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Even we beat writers who typically prefer noon games believe Ohio State vs. Texas should be a night game.With how spectacular the atmosphere was for Ohio State's home night College Football Playoff game against Tennessee, we want to see another primetime showcase for the Buckeyes' season opener against the Longhorns. That doesn't seem to be in the cards, however – unsurprisingly – with FOX set to broadcast the Cotton Bowl rematch, likely at noon.As such, Ohio State finds itself facing the possibility of playing most of its big regular-season games at noon once again this year, though we do believe Ohio State vs. Penn State is a prime candidate for the marquee home night game Ohio State and its fans covet. But we'd love to see more transparency with the Big Ten television networks' game selection process – which could be easily achieved by televising the networks' game draft during a time on the calendar when sickos like us are starved for more college football content.Eleven Warriors' Dan Hope, Chase Brown and Garrick Hodge share their thoughts on the season opener's likely noon destiny, our kickoff time predictions for the rest of the season and how the networks could bring fans into the game selection process on a new episode of Press Coverage, which is also available on the Real Pod Wednesdays feed for this episode.

While there's not a ton happening with Ohio State football right now, there's a lot to look forward to over the next eight months.Right now, the most anticipated event of the summer for Buckeye fans might be Michigan's Committee on Infractions hearing that's set to take place in one month as the Wolverines could finally face punishment from the NCAA this summer for their impermissible scouting scheme orchestrated by former staffer Connor Stalions.The height of recruiting season will also come soon as Ohio State prepares to host official visitors and camps in June, while we're personally excited to make our way to Las Vegas in July for Big Ten Media Days, the unofficial kickoff to football season.Ohio State's season opener could be its most highly anticipated season opener ever as the Buckeyes host Texas in a Cotton Bowl rematch that could be a 1 vs. 2 game. Ohio State's Nov. 1 home game against Penn State will be one of its most-anticipated games against the Nittany Lions ever as the Buckeyes look to spoil Jim Knowles' return to Columbus. And of course, everyone in Columbus has Ohio State's Nov. 29 trip to Ann Arbor circled on the calendar with hopes that Ryan Day's Buckeyes will finally end their drought against Michigan.Add in road trips to Washington, Illinois and Wisconsin and Nico Iamaleava's return to Columbus with UCLA, and the Buckeyes' regular-season schedule is loaded with games we can't wait for. As fun as the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff was, we're also excited for year two of the expanded playoff race.Of course, we'll be excited to watch Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs play every game as the Buckeyes' superstars have the potential to be even better than they were last year. And there's no shortage of players with the talent to emerge as stars around them, such as Max Klare, James Peoples and Jermaine Mathews Jr., just to name a few.With Ohio State in the quietest part of its offseason and us preparing to take an early summer break on Real Pod Wednesdays, we highlight all the biggest things for Buckeye fans to look forward to this season.The full rundown:0:00 Why There Won't Be Real Pod Wednesdays for the Next Few Weeks4:52 Anticipation Builds for Potential Michigan Punishment12:53 Big Summer Ahead for Ohio State Recruiting18:45 Big Ten Media Days in Vegas Will Be Fun21:46 Season Openers Don't Get Any Bigger Than Ohio State vs. Texas26:28 Jim Knowles' Return Makes Ohio State vs. Penn State Extra Spicy32:00 Beating Michigan Still the Big Hurdle Ryan Day Must Clear38:07 Illibuck Game in Champaign, Trip to Camp Randall Among Other Exciting Matchups43:35 Why Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs Should Be Even Better in 202548:11 Buckeyes Will Have Potential Breakout Stars All Over the Field

Happy Tuesday! DeVier Posey makes his return to the show after a hiatus. Jim Knowles and James Franklin granted ESPN an interview that highlights Knowles' quick departure from Ohio State. Tom Luginbill of ESPN joins the show to talk college football. The Cavaliers need to #LetEmKnow tonight to even the series. We have some more information regarding the Browns signing of Diontae Johnson. We discuss the AFC North. Mike Tanier of the Too Deep Zone joins the show. The Arizona Cardinals' GM shared some comments about drafting Buckeyes. We play Chet Roulette. What is Jalen Milroe's potential? Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors joins the show. And we close it down by Telling the Truth.

