing why he could be one of Ohio State’s top leaders this year1:00:48: Ryan Day is still spending most of his time with the offense1:02:45: James Laurinaitis is already making a big impression on Ohio State’s linebackers1:03:40: Reid Carrico, C.J. Hicks and Gabe Powers are committed to Ohio State despite unclear roles

We had plenty to discuss on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays after getting our first on-field look at the 2023 Ohio State football team Tuesday.Between watching the first 30 minutes of Tuesday morning’s opening practice of the spring and talking to Ryan Day, Jim Knowles and Ohio State’s quarterbacks afterward, we learned a lot about how the Buckeyes are stacking up as spring begins.In the first half of this week’s show, we discuss everything that stood out to us on day one, including Devin Brown’s new number, Marvin Harrison Jr. returning punts and players who appear to be on the rise, such as Tegra Tshabola and Sonny Styles.Later in the show, Dan talks about what he saw and heard from a week of covering Ohio State’s draft prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine. We wrap up this week’s episode with a look at a few other Ohio State sports as men’s basketball heads to the Big Ten Tournament, women’s basketball prepares for the NCAA Tournament and women’s hockey looks to defend its national championship.The full rundown for our first 2023 spring football episode of Real Pod Wednesdays:0:40: Devin Brown’s homage to Sammy Baugh is awesome4:30: It’s way too soon to jump to any conclusions about Ohio State’s quarterback competition6:37: Marvin Harrison Jr. returning punts drew strong reactions, but he probably won’t do it in games11:07: Josh Fryar is the left tackle for now, Tegra Tshabola looks like a player to watch at right tackle13:28: There’s no clear frontrunner between Carson Hinzman and Victor Cutler Jr. at center15:22: Davison Igbinosun made an immediate impression in his first spring practice16:07: Ohio State’s coaches love what they’re seeing from Denzel Burke18:33: Sonny Styles appears to be on the fast track to playing a major role20:05: Jack Sawyer won’t play the Jack position this year, and it’s uncertain if anyone will play it21:15: If anyone is going to play the Jack, it sounds like it will be Mitchell Melton22:55: It sounds like C.J. Hicks still has a long way to go to earn substantial playing time25:58: Ryan Day challenges Caden Curry and the second-year wide receivers31:20: Jelani Thurman looks physically ready to contribute sooner than later at tight end34:12: Jaxon Smith-Njigba did what we thought he’d do: Remind everyone how good he is36:26: C.J. Stroud called himself a “ball-placement specialist” and backed it up39:42: Both Stroud and Day seem to have realized he didn’t run enough at Ohio State44:09: Paris Johnson Jr. looked like a prototype NFL left tackle46:03: Dawand Jones proved he can move quite well for a giant48:53: Luke Wypler was Ohio State’s overshadowed standout in Indy, just as he was as a Buckeye51:20: Incomplete combines for most Buckeyes, lack of 40s run leaves plenty of intrigue for pro day54:00: Assessing Ohio State’s chances of winning one, two or more games at the Big Ten Tournament57:14: What constitutes a (relatively) successful week for Ohio State in Chicago?59:53: Ohio State women’s basketball shows high ceiling, low floor in its Big Ten Tournament run1:02:18: Ohio State women’s hockey begins its national championship defense Saturday

Current and former Ohio State football players will both be back on the football field over the next seven days.The 2023 Ohio State football team will take the field for its first practice of the year on Tuesday when the Buckeyes will hold their first of 15 spring practices at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Before then, eight members of the 2022 Ohio State football team will participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, where workouts will be held Thursday through Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.There’s no shortage of storylines entering this year’s spring practices, and we start this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays by previewing the ones that we’ll be most focused on when spring ball opens next week. After that, we discuss our expectations for all eight of Ohio State’s participants in this year’s NFL Combine – C.J. Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones, Luke Wypler, Zach Harrison, Cameron Brown and Ronnie Hickman – and what we think they can accomplish this week.The full rundown for this week’s show:2:09: There are a lot more depth chart questions entering this spring than there were last spring4:47: Why the offensive line is the No. 1 area we’ll have our eye on next week7:58: Competition in the secondary is the No. 2 thing we’ll be watching as spring begins9:32: We don’t expect to see many defensive scheme changes this spring – at least not while the media is watching13:51: Jermaine Mathews, Carnell Tate and Noah Rogers among early enrollees we’ll be watching closely16:54: Davison Igbinosun, Victor Cutler are transfers we’ll be watching most closely this spring19:45: Jayden Ballard, Zen Michalski, Gee Scott Jr., Cameron Martinez among veterans who need big springs28:09: C.J. Stroud can make his case for QB1 with a great throwing session and a good 40 time32:36: Paris Johnson Jr. should excel both in combine workouts and team interviews34:17: Jaxon Smith-Njigba and his 40 time may be the most interesting combine storyline among Buckeyes37:24: Zach Harrison’s draft stock will soar if he can run as fast as he did in high school38:26: Dawand Jones’ size is obvious, but combine will be a good litmus test of his athleticism41:00: Cameron Brown will look to back up his talk about how fast he can run43:58: Luke Wypler is the favorite to have the best bench press performance among Buckeyes45:06: Ronnie Hickman could use a strong combine showing to get momentum back on his side46:43: Taron Vincent is Ohio State’s most surprising combine snub49:01: Ohio State men’s basketball finally won a game, and the freshman class (especially Bruce Thornton) is building momentum56:37: That momentum will mean more if Brice Sensabaugh returns for another year – and there’s some talk he could59:57: Outlook for Ohio State women’s basketball entering the Big Ten Tournament

What would an ideal 2024 football schedule for Ohio State look like? We drew up our answers to that question on this week’s Real Pod Wednesdays.In reality, Ohio State’s non-conference slate for 2024 looks likely to be boring after the Buckeyes canceled their scheduled home-and-home series with Washington last week, leaving them without a marquee non-conference game. The Buckeyes’ conference schedule for a year from now remains undetermined, as this week’s Big Ten meetings concluded without any final decisions on how schedules will be structured when USC and UCLA join the conference.Ohio State’s non-conference schedule doesn’t have to be boring, though, and its conference schedule remains open to a wide variety of possibilities. Given that, we each mapped out how we would design Ohio State’s 2024 schedule if we were in charge of putting it together.For ground rules, we stuck with the typical format of nine conference games and three non-conference games, while designating home and away conference games (except for USC and UCLA) based on where Ohio State will have last played those opponents after this season. There was no requirement to keep Southern Miss and Western Michigan on the non-conference schedule, though we were required to designate one non-conference game as an away game if we chose to schedule three Power 5 non-conference games.Ultimately, both of us came up with schedules that would likely be far more appealing to TV network executives than to Ryan Day, as we prioritized entertainment value and intriguing storylines over creating an easier path to the College Football Playoff – though we didn’t feel it should be necessary to make the schedule easy given that the CFP is expanding to 12 teams in 2024.You can hear all of our selections on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays or visit elevenwarriors.com to view our ideal schedules and share your own.The rest of the rundown for this week’s show:0:20: Things are still bad for Ohio State men’s basketball, which seems to already be looking toward the future5:37: Things are going better for Ohio State women’s basketball, both hockey teams and women’s swim and dive7:40: Why Ohio State canceled the Washington series13:17: It’s time to end the practice of scheduling non-conference games so many years in advance17:33: One big scheduling question: How Big Ten will accommodate teams when scheduling West Coast trips24:03: Breaking down our ideal 2024 Ohio State football schedules45:58: Ohio State shouldn’t need a favorable schedule to make the 12-team CFP

There will be no shortage of position battles to watch when Ohio State takes the field for spring practices in just a few weeks.On this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays – following another brief discussion about the continuing collapse of Ohio State basketball – we look ahead to the 10 biggest position battles that will take place during Ohio State’s 15 practices this spring and project which players could come out of those battles with starting jobs or more playing time.The full rundown for this week’s show:0:37: Will Ohio State men’s basketball win another game this year? We’re starting to wonder5:12: Handicapping the quarterback competition between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown10:29: Four offensive tackles will vie for starting jobs this spring, but Ohio State could still add transfer help15:11: Victor Cutler is the likely favorite at center, but Carson Hinzman is a challenger to watch18:26: Davison Igbinosun will face real competition from Jordan Hancock, Jyaire Brown and Jermaine Mathews for No. 2 cornerback job24:26: There’s a bunch of different combinations Ohio State could go with at safety32:27: Ohio State’s starting wide receivers are set, but there’s a lot of talented receivers vying for playing time behind them38:59: Development as blockers could determine No. 2 tight end competition between Gee Scott Jr. and Joe Royer44:59: Second-year defensive linemen Caden Curry, Hero Kanu, Kenyatta Jackson and Omari Abor vying for playing time50:11: C.J. Hicks, other linebackers will look to prove this spring that they belong in the defensive rotation54:10: Ohio State could have a three- or four-way competition to replace Noah Ruggles at kicker

We had our first opportunity of the offseason to talk to all of Ohio State’s football coaches last week, and it gave us plenty of early insight into where things stand with the 2023 Buckeyes.We didn‘t want to avoid the elephant in the room, so we start this week’s episode with a brief conversation on the continued struggles of Ohio State men’s basketball.The rest of the episode, however, is devoted to sharing our thoughts on everything that stood out to us from last week’s media availability, including what coaches had to say about Ohio State’s impending position battles, why Brian Hartline will likely be the offensive play caller and why James Laurinaitis will have a bigger role than his title suggests, the uncertain future of the Jack position in Ohio State’s defense and Mark Pantoni’s comments about how NIL is changing OSU’s recruiting strategy.The full rundown of what we’re talking about this week:0:18: There’s no good way to spin it – things are going poorly for Ohio State men’s basketball right now2:33: Gene Smith remains committed to Chris Holtmann despite the recent struggles9:07: Why Ohio State wants to name a starting quarterback after spring practice – and whether the competition is truly a “blank slate”18:55: It sounds like Ryan Day is almost – but not fully – ready to hand the play-calling reins to Brian Hartline22:39: Day was more candid than usual when asked about the non-targeting call in the Peach Bowl, and we like that26:24: Tegra Tshabola and Carson Hinzman might be players to watch in Ohio State’s offensive tackle and center competitions30:55: Jakob James, Mitchell Melton, Kourt Williams among players who could be hurt by missing spring – but it could be a good thing for backup wide receivers and linebackers to get more reps35:19: James Laurinaitis appears poised to be far more than the typical graduate assistant39:38: Larry Johnson scoffs at the notion of retirement – and of moving Caden Curry to Jack42:48: Ohio State should consider giving C.J. Hicks or possibly even Sonny Styles a look at Jack45:27: Why it’s valid for Jim Knowles to say he can be more demanding in year two than he was in year one49:36: Keenan Bailey says there are tight ends on the roster who can play fullback, but Ohio State’s two-tight end sets could look different this year52:22: Mark Pantoni says Ohio State won’t chase recruits who are primarily focused on NIL, but that doesn’t mean Ohio State is sitting on its hands1:00:00: Ohio State is four above the scholarship limit right now, but that should work itself out after spring practices

Ohio State football got two pieces of exciting news over the past week, but Ohio State’s basketball struggles went from bad to worse.We talk extensively about both sports on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, starting with Ohio State football. While it’s a quiet National Signing Day for the Buckeyes in that they are not making any additions to their high school recruiting class of 2023, they made news on Friday when they announced the return of former Buckeye linebacker James Laurinaitis to the program as a defensive graduate assistant.We discuss the impact Laurinaitis could make for the Buckeyes both on the field and on the recruiting trail, then pivot the conversation to discussing the state of Ohio State basketball after a 2-7 month of January. Is this season still salvageable, and will Chris Holtmann be coaching for his job in February and March? We discuss what’s gone wrong for those Buckeyes, what needs to happen if they’re going to earn their way back into the NCAA Tournament and why we’d still be surprised if Ohio State made a coaching change this year.After learning in the midst of recording this week’s episode that Davison Igbinosun had committed to Ohio State, we boomerang back to football to talk about the value of adding the former Ole Miss cornerback. Finally, we spend a few minutes discussing our ranking of Ohio State’s top 10 quarterbacks of the 21st century.The full rundown for today’s show:0:14: Today is National Signing Day, but it doesn’t feel like it for Ohio State1:04: Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class is a good class, but a little short on top-end star power7:26: Hiring James Laurinaitis is a no-brainer that could pay dividends on the field and in recruiting11:53: It’s way too early to call James Laurinaitis the next Brian Hartline, but you can see the upside14:55: We wouldn’t have guessed a month ago that we’d be talking about Ohio State missing the NCAA Tournament, but that’s where we are16:50: Ohio State went from losing close games to losing games soundly, which makes this more than just a slump20:06: The Buckeyes’ laundry list of issues in January included rebounding, ball movement, shooting and defense23:15: Bruce Thornton, Zed Key and Justice Sueing among Buckeyes whose performance has declined32:02: Does Ohio State have a talent problem or a coaching problem? Can’t pin it on just one34:43: Is Chris Holtmann coaching for his job right now? We still think he’s likely to be back next season45:24: Ohio State has two winnable games this week against Wisconsin and Michigan, but 1-1 seems more likely than 2-048:04: OSU women’s basketball had a bad week too, but should soon get the boost it needs from Jacy Sheldon’s return49:54: Landing Davison Igbinosun and Ja’Had Carter is a big boost for Ohio State’s secondary54:31: Ohio State shows it can adapt by being more aggressive in the transfer portal56:46: How our individual ballots compared to our full-staff ranking of OSU’s top 21st-century quarterbacks

It was a quiet first year for Ohio State’s freshman class of 2022, but many of those Buckeyes are candidates for breakout seasons in 2023.That’s what we spend most of our time discussing on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.First, we talk about the impact of a couple of Ohio State football news items that dropped over the past week: The addition of transfer offensive lineman Victor Cutler and the return of sixth-year safety Josh Proctor. Then, we talk about all 21 members of Ohio State’s 2022 class and discuss their outlooks going into their second year as Buckeyes.The full rundown of this week’s show:1:13: Victor Cutler isn’t the transfer addition we expected, but it’s an addition that makes sense once you dig into it6:41: Cutler’s addition could keep Matt Jones at guard, but expect Ohio State to experiment with different combinations during the spring9:37: Ohio State has already added more transfers than ever before, and that total could increase in May13:07: With Josh Proctor returning, Ohio State has a lot of options to fill its starting safety spots this year17:24: Proctor wouldn’t return if he didn’t think he’d be a starter, but he’s going to have to earn that job20:51: All three returning sixth-year seniors could provide significant value for the 2023 Buckeyes22:32: C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles have the skill sets to bolster the defense as linebacker/safety hybrids 28:31: Devin Brown has a chance to be Ohio State’s most important second-year Buckeye in 202330:14: Caden Curry looks poised to be the No. 3 defensive end; Kenyatta Jackson and Omari Abor should have opportunities, too32:05: Second-year wide receivers will need big springs to earn playing time on loaded depth chart35:33: Dallan Hayden played the biggest role of any freshman in 2022, yet his role could decrease in 202338:26: Buckeyes need Tegra Tshabola, George Fitzpatrick, Carson Hinzman to provide offensive line depth41:11: Bennett Christian has a lot of competition at tight end, but his blocking ability gives him a chance to climb depth chart44:37: Gabe Powers, Ryan Turner among freshmen who will have to battle to climb depth chart on defense47:04: Jyaire Brown may be the frontrunner to start opposite Denzel Burke at cornerback49:23: Hero Kanu well-positioned to earn spot on defensive tackle two-deep51:47: Lack of playing time for freshmen in 2022 could hurt the Buckeyes in 2023

We now know which Ohio State players will be entering the 2023 NFL draft and which draft-eligible Buckeyes will be wearing scarlet and gray for another year.C.J. Stroud left us in suspense until Monday morning as to which camp he would be a part of, but he ultimately made the decision we expected all along when he opted to go pro. He now headlines a 2023 NFL draft class for Ohio State that includes three sure-fire first-round picks (Stroud, Paris Johnson Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba), three more projected early-round choices (Zach Harrison, Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler) and several others who also have a good chance of hearing their names called.That said, there were also numerous key Buckeyes who announced over the past week that they will remain at Ohio State for another year including offensive lineman Matt Jones, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and safety Lathan Ransom, joining a group of returning draft-eligible Buckeyes that also includes Miyan Williams, Cade Stover and Steele Chambers, among others.We start this week’s episode by talking about why Stroud made the only business decision that really made sense by entering the draft and our initial expectations for the Kyle McCord vs. Devin Brown battle that will now ensue to replace him as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. After that, we take a look at Ohio State’s 2023 NFL draft class as a whole and discuss the impact of Jones, Eichenberg and Ransom’s returns. Later in the show, we discuss our expectations for Brian Hartline in his new role as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, how we’ll remember Kevin Warren’s three years as Big Ten commissioner and the outlook for Ohio State men’s basketball after a four-game losing skid.The full rundown for this week’s episode:0:36: C.J. Stroud made the right decision by entering the 2023 NFL draft4:10: There’s no shortage of potential landing spots for Stroud high on the draft board9:56: 75% of 11W readers expect Kyle McCord to win the starting job, but we expect a close battle14:12: What Griffin learned from talking to McCord and Devin Brown before the Peach Bowl15:20: How much of a factor will running ability be in the quarterback competition?18:36: Tristan Gebbia’s addition is a depth move that provides insurance for a possible future transfer20:42: A look at the draft stock for each of Ohio State’s 14 declared NFL draft prospects30:42: Kamryn Babb is stepping away from football, but he’ll always have a moment to remember33:14: No official word from Tyler Friday, Josh Proctor and Palaie Gaoteote, but it looks unlikely they’ll return35:45: How many Buckeyes will be drafted this year? Setting the over/under at nine36:45: Luke Wypler’s decision to leave makes Matt Jones the most important returning draft-eligible Buckeye41:00: It’s good news Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers are returning, even though Ohio State needs to find a role for C.J. Hicks if he’s ready43:43: It’s also good that Lathan Ransom is returning even though Sonny Styles and Kye Stokes are promising46:05: Retention and recruiting two likely factors in Brian Hartline getting the OC nod over Justin Frye49:44: No other staff changes appear imminent, though Larry Johnson and Parker Fleming are on expiring contracts51:10: Should Ryan Day delegate playcalling duties to Hartline? There’s arguments for both sides52:20: Kevin Warren will be most remembered for the COVID year, but his impact on Big Ten will live on through USC and UCLA55:36: Ohio State men’s basketball has gone from a major Big Ten contender to an NCAA Tournament bubble team in just two weeks59:28: It’s not time to write this team off yet, but the Buckeyes need to start winning some close games1:02:09: Ohio State isn’t getting enough production from its transfers and its bench1:04:26: Women’s basketball now ranked second in the country, but two huge tests loom next week