Ohio State's quarterback competition is real, as is Austin Siereveld's surge on the offensive line.Those two things were made clear by Ryan Day on Tuesday, when he revealed that Lincoln Kienholz led Ohio State's quarterback competition entering the spring game – until Julian Sayin evened it up with his spring game performance – and that Siereveld has already earned a starting job this offseason even though Day doesn't know where he'll line up on Ohio State's offensive line yet.Day's press conference Tuesday also included excitement for the Buckeyes' recent transfer addition of North Carolina transfer defensive end Beau Atkinson, who we view as a high-quality addition that gives Ohio State the ability to deploy a deep rotation on the edge and get creative with its pass rush personnel this season.Ohio State's defensive tackle depth is a much bigger question mark, and that concern was only exacerbated by Day's acknowledgement of the reality that the Buckeyes' options to upgrade that position through the transfer portal are dwindling – though there is still one available defensive tackle, Oklahoma State's Justin Kirkland, who would be exactly what the Buckeyes need at nose tackle.Regardless of how that plays out, though, there are many reasons to feel good about the state of Day's program after the Buckeyes retained their entire scholarship roster during the spring transfer window and had 14 players selected in the 2025 NFL draft.We talked about all of those topics on the newest episode of Real Pod Wednesdays. Here are the timestamps for each chapter should you want to listen to a specific segment first:0:00 A Great Week for Ohio State in the NFL Draft and the Transfer Portal2:02 Ryan Day Makes It Clear Julian Sayin vs. Lincoln Kienholz is A Real Competition10:56 Austin Siereveld Has Earned A Starting Job, But Will It Be at Tackle or Guard?19:21 Adding Beau Atkinson Should Allow For Creative Pass Rush Packages23:19 Ohio State Still Needs A Transfer DT, But It Might Be Justin Kirkland or Bust29:54 Buckeyes Could Still Add Another OT, Kicker to Well-Stocked Roster36:05 Roster Retention, NFL Draft Class Show Strength of Ryan Day's Program

The 2025 NFL draft is just one day away, and there are at least 15 reasons to be excited if you're an Ohio State fan.Ohio State is projected to have 15 players drafted, which would break its school record and tie Georgia's record for the most players selected in a seven-round NFL draft. It's not out of the question that Ohio State could have as many as 17 players drafted, and we talk about all 17 of the Buckeyes' draft prospects on this week's Real Pod Wednesdays.In the first half of our NFL draft preview episode, we build our own five-man Buckeye draft squads in which we draft Ohio State players from five different tiers based on their average mock draft position.After that, we make our picks for the Eleven Warriors NFL Draft Contest, in which we predict which round each Buckeye will be drafted in. One of us has four Buckeyes going in Round 1 while the other has only two, but both of us expect at least seven Ohio State players to be drafted in the first two rounds and nine total Buckeyes to be drafted in the first three rounds. We're both also expecting each of Ohio State's 15 projected draftees to come off the board no later than the sixth round.The full rundown for our NFL draft preview edition of RPW:0:00 Ohio State's 2025 NFL Draft Class Has Something for Everyone5:54 Building Our Five-Man Buckeye Draft Squads21:44 The Most Underrated Prospects in Ohio State's 2025 NFL Draft Class25:28 Who We Would Select If We Could Only Draft One Buckeye28:10 Predicting Which Buckeyes Will Go In the First Round35:29 Second-Round Predictions41:31 Third-Round Predictions47:00 Why We Both Think Four Buckeyes Will Go in Round 452:27 Fifth- and Sixth-Round Predictions

"McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 8am hour of Thursday's Mac & kept on with Tom Luginbill, CFB analyst for ESPN, telling us how Nico Iamaleava & his camp ended up in this craziness, why the Transfer Portal hasn't worked for some players, and what he's noticed in the UFL this season; then, Dan Hope, who covers Ohio State for Eleven Warriors, tells us what he learned about their QBs this spring, and where the expectations are for the Buckeyes heading into 2025; and finally, we get back into the heels of College Football. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring practice is in the books and the transfer portal has reopened, which means it's time to assess where Ohio State stands in its quest to compete for another championship in 2025.While only one of us would say we're more confident in Ohio State's championship chances coming out of spring than we were going in, Eleven Warriors‘ Dan Hope and Andy Anders both agree that there's a lot to like about the Buckeyes based on what we saw this spring. Ohio State is loaded with offensive skill position talent and its defensive back seven looks like it should rank among the nation's best once again. Ohio State's offensive line also looks to be on a promising trajectory coming out of spring.Strong showings by Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz in the spring game left us feeling better about Ohio State's quarterbacks than we did just one day before, but the spring game exacerbated our concerns about Ohio State's depth at defensive tackle, the position that stands out as the Buckeyes' clear-cut top priority for adding to its roster in the post-spring transfer window.On this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we make our assessments for what we think the Buckeyes' biggest strengths and biggest areas of concern are coming out of spring and make our early predictions for what Ohio State's regular-season record will be in 2025.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Are You More, Less or Just As Confident in Ohio State's Championship Chances After Spring?6:56 Ohio State is Absolutely Loaded with Playmakers at the Offensive Skill Positions12:29 Ohio State's Defensive Back Seven Looks Ready to Be Elite Once Again21:00 Buckeyes Building A Strong Core Along Offensive Line26:44 Ohio State Quarterbacks Finish Up-and-Down Spring on High Note in Spring Game33:55 Defensive Line Lacks Established Stars and Needs to Add Talent at Tackle43:34 Replacing Departed Leaders, Coordinators Still A Big Question Exiting Spring51:40 Why We're Both Predicting A 10-2 Regular Season for Ohio State in 2025