The 2023 college football offseason is officially underway, and the outlook for Ohio State’s roster next season is starting to become more clear.The 2022 college football season officially ended Monday night with Georgia’s 65-7 shellacking of TCU in the national championship game, and we start this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays by sharing our reactions to Monday night’s blowout. We can’t help but think Ohio State would be celebrating a national title right now if a couple more plays had gone its way in the Peach Bowl, and the Bulldogs’ performance against the Horned Frogs certainly makes the Buckeyes’ performance against Georgia look more impressive – though we (or at least Dan) don’t disagree with Ohio State being fourth in the final rankings.With the 2022 season now over, though, it’s time to start looking ahead to 2023, and that’s what we spend most of this week’s show doing. First, we discuss the Buckeyes’ transfer addition of former Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter and explain why Ohio State’s track record of limiting transfer attrition remains impressive. We also discuss the impact of Cade Stover, Miyan Williams and Xavier Johnson all opting to return to Ohio State for another season and the NFL draft decisions the Buckeyes are still waiting on. (Note: This episode of Real Pod Wednesdays was recorded before Luke Wypler and Matt Jones announced their NFL draft decisions.)Then, we do a rundown of how Ohio State’s 2023 roster currently stacks up at every position, taking a look at where the Buckeyes are loaded with depth and where they enter the offseason with significant question marks.Finally, we talk about the week that was for Ohio State basketball, why Ohio State’s lack of big men isn’t entirely a bad thing and how Brice Sensabaugh is looking more and more likely by the week to be a first-round NBA draft pick next year.The full rundown of topics discussed this week:0:30: Picking TCU to cover was not our best prediction1:42: It sure looks like Ohio State would have been the national champion if it beat Georgia4:20: Ohio State’s defensive performance doesn’t look quite as awful after Georgia carved up TCU8:17: Most 11W readers think Ohio State should be ranked second, but Dan agrees with the poll voters10:12: Ohio State is behind Michigan and Penn State in some early 2023 rankings13:26: Why Ja’Had Carter is a valuable addition for Ohio State’s secondary15:50: It’s a win for Ohio State if it loses only five transfers during the first transfer window, and none of the outgoing transfers are shocking20:25: Offensive tackle remains Ohio State’s biggest transfer need by far, but the Buckeyes might be out of options in this transfer window22:00: Cade Stover and Miyan Williams are back, and don’t sleep on the impact of Xavier Johnson’s return27:55: Kyle McCord vs. Devin Brown looks like a real competition, and Lincoln Kienholz has promise for the future32:06: Ohio State has a lot of depth to manage at running back and wide receiver, but that’s a good problem to have36:53: Stover’s return makes Ohio State’s tight end depth chart look a lot stronger38:10: Ohio State has lots of bodies but few proven commodities on the offensive line41:42: Defensive line features strong top-end talent but some depth questions44:54: Buckeyes could return both starting linebackers, but could get a coverage boost from C.J. Hicks (or Sonny Styles)47:26: Ohio State needs young cornerbacks to step up, but its talent at the position is promising50:10: Plenty of candidates to fill vacated starting spots at safety53:40: Zed Key’s absence exposes Ohio State’s lack of big man depth, but smaller roster could be more suited to win in March57:42: Brice Sensabaugh is looking more and more like a one-and-done candidate with his consistent scoring1:00:36: Ohio State women’s basketball is off to its best start ever and showing lots of resiliency

Ohio State’s 2022 season came to an end against Georgia, but the Buckeyes weren’t far off from advancing to the national championship game.That made Saturday’s loss in the Peach Bowl both devastating but also encouraging to a degree, as the fourth-seeded Buckeyes went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 seed and could be playing for a national championship on Monday if even one more play went their way. They proved they belonged in the CFP, leaving a far less negative vibe about the state of the program than after their previous loss against Michigan.Still, Ohio State isn’t a program that’s going to celebrate moral victories, leaving plenty to digest about why the Buckeyes came up short of their championship goals once again. A second straight poor defensive performance to conclude the season had a lot to do with that, so we spend a good amount of our time on this week’s Real Pod Wednesdays discussing what went wrong defensively and what Jim Knowles and the Buckeyes must do to fix that.With the 2022 season now complete, we discuss how the season should be graded as a whole and make our picks for Ohio State’s best player, biggest surprises and most memorable moments this year. Additionally, we talk about the possibility of Ryan Day giving up offensive play calling, Jim Harbaugh exploring NFL opportunities again, how we expect Monday night’s national championship game to play out and what we expect to see from Ohio State men’s basketball against No. 1-ranked Purdue on Thursday.The full rundown of topics covered on this week’s show:0:54: The game’s outcome wasn’t shocking, but that doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking5:53: Better vibes around Ryan Day, Ohio State even after the loss7:28: Ohio State’s defense got exposed in the final two to three games of the year10:40: Jim Knowles isn’t going anywhere, but he has work to do to earn his $1.9 million salary15:34: There were a lot of close calls and bad breaks that swung the game in Georgia’s favor16:50: Ohio State’s defensive personnel could use upgrades, but Knowles has done more with far less talent20:00: Ohio State’s safeties weren‘t good enough down the stretch for the Buckeyes’ “safety-driven defense”21:55: This year’s secondary was a disappointment, but no secondary looked great in the CFP semifinals27:50: Ohio State’s offense, especially C.J. Stroud, played at a championship level against Georgia32:48: C.J. Stroud isn’t one of Ohio State’s top two all-time quarterbacks, but he’s in the conversation after that35:35: It’s logical for Ryan Day to give up play calling, but he has to pick the right offensive coordinator42:43: Noah Ruggles shouldn’t be blamed for Ohio State’s loss46:04: Jayden Fielding has a bigger leg than Ruggles, but asking him to kick a game-winning field goal would have been a tough call48:24: 54% of Eleven Warriors readers gave Ohio State’s season a B grade, and that makes sense51:34: We both agree Marvin Harrison Jr. was Ohio State’s best player this season53:12: Revolving door at running back, Tommy Eichenberg’s rise among biggest surprises of 202254:49: Kamryn Babb’s catch, J.T. Tuimoloau at Penn State among year’s most memorable moments57:44: What we make of the latest Jim Harbaugh-to-NFL rumors1:00:34: Why we think Georgia will win but TCU will cover in the national championship game1:03:36: This year’s semifinals were the best pair of games in the CFP era1:04:10: How Purdue will test Ohio State and how the Buckeyes could beat the Boilermakers1:09:02: Ohio State women’s basketball has now tied its best start in program history

Five weeks after its loss to Michigan, Ohio State will finally return to the field to play for a national championship game berth when it faces Georgia in the Peach Bowl on Saturday.Having already been in Atlanta for a couple of days for the start of bowl week, Dan and Griffin share their final thoughts entering the game, break down what Ohio State must do well and who must step up on both sides of the ball and make their predictions for whether the Buckeyes actually will beat the Bulldogs on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.A rundown of topics we discuss on our Peach Bowl preview edition of RPW:0:42: Georgia beat writers don’t think a Bulldog win is a sure bet2:46: Beating Georgia will be tough, but we think the Buckeyes will at least be competitive3:51: It feels like the Buckeyes are playing with house money (kinda), which could be a good thing for Ohio State5:37: Vibes from the first two days of interviews (Note: This podcast was recorded before Wednesday’s interview sessions)8:51: Miyan Williams is expected to play, but Chip Trayanum’s appearance at Tuesday interviews hints at him playing an increased role12:54: Ohio State is embracing the underdog role, and it’s one that’s often suited the Buckeyes well16:06: Georgia’s defense is excellent, and because of far more than just Jalen Carter19:04: Nothing’s going to come easy for Ohio State’s offense, but it shouldn’t have to20:43: This is another legacy-defining game for C.J. Stroud24:04: Ryan Day can shut down the criticism of the last five weeks – or it will just grow louder25:49: What constitutes a good day for Ohio State’s offense? How many points the Buckeyes need to score28:17: Luke Wypler, Cade Stover, Julian Fleming among Buckeyes who need to step up on offense30:46: Ohio State’s offense needs to do what it does best and attack downfield32:51: Georgia’s offense is similar to Michigan, so the Buckeyes need to have a better defensive game plan38:20: Georgia’s offense might give Ohio State more trouble than its defense39:41: Jim Knowles must find correct balance between scheming for Georgia and playing to Ohio State’s strengths41:57: What the Buckeyes must hold Georgia to on the scoreboard to have a good chance to win44:10: Ohio State’s defensive line must make its mark on the game like it did in OSU’s last CFP win45:43: Linebackers and safeties will be crucial in pass coverage48:08: Score predictions for Saturday’s game (and why Dan picking Georgia might be good news)53:02: Why we think a rematch of The Game is imminent if Ohio State wins

It’s National Signing Day, which means we’re focused on recruiting and how Ohio State is building for the future on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.Eleven Warriors recruiting analyst Garrick Hodge for the entirety of this week’s episode as we start out by looking at Ohio State’s new class of signees for the 2023 recruiting class, then take a look ahead to the 2024 class and discuss the impact of Dylan Raiola’s decommitment on the Buckeyes’ future at quarterback. We also talk about the roster additions Ohio State is still trying to make through the transfer portal. (Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded on Tuesday afternoon, so some players referenced may not yet be officially signed.)Later in the show, we talk about what we learned from talking to 20 different Ohio State players at last week’s on-campus media day as we continue to look ahead to Ohio State’s College Football Playoff matchup with Georgia at the Peach Bowl, which is now only 10 days away. Finally, we spend a few minutes discussing Ohio State men’s basketball’s overtime loss to North Carolina and take stock of how the Buckeyes fared in non-conference play.The full rundown of everything we discussed on this week’s show:0:54: Well wishes for Avery Henry2:06: Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class is good but not great by Ohio State standards7:18: Predicting which new signees will make the biggest immediate impact12:00: It’s the first time in seven years Ohio State has only signed one five-star recruit13:10: Ohio State achieved one key objective by locking down the state’s top talent14:44: Predicting which lower-ranked prospects will end up becoming Ohio State stars18:07: What Lincoln Kienholz will bring to Ohio State’s quarterback room21:10: The impact of losing Dylan Raiola and how Ohio State moves forward without him in 202427:02: Jeremiah Smith continues Ohio State’s run of five-star wide receiver commitments, and he might be the best one yet30:25: Even without Raiola, Ohio State’s 2024 class is off to a promising start with one year to go33:43: Offensive tackle is clearly Ohio State’s top priority in the transfer portal37:33: Buckeyes are also looking at tight ends and cornerbacks, but they can be more selective there40:20: There will likely be more transfer movement after the season ends, but the coaches probably have a good idea of who else will leave42:03: The biggest things we learned from Ohio State players at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center last week48:30: Not everyone loved C.J. Stroud’s comments last week, but we appreciate his candor53:40: Steele Chambers made us laugh, and we agree Marvin Harrison Jr. should’ve won the Biletnikoff58:00: Chris Holtmann’s teams have had a reputation for struggling to finish games, and it happened again vs. UNC1:00:58: Brice Sensabaugh might already be Ohio State’s best player1:03:16: Ohio State’s non-conference play has been decent, but it won’t give the Buckeyes much of a résumé boost in March

At the exact halfway point between Ohio State’s regular-season finale against Michigan and the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff game against Georgia, we thought today would be the perfect time to have Kyle Jones on Real Pod Wednesdays to break down what happened against the Wolverines and what could happen against the Bulldogs.Eleven Warriors’ scheme expert joins us right from the jump of this week’s episode to dive into more than 30 minutes of X’s and O’s chatter, and we don’t beat around the bush, starting right off the bat with a conversation about what didn’t work in the loss to Michigan and why Ohio State used the game plan it did against the Wolverines.We also discuss whether Ryan Day should (and why he probably won’t) give up offensive play calling and evaluate the overall progress of Ohio State’s defense in Jim Knowles’ first year before looking ahead to the impending matchup with Georgia and assessing the Buckeyes’ chances of beating the Bulldogs.In the second half of the show, Dan and Griffin discuss all of the other headlines surrounding Ohio State football this week including the hiring of Keenan Bailey as tight ends coach, why Gene Smith felt compelled to make a statement calling for “additional support” of NIL collectives and what questions remain for Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class with one week to go until the early signing period.The rundown of topics discussed on this week’s show:0:55: Most of Ohio State’s game plan against Michigan was actually sound despite the results6:58: Ohio State’s offense played not to lose, which it can’t do in big games10:00: It doesn’t look like Ryan Day will give up play calling, but there’s a case that he should15:27: Jim Knowles’ defensive turnaround was always going to be a multi-year process17:45: Ohio State ran a different defensive scheme against Michigan rather than being who it’s been all year19:12: Georgia is a great team, but its film isn’t as impressive as many of Ohio State’s previous CFP opponents22:24: Ohio State’s receivers should have opportunities to make plays against Georgia, but they have to take advantage25:25: Georgia’s offense isn’t necessarily spectacular in any area, but it’s extremely well-coached28:33: Ohio State must make Georgia throw deep and must know where Jalen Carter is at all times31:59: The Buckeyes are capable of beating Georgia, but they can’t play the way they did down the stretch33:50: Keenan Bailey’s promotion is well-deserved35:47: Ohio State won’t name a new offensive coordinator until after the season, but an internal promotion appears likely38:15: Most of Tuesday’s Ryan Day press conference wasn’t about Georgia, which speaks to how crazy December is42:58: Ryan Day says NIL has become “the conversation” among recruits, and it’s telling that Gene Smith felt the need to make a statement47:20: Fans deserve more answers about where the NIL collective money is going, and they don’t deserve guilt trips if they don’t donate53:47: Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class could use another jolt of star power57:25: Marvin Harrison Jr. should have won the Biletnikoff Award, but being a unanimous All-American ain’t bad58:56: C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields and Dwayne Haskins are three of Ohio State’s best quarterbacks ever, but none will have a tree in Buckeye Grove1:00:03: Ohio State’s win over Rutgers was still a good win even if Tanner Holden’s three shouldn’t have counted1:02:22: The Buckeyes might actually be favored to beat North Carolina on Saturday

Ohio State will make its first-ever trip to the Peach Bowl when it faces Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal.For a look at what awaits the Buckeyes and everyone else who makes the trip to Atlanta, Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan joins the show to talk about what it means for the Peach Bowl to finally host Ohio State, what makes the Peach Bowl unique and where fans need to visit while they’re in town for the game. That interview starts at the 30-minute mark of the show.Before that, though, we start by digging into the on-field matchup that awaits the Buckeyes with a first look at the tough test they’ll face from the No. 1 seed Bulldogs and what Ohio State will need to do to have a chance to upset Georgia and advance to the national championship game.This week’s Real Pod Wednesdays also includes discussions on Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s decision not to play in the College Football Playoff and how that impacts Ohio State’s chances of beating Georgia, Kevin Wilson’s departure and how the Buckeyes could replace him and a few players who entered the transfer portal over the last two days that could be Ohio State targets.A full rundown of the topics we talk about this week:1:10: The College Football Playoff selection committee got the seeding right5:14: Georgia is the toughest possible matchup, but Ohio State may be able to play looser than a Michigan rematch14:50: It’s disappointing that we’ll never get to see a fully healthy Jaxon Smith-Njigba this season, but the Buckeyes need to find a way to make up for it if they’re going to beat Georgia20:33: Ryan Day’s goal of scoring 49+ points against Georgia is very lofty, but it’s good he has that mindset24:13: Georgia’s defense gets the attention, but its offense is really good, too26:57: Georgia should be the favorite, but Ohio State is capable of winning if everything comes together30:00: Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan discusses excitement to host Ohio State for first time35:04: The Peach Bowl could break an attendance record, and Stokan expects a big Ohio State fan turnout42:04: How Ohio State could replace Kevin Wilson as offensive coordinator47:56: Keenan Bailey is a strong candidate to take Wilson’s place on staff as tight ends coach50:55: Fentrell Cypress, Dasan McCullough among transfer portal names to watch for Ohio State53:38: Jaylen Johnson and Teradja Mitchell are only Ohio State’s outgoing transfers so far, but there will surely be more to come after the CFP58:16: C.J. Stroud probably isn’t going to win the Heisman Trophy, but Marvin Harrison Jr. deserves the Biletnikoff Award1:04:10: Both Ohio State basketball teams are showing promise and Ohio State women’s volleyball plays in the Sweet 16 this week

For the second year in a row, Ohio State and its fans are left trying to figure out what went wrong against Michigan.While Michigan didn’t dominate in one phase of the game quite the way it did in the run game in 2021, the Wolverines ended up beating the Buckeyes by an even bigger margin this year as they scored five touchdowns of 45-plus yards while Ohio State mustered only three points of its own in the second half.Why did Saturday’s game snowball away from the Buckeyes and how do they move forward from another devastating loss to their rivals? And how good of a chance does Ohio State have to still make the College Football Playoff?We assess all of that on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, plus spend a few minutes reviewing Ohio State basketball’s performance at the Maui Invitational and previewing Wednesday night’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge clash with Duke.A rundown of topics discussed on this week’s show:1:25: There were excuses for last year’s loss, but there’s no good excuses this year3:30: Ryan Day talks about responding when it gets punched in the mouth, but that didn’t happen5:15: We had concerns about Ohio State’s pass defense all year long, and it cost them against Michigan6:10: Jim Knowles has been lauded for his aggressiveness, but he overdid it in this game9:32: J.J. McCarthy continues the trend of mobile quarterbacks giving Ohio State problems12:39: Griffin had no confidence Ohio State’s offense would score in the second half, which should never be the case with an offense this talented14:43: We shouldn’t have scoffed at Ryan Day giving up play-calling duties, and it’s probably time now17:23: Ohio State missed Jaxon Smith-Njigba throughout the second half of the season, especially in The Game18:40: Michigan consistently dropped seven or more defenders in coverage, and Ohio State struggled to adjust19:45: C.J. Stroud may not have been fully healthy, but his lack of running hurt Ohio State’s offense22:04: Ohio State’s rushing offense wasn’t the problem, but the Buckeyes never fully committed to it25:21: C.J. Stroud is one of Ohio State’s greatest passers ever, but his résumé lacks signature wins29:53: Jim Harbaugh quickly went from a laughingstock to having Ohio State’s number31:05: This is the first time (yes, we’re young) we’ve really felt like Michigan controls the rivalry32:20: Beating Michigan next year won’t be any easier with Ohio State set to lose key players34:55: It’s harder to pinpoint what Ohio State needs to change this year than it was last year36:00: Ohio State is supposed to bring its A-game against Michigan, but it hasn’t for two years37:53: Ohio State is recruiting more highly touted players than Michigan, but it’s not yielding results in The Game41:13: Ryan Day isn’t getting fired this year and probably not next year either, but the pressure is turning up45:55: Ohio State will probably make the College Football Playoff if USC loses (and maybe if TCU loses)51:08: It was a good week for the basketball Buckeyes in Maui, especially for Justice Sueing52:07: Brice Sensabaugh might already be on the Malaki Branham one-and-done track56:37: Fellow true freshman Bruce Thornton is also hitting his stride at point guard57:37: Will Ohio State beat Duke? One of us says yes, one of us says no58:55: Ohio State women’s basketball is dominating but faces its own big test Wednesday against Louisville