Ohio State's starting quarterback competition will be in the spotlight during Saturday's spring game at Ohio Stadium.After Ryan Day said Monday that Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz are “pretty much neck-and-neck” in their competition to be Ohio State's No. 1 QB this season, the biggest storyline on Saturday will be the performance of the Buckeyes' top two quarterbacks as each of them look to make their case that they're best the choice to lead Ohio State's offense when it opens the season against Texas on Aug. 30.Aside from quarterback, other positions to watch on Saturday include right tackle, where Austin Siereveld appears to be making a move in the competition for a starting job, and the defensive line, where the Buckeyes are still assessing whether they have the depth they need ahead of the transfer portal reopening later this month.We discuss all of those storylines on our spring game preview episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.We also conducted a fantasy draft in which we made our picks for which offensive skill-position players will have the biggest days in the spring game, keeping in mind that established stars like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will likely see only brief action. In a snake draft format, each of us drafted five players – one quarterback, one running back, one wide receiver, one tight end and one flex player (a spot each of us elected to use on a second wide receiver) – based on who think will score the most fantasy points using standard fantasy football scoring (one point per 25 passing yards, four points per passing touchdown, one point per 10 rushing/receiving yards and six points per rushing/receiving touchdown).Our picks, which are explained in more detail in the show:1. Dan - Bo Jackson, RB2. Andy - Max Klare, TE3. Andy - James Peoples, RB4. Dan - Mylan Graham, WR5. Dan - Quincy Porter, WR6. Andy - Lincoln Kienholz, QB7. Andy - Brandon Inniss, WR8. Dan - Tavien St. Clair, QB9. Dan - Jelani Thurman, TE10. Andy - Bryson Rodgers, WR Finally, we wrap up the show by breaking down the two newest transfer additions for Ohio State men's basketball – Christoph Tilly and Brandon Noel – and assessing what the Buckeyes should still be looking to do to round out their roster for 2025-26.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Playing A True Spring Game Completes Physical, Competitive Spring for Buckeyes4:47 Competition Between Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz Looks Quite Real Entering Spring Game16:28 Austin Siereveld Making A Push to Be Ohio State's Starting Right Tackle This Season24:08 Defensive Line, Emerging Linebackers In Focus for Ohio State Defense in Spring Game31:55 Spring Game Fantasy Draft42:54 Assessing Ohio State Basketball's Roster Build with Christoph Tilly, Brandon Noel Additions

Ohio State is now past the halfway point of spring practice, and it became more apparent this week how Ryan Day is feeling about all 10 of the Buckeyes' position groups.Day had lots of positive things to say on Monday about Ohio State's running backs, tight ends, linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties, but indicated the Buckeyes are still looking for more than what they've seen so far this spring at defensive tackle, quarterback, offensive tackle, backup wide receiver and defensive end.With that, we also talk about all 10 Ohio State position groups on this week's Real Pod Wednesdays, in which we share our thoughts on what we heard from Day on Monday and what that could mean for the outlook of each of those position groups this season.Following our position-by-position spring football updates, we also talk about the transfer portal movement thus far for both Ohio State basketball teams, the momentum Ohio State is building on the recruiting trail and the top standouts from last week's Ohio State pro day. (Note: This episode of Real Pod Wednesdays was recorded before Ohio State basketball target Jonathan Powell's commitment to North Carolina on Tuesday night.)The full rundown for the show:0:00 Intro2:36 Defensive Tackle Remains Ohio State's Biggest Position of Concern4:21 Ohio State's QB Competition Likely to Continue Into August9:55 Transfer Offensive Tackles Still Acclimating to Ohio State, But That's To Be Expected15:06 Ryan Day Looking for More from Backup Wide Receivers19:56 Could Ohio State Still Add Another Transfer Defensive End?26:55 Trajectory Keeps Pointing Up for James Peoples, Ohio State Running Backs29:11 Loaded Tight End Room Looking Like the Best in the Country31:52 Arvell Reese, Payton Pierce Turning Heads As OSU's Second and Third Linebackers35:23 Jermaine Mathews Jr. Locking Up A Starting Job Despite Devin Sanchez Hype39:31 Malik Hartford, Jaylen McClain Both Emerging As Starting-Caliber Safeties43:46 Ohio State Men's Basketball Still Must Add Multiple More Transfers51:12 Ohio State Women's Basketball Suffers Huge Loss with Cotie McMahon Transfer53:41 Blaine Bradford, Chris Henry Jr. Continue Recruiting Momentum for OSU Football58:55 Will Howard, Jordan Hancock Among Standouts at Loaded OSU Pro Day