It’s finally time for The Game we’ve all been waiting for.Following a full year of buildup for Ohio State’s shot at revenge after last year’s loss in Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes will look to prove they’re a different team than they were a year ago when they host Michigan at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. And the stakes couldn’t be higher, as the second-ranked Buckeyes and third-ranked Wolverines both enter the game with 11-0 records with a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and a likely College Football Playoff berth on the line.As we always do, we start this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays by looking back at Ohio State’s game from the previous weekend – a game that was more competitive than anticipated at Maryland. All of our analysis regarding the 43-30 win in College Park and the weekend that was in college football, though, ties back into the season-defining game to come Saturday.In the second half of the podcast, we turn our full attention toward this week’s game and discuss why this is the most important game of Ryan Day’s career and why we believe Ohio State should have a slight advantage in this year’s game – even though we both expect a one-score game that comes down to which team can make the clutch plays in the fourth quarter.The full rundown of topics we’re discussing this week:0:14: It’s the week we’ve all been waiting for, and it doesn’t get any bigger than this1:49: Ohio State gets a bigger scare from Maryland than we expected, but that shouldn’t come as a shock3:57: Who we expect to play the most at running back against Michigan after Dallan Hayden’s 146-yard, three-touchdown game against Maryland11:53: Dawand Jones showed why he’s Ohio State’s starting right tackle, but OSU could have a tough decision to make at right guard14:27: Lathan Ransom and Tommy Eichenberg continue to play like All-Americans despite injuries16:46: Zach Harrison continues to play the best football of his career18:48: The passing defense remains Ohio State’s biggest concern entering the biggest games of the year22:45: Ohio State’s defense continues to make plays in clutch moments, which is a reason for optimism this week23:52: How Ohio State plays the week before The Game isn‘t predictive of how Ohio State will play in The Game – and none of the top teams looked great last weekend29:00: We don’t know who will win this game – and that’s the way it should be in this rivalry30:12: Three reasons why Dan is 60% confident Ohio State will beat Michigan32:14: Both teams have injuries at running back, but that hurts Michigan more than Ohio State33:19: Why this is the most important game of Ryan Day’s tenure as Ohio State’s head coach36:40: Michigan’s offensive line will give Ohio State’s run defense its biggest challenge of the year37:42: Michigan’s defense is elite, but it has faced very little top competition39:50: Neither team has a clear-cut advantage on either side of the ball41:20: A legacy-defining game for C.J. Stroud, who has his chance for a Heisman Moment44:47: Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s status for this week remains a mystery, though signs haven’t been promising48:20: The Buckeyes we think will step up in a big way in The Game51:19: If Ohio State wins, will Ryan Day issue a response to Jim Harbaugh’s “third base” trash talk?53:28: We’ll see a bunch of notable Buckeyes play their final home game Saturday56:59: Our score predictions for The Game – and why the only score that matters is who wins

We had to start by talking about Kamryn Babb’s emotional touchdown, a moment that epitomized the brotherhood Ohio State often talks about. But Babb was far from the only Buckeye who impressed us against the Hoosiers, as we were also struck by Xavier Johnson’s playmaking ability, Marvin Harrison Jr.’s latest spectacular catch and Lathan Ransom’s continued elite play among other standouts.We also address the one big concern coming out of this past weekend’s game – the health of Ohio State’s running back room – and discuss whether Maryland will present any real threat to the Buckeyes this weekend, who we think we will emerge as the winner of the Big Ten West and why Ohio State women’s basketball and women’s volleyball are two other Buckeye sports teams you should be paying attention to right now.A rundown of the many topics we’re talking about this week:1:20: Why Kamryn Babb’s touchdown was so special7:44: Running back health is a major concern, though there are reasons to be optimistic11:24: Xavier Johnson is more than just a feel-good story, he’s a real weapon14:53: Which Eleven Warriors staff member would be the best emergency running back? (Neither of us)17:55: Should Ohio State add another running back to its 2023 recruiting class?19:39: Short-yardage running remains an issue. Will the Buckeyes have to pass in those spots vs. Michigan?23:20: Marvin Harrison Jr. builds his case for being the nation’s best receiver – and Ohio State’s best player27:20: Josh Fryar had a strong first start, but that doesn’t mean he should replace Dawand Jones29:40: Lathan Ransom and Ronnie Hickman are both playing at an elite level at safety32:36: It sounds like Ty Hamilton will continue to be a starter, partially because Mike Hall is banged up34:32: Ohio State’s cornerback unit appears to be in the best place it’s been all season36:36: Tommy Eichenberg is on his way to being an All-American linebacker37:16: Jack Sawyer plays well, but the Jack linebacker package will likely remain situational41:11: Maryland’s recent struggles make this week’s game look far less likely to be a trap game, but it’s still a step up in competition49:55: Purdue looks well-positioned to win the Big Ten West52:42: Why TCU, Tennessee and USC join Georgia and Ohio State in our College Football Playoff predictions57:45: Zed Key’s dominance stood out in Ohio State men’s basketball’s win over Charleston Southern59:57: Ohio State women’s basketball and women’s volleyball look like Final Four contenders

That’s the big question we seek to answer on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays. We were in Evanston on Saturday and experienced firsthand just how windy it was, so we know it’s no excuse to say the weather had a major impact on the game. Still, there are some valid concerns to be raised by the Buckeyes’ struggles to pull away from Northwestern – most notably, the run game struggling for the third week in a row and the potential for Ohio State to have to play in more bad weather as November continues.There were also positives to take away from Saturday’s game, though – namely, C.J. Stroud showing he can be a weapon with his legs if and when Ohio State needs him to be – and we think it’s important to keep a lackluster performance in perspective, as the Buckeyes are still the only team in the country that’s won every game it’s played this season by double digits.The full rundown of what we’re talking about on this week’s show, in which we also preview the upcoming game against Indiana, discuss the outlook of the College Football Playoff race after losses by Tennessee, Clemson and Alabama and share our takeaways from Ohio State men’s basketball’s season-opening win over Robert Morris:0:21: Admittedly, we underestimated just how bad the weather would be, but it had a big impact on the game4:26: What we make of another underwhelming day for Ohio State’s rushing offense11:07: Ryan Day admits he doesn’t usually want C.J. Stroud to run – but he might want Michigan to hear that19:25: Slow starts another troubling trend Ohio State’s offense must overcome21:11: Ohio State holds Northwestern to seven points, though its defense showed some vulnerabilities25:24: J.T. Tuimoloau, Taron Vincent, Ronnie Hickman, Jesse Mirco among top performers vs. Northwestern29:27: Giving credit where due – Northwestern put up a much better fight than we expected32:04: Ohio State is still undefeated, OSU still has the nation’s No. 1 offense and C.J. Stroud is still the Heisman frontrunner34:55: A tight game is a wake-up call for Ohio State not to look past its next two games before Michigan36:05: Why we think Ohio State will blow out Indiana this week42:20: How this past weekend changed the College Football Playoff race46:58: Where the Ohio State/Michigan loser might fit into a hierarchy of one-loss teams51:06: Updated CFP picks53:59: Justice Sueing and Zed Key start the season strong as Ohio State men’s basketball’s best players57:48: Isaac Likekele could be a Kyle Young-esque “glue guy” for this year’s Buckeyes1:02:00: Ups and downs for Ohio State’s freshmen in game one

Penn State gave Ohio State a little bit more trouble than we expected, which raised some concerns about the Buckeyes’ national championship hopes even though there was still plenty to like.Most importantly, Ohio State found a way to beat Penn State for the sixth year in a row, earning a 44-31 win in a series that has been decided by 13 points or fewer in seven straight seasons. J.T. Tuimoloau and Marvin Harrison Jr. were both spectacular, and the Buckeyes improved to 8-0 with the win, setting them up to earn the No. 2 spot in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.The Buckeyes faced more adversity against Penn State than they had all year, though, as they needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Nittany Lions. Against the best competition Ohio State had faced all season, the Buckeyes’ imperfections were on display as both their rushing offense and passing defense struggled.We discuss all of that on this week’s show along with previewing this week’s game against Northwestern and sharing our takeaways from Ohio State men’s basketball’s exhibition game against Chaminade.The rundown of topics discussed this week:0:17: The win didn’t come easy for Ohio State, but the Buckeyes showed how quickly they can turn a game around7:38: Marvin Harrison Jr. makes his case for being the best wide receiver in the country11:50: The rise of Farmer Gronk continues14:17: Ohio State’s run game struggles for a second straight game, making it a concern that can’t be ignored18:09: Why the Buckeyes’ passing defense remains their biggest question mark24:55: Ryan Day draws scrutiny for play calling, leaving points on the table at end of the first half30:51: Injuries to key players made a bigger impact against tougher competition34:09: J.T. Tuimoloau had one of the best individual defensive performances we’ve ever seen37:26: The last two weeks showed Ohio State has more than just one “alpha dog” on the defensive line40:07: Ohio State should blow out Northwestern because Northwestern is really bad44:36: The Buckeyes’ No. 2 ranking shows how much they’ve impressed the CFP selection committee so far48:02: Why we both think Tennessee can beat Georgia this weekend50:26: Could we see an upset in Alabama at LSU or Clemson at Notre Dame?54:28: Biggest takeaways from the Ohio State men’s basketball exhibition game