Spring practice is in full swing at Ohio State, and Buckeye fans will get their opportunity to watch the team in Ohio Stadium in two-and-a-half weeks.Ryan Day said Monday that Ohio State will have a spring game after all this year, and that's a decision that should be celebrated at a time when other colleges are canceling their spring games. The spring game can be a great opportunity both for fans to connect with the Buckeyes and for the team to get game-like reps ahead of the season, and it's apparent Day recognized the value of both of those things in opting to move forward with a spring game.After opening this week's show by looking forward to the April 12 spring game, we talk about how Matt Patricia has continued to impress us in our early glimpses of Ohio State's new defensive coordinator. Then, we share some of our early-spring thoughts on how Patricia's defense could look this season, including the multiplicity he wants to be a hallmark of his scheme, Malik Hartford's emergence at safety and Ohio State's rebuild along the defensive line, where the Buckeyes' defensive end two-deep looks promising but there's still more questions than answers in terms of defensive tackle depth.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Ryan Day Makes the Right Decision By Moving Forward with A Spring Game5:15 Matt Patricia Continuing to Make Great Impression in First Two Weeks of Spring10:30 What the Multiplicity of Matt Patricia's Defense Could Look Like14:05 Malik Hartford Trending Toward Playing A Big Role in Ohio State's Secondary16:56 C.J. Hicks Seems to Be Finally Be Playing the Right Position21:31 Ohio State Has the Pieces to Rotate More Frequently at Defensive End This Season26:40 Defensive Tackle Depth Remains A Major Question Mark33:42 Ohio State's Defense Will Likely Go As Its Defensive Line Goes

Happy Tuesday! Matt Patricia is ready to recruit, Frank Caliendo joins for two segments, Deion Sanders denies saying he wants Shedeur in New York, Tom Brady shares how he handles tension with Belichick, CollegeFootballNews' Pete Fiutak joins at 1:30pm, Brian Hartline on the QB room, NFL true or false, J.J. McCarthy has not been told he's the starter in Minnesota yet, and Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors joins us at 2:30pm.

Ohio State's first two days of spring practice are in the books, and we already have plenty of thoughts.The first two days at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center allowed us to watch the first hour of each of Ohio State's initial two practices as well as talk to Ohio State coach Ryan Day, each of the Buckeyes' scholarship quarterbacks and running backs and each of their respective position coaches, giving us plenty to see and hear.While we haven't yet seen any head-to-head 11-on-11 work between Ohio State's offense and defense, numerous players have stood out physically while there have been some interesting developments with Ohio State's initial lineups, such as Austin Siereveld practicing at left tackle and Malik Hartford taking the bulk of the first-team reps at safety.With that in mind, we spend the majority of this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays discussing our takeaways from the first two days of spring practice. We wrap up the show with a brief conversation about the end of Ohio State's basketball season and why we both believe it's the right decision to give Jake Diebler a second year to turn things around.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Julian Sayin's Release Stands Out, But He Has More to Prove to Win Starting QB Job13:17 Early Signs Are Promising for Running Back Duo of James Peoples, CJ Donaldson21:42 Jeremiah Smith, Mylan Graham Standing Out at Wide Receiver26:18 Austin Siereveld Probably Won't Be Starting Left Tackle, But He Might Be Next Man Up31:27 Malik Hartford Getting First Shot at Safety as Secondary Rebuilds Around Caleb Downs35:10 Devin Sanchez Among Numerous Freshmen Standing Out Physically Right Away39:09 Building Depth Crucial for Ohio State's Defensive Front Six44:24 Jake Diebler Deserves A Second Year, But Ohio State Must Be Aggressive in Transfer Portal

Happy Thursday! Welcome to March Madness! The first day of the tournament begins, QB coach Billy Fessler on the QB order, Dan Dakich joins at 12:30pm, Bengals release video from the doubters, Gold Jacket Thursday with Aeneas Williams at 1pm, Todd McShay shares his sleeper QB pick in the draft, Fill in the blanks at 1:30pm, James Peoples on taking over at RB, Updating the March Madness results, and Eleven Warriors' Chase Brown joins at 2:30pm!

The spotlight will be on Ohio State's defense as the Buckeyes begin spring practice next week.Yes, the quarterback competition will draw plenty of attention too, but it's the defense that we'll be watching most closely this spring as we seek to get an idea of what Ohio State's defense will look like in 2025 with eight new starters and a new defensive coordinator.While we know the defense will be built around Caleb Downs and that Sonny Styles and Davison Igbinosun will play major roles as returning starters, there are otherwise more questions than answers about Ohio State's new-look defense under Matt Patricia – even if the Buckeyes' defensive talent and what we heard last week from Patricia offer plenty of reasons for optimism.We spend more than half of this week's show talking about our expectations for Ohio State's defense entering spring before turning the conversation to what we're looking to see from Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes' offense over the next four weeks. We wrap up the show by discussing what Ohio State men's basketball needs to do in this week's Big Ten Tournament to make the NCAA Tournament.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Why This Spring Feels Different Than Last Spring at Ohio State5:57 Why Ohio State's Defense is the Biggest Thing We'll Be Watching This Spring15:19 Ohio State's Defensive Line is Its Biggest Question Mark, But There's Plenty of Promising Talent25:35 Lorenzo Styles Jr., Devin Sanchez, Safeties Could All Determine What Ohio State Does at Nickel34:25 Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Payton Pierce Lead A Strong Core at Linebacker38:23 What We Need to See From Julian Sayin This Spring to Feel Confident He's Ready to Start43:46 Offensive Line, Running Backs Among Other Offensive Positions to Watch This Spring51:08 What Ohio State Basketball Must Do in the Big Ten Tournament to Make the NCAA Tournament

The NFL Scouting Combine gave us an opportunity to not only watch some of Ohio State's 2025 draft prospects work out for NFL scouts, but to learn more about some of OSU's returning players in the words of last year's Buckeye stars.Garrick Hodge joined Dan Hope in Indianapolis to cover the combine last week, so Garrick joins us on this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays as we talk about both the combine performances of Ohio State's 2024 NFL draft prospects and our biggest takeaways from what they had to say about players who could be breakout stars for the 2025 Buckeyes.Former Ohio State running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson and defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton helped themselves with their on-field workouts in Indianapolis. The combine raised some concerns for quarterback Will Howard and defensive end Jack Sawyer, but we‘re still believers in both Buckeyes as NFL prospects because of how well they played in leading Ohio State to a national championship.As for what we heard about some of Ohio State's returning players in Indianapolis, Denzel Burke added fuel to the Julian Sayin hype train while Henderson made an Andy-approved comparison for James Peoples. Jaylen McClain, Mylan Graham and Max Klare were among the other 2025 Buckeyes who received hype from OSU's draft prospects at the combine.We talk about all of that – plus the spectacular NHL Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium last weekend and a couple of other Ohio State-related comments by combine participants that went viral – on this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.The full rundown for the show:0:00 The Stadium Series Game at the Shoe Was Awesome5:46 Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson Were Ohio State's Combine Stars10:20 Why We Don't Think Scouts Should Overreact to Will Howard's Shaky Throwing Session17:04 Jack Sawyer's Proven Playmaking Ability Matters More Than His Arm Length21:00 Tyleik Williams Proves He's A Freak and Ty Hamilton Might Go Higher Than People Think23:34 Denzel Burke's Endorsement of Julian Sayin Carries Weight28:04 Why Andy and TreVeyon Henderson See J.K. Dobbins in James Peoples30:36 Jaylen McClain Carrying Momentum Into Spring as Potential Starting Safety33:36 Mylan Graham Gets More Buzz, But How Much Playing Time Will He See in 2025?36:55 Lathan Ransom Expects Big Things from Max Klare, and We Do, Too40:30 Omarr Norman-Lott's Jeremiah Smith Praise, Tez Johnson's Rose Bowl Take Go Viral