Ohio State wasn’t perfect against Iowa, but its defense sure came close.Even though the Buckeyes didn’t have their best offensive day against Iowa, they still scored more points than a Kirk Ferentz-led Hawkeye team has ever allowed. Given that, the good certainly far outweighed the bad in Ohio State’s 54-10 win over Iowa, especially on defense – where Dan’s prediction that the defense would outscore Iowa’s offense came true – though there are reasonable questions to be asked about Ohio State’s rushing offense after the Buckeyes struggled in that regard on Saturday.We spend the first half of this week’s show sharing our thoughts on the Buckeyes’ performance against the Hawkeyes before looking ahead to the biggest game of the season to date this week at Penn State. How much of a threat do the Nittany Lions really pose? We discuss the ways in which Penn State will challenge Ohio State and where the Buckeyes should have the advantage.Finally, with less than two weeks to go until the start of basketball season, we draft dueling lineups from the Ohio State men’s basketball team for a hypothetical head-to-head game of Buckeyes vs. Buckeyes.The full rundown of what we’re talking about this week:0:00: A new introduction courtesy of Jim Knowles0:57: We expected the defense to dominate Iowa, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t impressive4:47: Is Zach Harrison another alpha dog on the defensive line? He sure played like one Saturday8:24: Ohio State’s new defensive coaches are getting the best out of players like Harrison, Tommy Eichenberg and Lathan Ransom11:49: Denzel Burke seems to have turned a corner in Ohio State’s last two games13:27: Ohio State had one of its worst running games in the last decade against Iowa17:21: Does C.J. Stroud need to run the ball more to keep defenses honest? Ryan Day might not want him to22:07: Jaxon Smith-Njigba wants to play as much as he can, but he needs to be healthy to actually help28:31: Caden Curry goes from playing high school defensive tackle to covering kickoffs in one year29:42: Penn State’s performance against Minnesota showed we can’t write off the Nittany Lions, particularly their passing offense34:15: Penn State’s secondary might be the best Ohio State has faced this year36:49: The Nittany Lions’ run defense looks vulnerable to a bounceback performance for Ohio State’s rushing offense38:29: Why we both think Ohio State will cover against Penn State (with nearly identical score predictions)41:31: Why we’re both currently picking Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson and another SEC team to make CFP47:10: Where Dan thinks Ohio State will be in the initial CFP rankings if it beats Penn State (which might make Buckeye fans mad)48:13: Drafting dueling lineups from the Ohio State men’s basketball team

It was a quiet weekend for Ohio State football, but it certainly wasn’t a quiet weekend across college football.No Buckeye game gave us the opportunity to watch many of college football’s other top teams play on an eventful Saturday in which Tennessee took down Alabama, Michigan blew out Penn State and Utah upset USC. We spend the first half of this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays talking about our observations from the weekend, including why Tennessee might present the most dangerous hypothetical College Football Playoff matchup for Ohio State and why we think it’s likely both the Buckeyes and Wolverines will bring 11-0 records into The Game.In the second half of the show, we talk about the Buckeyes’ upcoming game against Iowa and why we’re both putting our money on the under, then project what Ohio State’s men’s basketball starting lineup will look like this season after watching the Buckeyes practice and attending Big Ten Media Days last week.A rundown of the main topics we’re discussing this week:1:05: Why Tennessee might be the toughest matchup for Ohio State of any potential CFP opponent7:30: Alabama’s lack of discipline is surprising, and it might keep the Crimson Tide out of this year’s CFP10:48: Michigan is looking like Ohio State’s biggest test of the regular season by far17:30: Maryland might be Ohio State’s second-biggest test (because Penn State didn’t look good in Ann Arbor)22:04: Illinois looks like the team to beat in the Big Ten West24:52: Our current CFP picks and why another SEC vs. Big Ten debate could be on the horizon32:00: Iowa’s offense is terrible, but the defense will give Ohio State’s offense a legitimate test37:20: Score predictions: Only one of us thinks the Buckeyes will cover, but we‘re both taking the under40:16: What stood out to us at Ohio State basketball’s open practice and Big Ten Media Days last week50:14: Projecting who will start for Ohio State men’s basketball this season55:33: Ohio State women’s basketball should be a real contender this year

Ohio State looked like a national championship-caliber team during the first half of the regular season.The Buckeyes have been the most dominant team in college football so far this year, winning all six games before their bye week by an average of 33.2 points, the highest in the country. Ohio State currently ranks in the top 15 nationally in scoring offense (1st), total offense (2nd), passing offense (14th), rushing offense (14th), total defense (7th), scoring defense (15th), passing defense (8th) and rushing defense (15th).As a result, Ohio State has emerged as the betting favorite to win this year’s national championship, and based on what we’ve seen so far this season, we believe there’s a great chance the Buckeyes will be hoisting the national championship trophy at the end of the year.Only one of us went as far as to predict the Buckeyes will actually win it all, and our one reservation about Ohio State’s early success is the Buckeyes haven’t played anyone that’s currently a top-25 team. But we both agree that Ohio State should be the No. 1-ranked team in the country right now and that the Buckeyes appear capable of beating anyone they play in 2022.The rundown of what we talked about this week:1:10: Ohio State cruises to another blowout win in its first road game of the year at Michigan State3:07: C.J. Stroud becomes the clear-cut Heisman favorite after another fantastic performance6:48: Marvin Harrison Jr. is well on his way to becoming one of Ohio State’s all-time great wide receivers9:32: Emeka Egbuka is having a spectacular season, too, and Julian Fleming continues to impress12:30: TreVeyon Henderson looked motivated to remind everyone what he can do18:11: Ohio State got creative in the run game without Miyan Williams, and Xavier Johnson looked legit at RB21:11: The defensive line dominated in East Lansing, especially Mike Hall on his seven snaps26:10: Cornerback remains a position of concern halfway through the season30:25: Safeties have been the unsung heroes of Ohio State’s defense33:15: Why Dan now believes Ohio State will win the national championship38:12: Why Griffin isn’t quite ready to say the Buckeyes will win it all45:20: Midseason Superlatives: Most impressive players, biggest surprises and who needs to step up most52:39: It’s a great weekend to watch some teams other than Ohio State play college football

It no longer feels like a hot take to say Miyan Williams is Ohio State’s best running back.Williams hasn’t just been Ohio State’s best running back this season, he’s been one of the best running backs in college football this year. TreVeyon Henderson remains great, too, but after Williams’ 189-yard, five-touchdown performance against Rutgers, we’ve become increasingly convinced that the Cincinnatian is Ohio State’s RB1 right now.That’s just one of many topics we cover on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays as we also share our thoughts on Jesse Mirco’s run and the subsequent Ryan Day/Greg Schiano confrontation that got everyone talking, standout performances by Steele Chambers and Zach Harrison, Michigan State’s struggles going into this week’s game against Ohio State, the surprising firing of Paul Chryst and the mess that is the Big Ten West.The rundown of the topics discussed on this week’s show:0:16: Ohio State vs. Rutgers wasn’t the most thrilling game we’ve ever watched, but it was pretty much what we expected1:16: The case for Miyan Williams being Ohio State’s best running back and one of the best running backs in the entire country7:46: Why it’s dumb for anyone to be mad about Jesse Mirco running instead of punting – or running up the score in general16:15: Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg are thriving at linebacker20:11: Zach Harrison shows he can be a difference-maker as a situational defensive tackle24:04: Ohio State’s red zone play calling was a little weird, but you can’t complain about going 5-for-528:36: Should Ohio State be getting the backups more playing time in blowouts?30:52: A look at what’s gone wrong for Michigan State as the Spartans have lost three straight games35:37: Score predictions for Saturday’s game in East Lansing38:29: We were shocked Wisconsin fired Paul Chryst so soon, but we understand why it happened44:30: The Big Ten West is struggling, and the Big Ten is probably wishing it eliminated divisions before this season47:50: Ohio State is now the betting favorite to win the national championship, but still third in the polls53:14: A Clemson/USC swap in our College Football Playoff picks – and how Ohio State and Michigan could both make the CFP57:07: Dan explains what his day covering an Ohio State football game is like1:02:31: Why we expect Brice Sensabaugh to win the Ohio State basketball dunk contest this week

While both of us expected Wisconsin’s defense to make life a little more difficult for Ohio State’s offense than Toledo could, the Buckeyes kept things rolling against the Badgers, scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions to race out to a 28-0 lead before ultimately cruising to a 52-21 victory.There were no shortage of standout performers for the Buckeyes in Saturday night’s conference opener, from Miyan Williams, Cade Stover and the entire run-blocking unit on offense to Jyaire Brown, JK Johnson, Tanner McCalister and Tommy Eichenberg on defense. Of course, there are still a couple of lingering health-related questions for the Buckeyes after star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and starting cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Cameron Brown both missed the game with injuries.We talk about all of that in the first 40 minutes of this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, then look ahead to this week’s game against Rutgers, make our one-month-in picks for who will make the College Football Playoff and share our takeaways from Monday’s Ohio State basketball media day.The full rundown of what we’re talking about this week:0:50: Ohio State exceeds our expectations again with a dominant offensive performance5:25: Miyan Williams might be Ohio State’s best running back, and that’s no knock on TreVeyon Henderson10:42: Ohio State’s run blocking has been great, and that’s a credit to Justin Frye, his offensive line, the tight ends and the wide receivers14:50: Farmer Gronk is showing the value of actually throwing to the tight end22:15: Ohio State needs to be cautious with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but don’t assume this is a Nick Bosa situation30:37: Jyaire Brown and JK Johnson stepped up nicely at cornerback34:52: The pass defense still hasn’t really been tested, and it’s probably going to be a while before it actually is37:38: Tanner McCalister shows why Ohio State brought him in as a transfer39:31: Tommy Eichenberg continues to establish himself as Ohio State’s best defensive player41:55: Why we‘re expecting another blowout win vs. Rutgers48:45: Should Ohio State be ranked higher than third in the polls?51:07: Our picks to make the College Football Playoff one month into the season53:58: Minnesota looks like the Big Ten West frontrunner, and Michigan State might be this year’s Indiana58:43: What we learned from Ohio State men’s basketball media day1:09:20: Dan and Griffin compliment players chosen by a random number generator