Ohio State's historically deep 2025 draft class will be in the spotlight at this week's NFL Scouting Combine.15 members of Ohio State's national championship team are in Indianapolis for the combine – the most players from any school – and all 15 of them are expected to be drafted, which would tie Georgia's record for the most picks from one school in a seven-round NFL draft.With media interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine starting today and on-field workouts commencing at Lucas Oil Stadium tomorrow, we take a look at Ohio State's loaded NFL draft class on this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.We start the show by sharing some overall thoughts on Ohio State's draft class, which Buckeyes boosted their NFL draft stock the most during the College Football Playoff, which Buckeyes we expect to be combine stars and which Buckeyes would benefit most from a strong combine workout.Then, we put our GM hats on and conduct our own draft of Ohio State's draft prospects, with each of us making seven rounds' worth of picks of which Buckeyes we'd draft if we were calling the shots for an NFL team.The full results of our draft:1. DE Jack Sawyer (Dan)2. OT Josh Simmons (Andy)3. WR Emeka Egbuka (Andy)4. G/T Donovan Jackson (Dan)5. RB TreVeyon Henderson (Dan)6. DE JT Tuimoloau (Andy)7. DT Tyleik Williams (Andy)8. QB Will Howard (Dan)9. CB Denzel Burke (Dan)10. CB Jordan Hancock (Andy)11. S Lathan Ransom (Andy)12. RB Quinshon Judkins (Dan)13. C Seth McLaughlin (Dan)14. DT Ty Hamilton (Andy)The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Historically Deep Ohio State Draft Class Heads to the Combine9:24 Donovan Jackson, Will Howard, Jordan Hancock Among Buckeyes Who Boosted Stock in CFP15:29 Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson Among Potential Combine Stars (If They Work Out)19:56 Denzel Burke, Cody Simon Among Buckeyes Who Could Benefit Most from Strong Combine22:35 A Seven-Round Draft of Ohio State's Top 2025 NFL Draft Prospects37:23 Can Ohio State Men's Basketball Bounce Back to Make the NCAA Tournament?

Now that Ohio State has new coordinators on both sides of the ball, one of the biggest lingering questions entering this spring is how the Buckeyes' offense and defense will operate under Brian Hartline and Matt Patricia. We aren't expecting any drastic changes on the offensive side of the ball – Ohio State's offense is still Ryan Day's offense, and Brian Hartline's promotion comes in part because of how well he knows Day's offense – though the Buckeyes will have to make adjustments to fit their personnel as new starters take over at quarterback, running back, tight end and offensive tackle.Defensively is where the bigger scheme questions lie. Patricia was never tied to one specific scheme as the New England Patriots' defensive coordinator, so there's reason to believe his defense will be built to fit Ohio State's personnel, but that will require changes too as the Buckeyes break in eight new starters on that side of the ball. And while the rest of Ohio State's defensive coaching staff returns, there are questions about how Patricia's ideas will mesh with defensive line coach Larry Johnson and whether Patricia's success in New England will translate to the college level.We discuss all of that on this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays with Eleven Warriors scheme analyst Kyle Jones, who joins us to share his thoughts on what Ohio State's offense and defense could look like in 2025 as well as what impressed him most about Ohio State's national championship run this past season.The full rundown for our conversation:0:00 Why Ohio State's Scheme, Play Calling Worked So Well in the College Football Playoff4:28 Ohio State's Evolution from Michigan Game to CFP Might Have Simply Been A Mindset Shift6:49 What Matt Patricia Brings to Ohio State10:17 Should We Be Concerned About Patricia's Defenses Being Too Complicated?16:07 What Ohio State Should Do Schematically to Fit Its Defensive Talent in 202519:50 Will Matt Patricia's Defensive Line Philosophies Mesh with Larry Johnson?23:21 Player Departures Could Drive Defensive Changes More Than Coordinator Change26:08 Ryan Day Will Have Big Hand in Ohio State's Offense, But That's Nothing New32:08 Why Offensive Line Development Matters More Than Run Game Scheme for Tyler Bowen34:54 Less Quarterback Running Could Be Biggest Change for Ohio State's Offensive Scheme

With Ohio State's offensive coaching now set for 2025, the Buckeyes' focus on that side of the ball turns toward trying to build another championship-caliber unit this season.Offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, co-offensive coordinator Keenan Bailey, run game coordinator and offensive line coach Tyler Bowen, running backs coach Carlos Locklyn and quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler have plenty of talent to work with as their preparations for spring practice begin. The Buckeyes' receiving corps should be the best in the country once again, hopes are high for five-star redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin and Ohio State's offensive line has the potential to be its best in a few years.But there are also some significant questions surrounding Ohio State's 2025 offense including its inexperience at quarterback, how effective its running game will be following the departures of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins and whether the Buckeyes' returning offensive linemen will reach their potential with another year of development.With all of that in mind, we spend this week‘s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays assessing the state of Ohio State's offense for the 2025 season and discussing our expectations for how we think the offense will fare in both the passing and running games come fall.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Thoughts on Ohio State's New Offensive Coaching Staff15:16 Ohio State's Receiving Corps Should Be The Best in the Country Again in 202523:32 Julian Sayin Has Five-Star Talent, But Inexperience Makes Quarterback A Question Mark28:34 Offensive Line Has Upside to Be Better Than It's Been The Last Two Years40:19 Running Game Faces Questions at Both Running Back and Quarterback51:59 Ohio State Should Build Offense Around Jeremiah Smith and Its Receiving Playmakers53:46 Will Ohio State Have A Championship-Caliber Offense in 2025?

You may have forgotten, but today is National Signing Day.From Ohio State's perspective, the real signing day happened two months ago, as the Buckeyes signed 26 high school players during the early signing period. Ohio State isn't expected to add any more scholarship players to its high school recruiting class for 2025, making the traditional February signing day a non-event for the Buckeyes.That said, we didn't spend much time talking about Ohio State's 2025 recruiting class on Real Pod Wednesdays during the early signing period because the Buckeyes were preparing to play in the College Football Playoff at the time. So we felt the secondary signing day would be an appropriate time for us to take a more complete look at Ohio State's new crop of freshmen.Eleven Warriors recruiting reporter Garrick Hodge joins us on this week's Real Pod Wednesdays as we share our overall thoughts on the 2025 class and make our picks for who we think will be some of the class' biggest stars and hidden gems.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Intro3:31 Overall Thoughts on Ohio State's Fifth-Ranked 2025 Recruiting Class7:43 Devin Sanchez, Tavien St. Clair Headline the 2025 Class17:09 Projecting Some of the Other Future Stars from Ohio State's 2025 Class22:19 Freshmen with the Best Chance to Play Early25:51 How Ohio State's Transfer Class Supplements Its High School Recruiting Class29:00 Nate Roberts, Bodpegn Miller, Trajen Odom Among Intriguing Developmental Prospects34:18 Potential Commits and Priority Positions in the 2026 Recruiting Class

Happy Monday! The Jake Diebler Show is in the noon hour. Myles Garrett requests trade from Browns, Chip Kelly and Justin Frye leaving Ohio State over the weekend, Orange and Brown Report's Jeff Lloyd joins at 1:30pm, Buckeyes lose lead late at Illinois, Super Bowl Week is here, Marcus Spears needs to see more from Bengals to get back into championship conversations, and Eleven Warriors' Dan Hope joins at 2:30pm!

Happy Football Friday! Ryan Day on a timeline to hire a new defensive coordinator, CBS NFL Writer Jordan Dajani at 12:30pm, Overs and Unders at 12:46pm, Joe Burrow keeps putting pressure on Bengals to sign Ja'Marr Chase, Under Pressure at 1:17pm, Chiefs Digest's Matt Derrick joins at 1:30pm, Jake Diebler on the winning streak, Mina Kimes suggests Aaron Rodgers to the Titans as a possible move, and Eleven Warriors' Andy Anders joins at 2:30pm!

After recapping Ohio State's national championship run on last week's show, we're beginning to look ahead to the 2025 season on this week‘s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.Ohio State's 2025 roster is set for the spring now that the winter window for players to enter the transfer portal has closed. With that in mind, we spend the entirety of this week's RPW taking a first look at Ohio State's 2025 roster and sharing our initial thoughts on how the Buckeyes stack up at every position.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Ohio State Fends Off Efforts to Poach Its Players, Retains All of Its Projected Starters5:22 Julian Sayin is the Projected Starting Quarterback, But He Still Has to Win A Competition12:35 James Peoples, CJ Donaldson Lead Ohio State's Running Back Room16:56 Ohio State's Wide Receivers Should Be the Best in the Country Again21:04 Could Ohio State Have the Best Tight End Room in the Country, Too?24:21 Offensive Line Looks Promising with Transfer Tackles, Interior Line Play in CFP31:44 Rotational Defensive Linemen in 2024 Must Step Up As New Starters in 202537:18 Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese Backed Up by Plenty of Young Talent at Linebacker40:38 Ohio State's Cornerback Room Remains Loaded with Davison Igbinosun's Return44:34 Jaylen McClain, Malik Hartford Both Candidates to Start at Safety Alongside Caleb Downs49:40 Ohio State Returns All Three Starting Specialists, But Nick McLarty Remains A Punter to Watch54:01 There's Still Too Many Unknowns for Us to Call Ohio State A 2025 Championship Favorite