Ohio State’s offense couldn’t have been much more impressive in its win over Toledo.The Buckeyes dominated by both air and ground against the Rockets, scoring 77 points on 763 yards – the second-highest total in school history. In the process, Ohio State went from being ranked 40th in the country to total offense to leading the entire country in yards per game, while Toledo plummed from fourth to 80th in total defense.We begin this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays by discussing all the ways Ohio State’s offense impressed us against Toledo. Later in the show, we talk about why we aren’t overly concerned with how the Buckeyes performed on defense – even though Jim Knowles wasn’t happy about it – before turning the page to Wisconsin, which we believe will present a similar matchup for the Buckeyes this week as Notre Dame did in the season opener (which could be a good thing).Finally, we talk about our takeaways from the weekend that was elsewhere in the Big Ten and break down what the commitment of Taison Chatman means for Ohio State men’s basketball recruiting class of 2023.The full rundown of what we’re talking about this week:0:45: How Ohio State’s offense made a statement against Toledo2:24: There were no shortage of standouts among Ohio State’s offensive players, and the coaches were in their bag4:09: Ohio State’s depth of receiving weapons was on full display, but don’t discount the impact Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s presence made9:15: Dallan Hayden and TC Caffey turn Ohio State’s running back depth from a concern into a strength16:56: The offensive line was great too, especially Dawand Jones18:25: Ohio State’s defense struggled to contain Dequan Finn, but it wasn’t awful21:12: Will Graham Mertz be the best quarterback Ohio State has played? We’d take Finn22:02: Lingering questions about Ohio State’s passing defense, particularly at cornerback26:48: Javontae Jean-Baptiste and other defensive standouts against Toledo32:30: Similarities between this week’s game against Wisconsin and the season opener vs. Notre Dame34:20: Stopping Braelon Allen will be a challenge, but the Buckeyes have been dominant against running backs so far37:52: Wisconsin’s defense is good, but will injuries in the secondary doom the Badgers?40:45: Ryan Day says injured players will return this week, but Ohio State fans are understandably skeptical44:30: Why one of us thinks Ohio State will cover against Wisconsin, and one of us doesn’t46:58: Keon Keeley headlines another big recruiting weekend for Ohio State football49:06: The Big Ten’s most impressive (Penn State, Minnesota) and disappointing (Michigan State, Northwestern) teams from Week 356:21: What Taison Chatman will bring to the Buckeyes and how he compares to decommit George Washington III59:00: Why Chatman, not Bronny James, will likely be the final high school recruit in Ohio State’s 2023 class1:00:54: Who we’re looking forward to talking to at next week’s Ohio State men’s basketball media day1:04:26: Come see us at the Eleven Dubgate on Saturday

On this week’s Real Pod Wednesdays, we give our overall assessment of Ohio State’s 45-12 over the Red Wolves, which Buckeyes stood out in their second game of the season and why a wild second weekend of college football should serve as a reminder to appreciate what was ultimately a convincing win. We also look ahead to Saturday’s game against Toledo, which we think might also be at least a slightly more competitive game than the point spread suggests.A rundown of some of the many topics we talk about this week:1:45: Grading the win over Arkansas State3:54: Ohio State’s passing offense returns to form, showing how special it could be when Jaxon Smith-Njigba is healthy7:25: Why it’s dumb to be miserable after a 33-point win (even though there are some things to clean up)11:14: The defense hasn’t been fully tested yet, but it’s been excellent so far, especially in the red zone14:03: Mike Hall is a star, but don’t discount the defensive ends’ role in helping him make plays17:17: Denzel Burke’s slow start, what might be leading to that and why we think he will bounce back21:27: Arkansas State might prove to be a better team than we thought23:04: JK Johnson had a solid showing, but he still might be behind Jordan Hancock when healthy25:15: Caden Curry, Dallan Hayden and Jyaire Brown among freshman standouts vs. Arkansas State28:30: Cody Simon, Josh Proctor, Lathan Ransom, Gee Scott Jr., Mitch Rossi among under-the-radar standouts vs. Arkansas State35:10: Why Toledo looks like a step up in competition from Arkansas State43:50: Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba could both be back this week, but it’s important for Fleming to be on the field46:23: Ohio State vs. Toledo score predictions48:40: Why TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams will likely continue to split carries evenly49:57: How Ohio State’s season-opening win loses some luster with Notre Dame’s loss to Marshall53:45: Nebraska had no choice but to fire Scott Frost55:46: It was a bad weekend all the way around for the Big Ten West57:41: Michigan and Michigan State look like Ohio State’s top competition in the Big Ten59:20: How our preseason confidence rankings Ohio State will win each game would change now1:01:36: Ohio State should be ranked ahead of Alabama after Crimson Tide barely beat Texas

Although Ohio State’s season opener against Notre Dame didn’t go quite the way we expected, we came away with plenty of positive impressions from the Buckeyes’ performance.Ohio State’s defense exceeded our expectations while we expected more from the Buckeyes’ offense against Notre Dame, but overall, we think there was more to like than dislike from Ohio State’s season-opening 21-10 win over the Fighting Irish, who entered the season ranked fifth in the country.In nearly a full hour of discussion on the Buckeyes’ first victory of the year, we talked about just about everything that resonated with us from Saturday night’s season opener in the Shoe, including:0:48: What stood out most to each us: The dominant debut of Jim Knowles’ defense and Xavier Johnson’s moment in the spotlight7:49: Ohio State’s defensive stars against Notre Dame: Mike Hall, Tommy Eichenberg and Lathan Ransom14:02: How Ohio State’s defensive rotations could change in future games21:12: Ohio State’s defense will face tougher tests as the season progresses – but maybe not for another month25:42: Miyan Williams proves he needs to get consistent carries at running back30:13: Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s injury shows just how important he is to Ohio State’s offense, and the Buckeyes shouldn’t take any chances with him (or Luke Wypler) for the next two weeks36:15: Ohio State’s offense gets a reality check, but it’s way too early to say Ryan Day should give up play calling43:18: Barely any freshmen played against Notre Dame, but that’s not a bad thing46:18: A star-studded weekend at the Shoe was exactly what Ohio State needed to build recruiting momentumIn the final 20 minutes of the show, we spend just a few minutes (starting at 49:43) talking about this week’s game against Arkansas State before making our predictions on whether the Buckeyes will cover the 44-point spread. We also talk (beginning at 54:35) about how this weekend reaffirmed our belief that there‘s a gap between the top three teams in college football this year (Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State) and everyone else, and share our initial thoughts (59:59) on the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, which Dan believes will be a net positive for the sport but Griffin is not so sure on.Finally (1:05:42), we talk about this week’s developments in Ohio State basketball: the unfortunate but not shocking end of Seth Towns’ career with the Buckeyes, the decommitment of George Washington III and the possibility that Taison Chatman and/or Bronny James could replace Washington in Ohio State’s recruiting class of 2023.

After eight months of looking ahead to Ohio State’s 2022 football season, it’s finally game week in Columbus.Come next week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we’ll have an actual football game to recap and a much better feel of how good this year’s Ohio State football team actually is and what it still needs to work on. This week, though, it’s all about looking ahead to the first and one of the biggest games of the year as we break down how things could play out when the Buckeyes finally take the field against the Fighting Irish in Ohio Stadium on Saturday.The first half of this week’s episode is all about previewing what will happen on the field in Saturday’s big game. We break down what we expect to see from Jim Knowles’ defense and what would constitute a good first game in terms of points and yards allowed and how much of a challenge Notre Dame’s defense will present to Ohio State’s offense, then make our score predictions (at the 33:30 mark) for how we think the game will ultimately play out.Later in the show (starting at 36:35), we talk about why this will also be a massive recruiting weekend for the Buckeyes – and not just in football – as Ohio State’s top targets in both football and basketball will be on campus. Dan discusses why it’s vital to Ohio State’s 2023 defensive end recruiting for the Buckeyes to impress Keon Keeley, Matayo Uiagalelei and Damon Wilson this weekend, and Griffin discusses why he thinks Ohio State basketball has a genuine chance to land Bronny James.

With just one week to go until the first game week, it’s time to look ahead at the season as a whole and make some predictions about how Ohio State’s 2022 season will play out.To start things off on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, Dan and Griffin each rank Ohio State’s 12 regular-season games from the game we’re most confident the Buckeyes will win to the game we believe is most likely to be an upset. While we agree on which five games we’re most confident Ohio State will win, our lists diverge from there, as Dan is more confident than Griffin about wins over Michigan and Notre Dame while he sees Michigan State and Iowa as bigger threats than Griffin does.Beginning at the 29:42 mark, we make some additional predictions for Ohio State’s 2022 season, including:What Ohio State’s record for the season will beWhether C.J. Stroud will win the Heisman Trophy and if Jaxon Smith-Njigba will join him in New YorkWhich Buckeyes will earn first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honorsWhy we believe Marvin Harrison Jr. will be Ohio State’s second-most productive receiver and Emeka Egbuka will be Ohio State’s third-most productive receiverWhy Tommy Eichenberg and Ronnie Hickman are our defensive MVP selectionsWho we think will lead the Buckeyes in tackles, sacks and interceptionsWhy we believe Ohio State will have the No. 1 offense in the country but won’t have a top-five defenseIn the final segment of the show (49:16), we talk about our takeaways from Ryan Day and Jim Knowles’ Monday press conference and what Gene Smith had to say after the Big Ten announced its new TV deal last week. We’re not expecting to see Chip Trayanum play at running back unless necessitated by further injuries, but we do believe a divisionless Big Ten and College Football Playoff expansion could both happen within the next couple of years.

Two weeks into preseason camp, it’s becoming more clear which Ohio State players could be trending toward breakout years and where the Buckeyes still have concerns as the season draws closer.Running back depth emerged as a concern this week when Evan Pryor suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice, and that’s where we begin this week’s show. Is there reason to worry about Ohio State having only three scholarship running backs, and do the Buckeyes need to move someone else to running back for additional depth?While Ohio State might still have the nation’s best one-two punch at running back in TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams, Pryor’s injury increases the importance of Dallan Hayden’s readiness, and we believe Kaleb Brown and Xavier Johnson – not Steele Chambers and Chip Trayanum – could be candidates to take snaps at running back if needed.About 14 minutes into the show, we shift the conversation to everything else we learned from watching a full practice last week and talking to Kevin Wilson, Larry Johnson and their tight ends and defensive linemen this week. Among the topics we covered:15:10: Cornerback depth concerns and walk-on Lloyd McFarquhar taking advantage of his opportunity18:18: Tommy Eichenberg standing out in practice and whether that will translate to three-down success21:20: Julian Fleming and Emeka Egbuka both making their case as they battle for starting spot26:00: Cade Stover’s noticeable improvement as a pass-catcher32:47: Defense making life more difficult for Ohio State’s offense on the practice field35:14: Whether Kevin Wilson’s comments about the short-yardage run game are reason to worry38:53: The depth of Ohio State’s defensive line and why J.T. Tuimoloau could be the unidentified “alpha dog”46:55: Why Mike Hall is a player to watch even though he’s third on the nose tackle depth chartFinally (beginning at 48:04), we talk about the six players Ohio State chose to be captains – Kamryn Babb, C.J. Stroud, Cade Stover, Tommy Eichenberg, Tyler Friday and Kourt Williams – and which players each of us were surprised to not see on the captain list.

Preseason camp is in full swing at Ohio State, and we’ve had plenty of access to the Buckeyes over the past week as a result.After watching a portion of the first two practices and attending four interview sessions at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center over the past week, we reconvene on this week’s Real Pod Wednesdays to discuss the biggest things we learned from the first six days of camp.We start by talking about what we heard during Jim Knowles’ interview session on Tuesday, when he made several eyebrow-raising comments. Should Ohio State fans be worried about the Buckeyes’ cornerback depth? Knowles said only 25% of his defense has been installed so far; is that a cause for concern? And is Knowles setting expectations too high by saying the Buckeyes should have a top-five defense?Following about 25 minutes of conversation about the defense, we shift our attention to the offense and discuss what we heard during offensive line and running back interviews. We also highlight a few players who seem to be building momentum so far in camp – including Tyler Friday and Julian Fleming – and discuss our favorite “Dayisms” from Ryan Day’s first press conferences of the preseason.Later in the show, we discuss the pros and cons of CBS and NBC replacing ESPN as Big Ten TV partners (41:00), our favorite outfits from hotel check-in (58:07) and what the past week of wins both on the recruiting trail and on the court mean for the present and future of Ohio State men’s basketball (59:58).

We’re officially one month away from Ohio State’s first football game of the 2022 season and one day away from the start of preseason camp.We’ll have the chance to watch the Buckeyes practice – well, at least a little bit of practice – on both Thursday and Friday as Ohio State holds its first two practices of preseason camp, and we’re excited to see them up close, in person and on the field again. What will we be watching and listening for as camp begins? We start this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays by talking about which players and position battles we’ll have our eyes on.As much excitement as there is surrounding the upcoming Ohio State football season as the Buckeyes’ preparation for the games ahead ramps up, many Buckeye fans are also feeling angst about the recent misses and decommitments Ohio State has suffered on the recruiting trail. In the second segment of this week’s podcast (beginning at the 21-minute mark), Eleven Warriors recruiting analyst Garrick Hodge joins us to discuss what’s going on with Ohio State recruiting, what needs to happen for the Buckeyes to overcome those losses and where he believes this year’s class will ultimately stack up in the final rankings. (Note: This segment of the podcast was recorded before Ty Lockwood officially announced his flip to Alabama on Tuesday.)It’s also a big week for Ohio State men’s basketball, which is headed to the Bahamas on Thursday for a five-day trip in which it will play a pair of exhibition games against national teams from Puerto Rico and Egypt. In the final segment of this week’s RPW (beginning at the 45-minute mark), we share our takeaways from watching the Buckeyes practice and talking to Chris Holtmann on Monday, and Griffin explains why he believes this could be a great week for Ohio State recruiting as four-star small forwards Devin Royal and Scotty Middleton are set to announce their commitments.

This week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays is coming to you one day later than usual, but we hope it will be worth the wait.We recorded this week’s episode from Indianapolis, where we spent the past two days covering Big Ten Media Days. And we were joined by a special guest while we were there.Dan talked to Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith on Tuesday about a wide variety of topics including Big Ten expansion, College Football Playoff expansion, NIL, Ryan Day and Chris Holtmann’s contract extensions, how Ohio State is making up for the deficit it incurred in 2020 and more. You can hear the entirety of their conversation in the first half of this week’s episode.Griffin joins the show at the 24:10 mark for a conversation on everything we learned in Indianapolis including the likelihood of more expansion for the Big Ten, who is and isn’t available for Ohio State going into the start of preseason camp and Day’s confidence that the Buckeyes can have a top-10 defense this year. We also discuss what we heard from Michigan players about last year’s rivalry game and the weirdest moments of Jim Harbaugh’s media sessions on Tuesday.

Ohio State’s first official media availability of the preseason will be held one week from today when Ryan Day, C.J. Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ronnie Hickman will meet with reporters at Big Ten Media Days.With that in mind, we start today’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays – after Dan gloats for a bit about winning last week’s draft – by looking ahead to next week’s Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis, where representatives from all 14 Big Ten teams will meet with the media between Tuesday and Wednesday.We discuss why Stroud, Smith-Njigba and Hickman are the right choices to represent Ohio State at media days (though we would have also loved to see Dawand Jones back in his hometown) and what we could hear from each of them and Day. Expansion will undoubtedly be the dominant storyline next week, particularly during Kevin Warren’s press conference on Tuesday, but we’re also expecting plenty of Ohio State/Michigan talk – with the near-certainty that both fan bases will get riled up over something a representative from the other team says.(Programming note: Since Ohio State’s day at Big Ten Media Days will be on Wednesday, next week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays – despite the name – will be published on Thursday, allowing us to talk about everything we learned in Indianapolis.)Around the halfway mark of the show (29:13), we shift our attention to the latest developments in Ohio State’s recruiting for the 2023 class. Even though the Buckeyes still have the No. 1-ranked class in the country, some fans have expressed concerns after a few notable misses for Ohio State in recent days. Is there really anything to be concerned about with a class that still leads the nation? We take stock of what the Buckeyes have done well in the class and where they still have work to do.With last week’s news that Ohio State will hold both a black-out and a scarlet-out this season, we also spend some time sharing our thoughts on Ohio State’s alternate uniforms. Should the Buckeyes try some more creative uniform concepts, or should they simply stick with tradition? Should Ohio State bring back the gray sleeves permanently, or wear them for College Football Playoff games only? We discuss all of that (starting at 44:38).In the final 15 minutes of the show (beginning at 51:55), we turn our attention to basketball and get Griffin’s thoughts on which current and former Ohio State players have stood out in the Kingdom League, what the Buckeyes could get out of their upcoming trip to the Bahamas and where the Buckeyes stand with top targets Scotty Middleton and Devin Royal.Finally, we show our youth with our answers to a fun listener question: Which Ohio State football and basketball players that you didn’t get to watch live do you most wish you could have?

It’s draft week on Real Pod Wednesdays.As we’ve done every year since we started this podcast, we held an Ohio State football team draft this week, selecting 44 total players from the current roster – 11 on offense and 11 on defense each – to build lineups for a hypothetical matchup of Buckeyes vs. Buckeyes if they were to play each other this fall.Through this exercise, we made our picks for who Ohio State’s most valuable players will be this year, based not only on their individual talent but also on the depth at their respective positions, which influenced how highly each player got drafted.You can hear all of our picks on this week’s podcast, and you can visit Eleven Warriors (https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2022/07/131674/2022-ohio-state-football-team-draft-how-we-picked-head-to-head-lineups-for-a-matchup-of-buckeyes-vs-buckeyes) to read a full list of our selections, see the lineups side-by-side and cast your vote for whose team would win.