Happy Reaction Monday! Tyvis Powell is in for AR. Ross Bjork's praise for Ryan Day, Jim Knowles heads to Penn State, Eleven Warriors' Chase Brown joins at 12:30pm, Party like a Rothstar at 12:46pm, Shedeur Sanders is fine with going to Cleveland, NFL Championship weekend reactions, SB Nation's Mark Schofield at 1:30pm, More comments from the Celebration Ceremony, PFN Contributor Joe DeLeone joins for the Deeper Dive, Damien Woody is ready to call Chiefs the best dynasty, and DeVier Posey calls in to share takes on the Buckeyes at 2:30pm!

Ohio State is a national champion once again after one of the most impressive championship runs we've ever seen.The Buckeyes' four-game run to the national title was one we won't soon forget as Ohio State beat four of the nation's best teams in the College Football Playoff – all by double digits – to turn what could have been one of Ohio State's most disappointing seasons ever into one of its greatest success stories.Ohio State's national championship run featured too many great moments and top performers to highlight them all in just one hour, but we spent our post-championship episode of Real Pod Wednesdays recapping the best of the best from Ohio State's spectacular four-game CFP and contextualizing the legacy of the 2024 Buckeyes.The full rundown for this week's episode:0:00 The Most Memorable Moments from Covering Ohio State's National Championship Victory5:29 Ohio State's Seniors Overcome Years of Disappointments to Go Out on Top7:45 Who Ohio State Had to Beat and How It Won Made OSU's Four-Game CFP Run Special9:29 Ohio State Should Be Remembered More for Its Resiliency Than Its $20 Million Roster15:46 Does Michigan Loss Dampen Championship Season or Make the Ending More Rewarding?26:31 Ryan Day Wins Over His Haters and Establishes His Standing As An Elite Coach35:03 Will Howard, Jeremiah Smith, Quinshon Judkins Among Offensive Stars of CFP Run40:17 Offensive Line Growth Led by Donovan Jackson A Microcosm of Ohio State's Season47:40 Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Jordan Hancock Among Defensive Stars of CFP Run52:07 Our Picks for College Football Playoff MVP

Ohio State is one game away from accomplishing the biggest goal we thought the Buckeyes would achieve when the season began.The Buckeyes didn't always look like a national championship team during the regular season, but they sure have in the College Football Playoff. While they weren't as dominant against Texas as they were in their first two CFP games against Tennessee and Oregon, the CFP semifinal win over the Longhorns may prove to be the defining game of a title run as the Buckeyes showed their resiliency in the fourth quarter and won the game in thrilling fashion.That gives us plenty of confidence that the Buckeyes will finish the job on Monday night and win the first-ever 12-team CFP. If Ohio State plays as well as it has throughout the CFP, the Buckeyes should have a clear advantage over Notre Dame with the Fighting Irish's limited passing offense, though Ohio State will have to contend with Notre Dame's strong running game and defense.We discuss what went well and what didn't for Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl and preview Monday's national championship game on this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.The full rundown for the show:0:00 Ohio State is One Win Away from What Could Be Its Best National Championship Run Ever5:18 Why Jack Sawyer Deserved His Heroic Moment in the Cotton Bowl10:31 Wins over Tennessee and Oregon Were More Dominant, But Texas Win Feels More Memorable14:38 Assessing OSU's Offensive Line Play Against Texas and What It Needs to Do vs. Notre Dame20:51 Many Standouts Against Texas Included TreVeyon Henderson, Will Howard, Jordan Hancock27:57 Notre Dame's Pass Defense is Really Good, But We Don't Expect It to Shut Down Jeremiah Smith33:42 Stopping the Run Will Be Easier Said Than Done, But Ohio State Should Win If It Does39:52 Cody Simon, TreVeyon Henderson, Defensive Tackles Among Players to Watch vs. Notre Dame43:42 Why We're Both Confident Ohio State Will Beat Notre Dame47:43 Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

As well as Ohio State's played so far in the College Football Playoff, it feels like the only team who can beat the Buckeyes is themselves. But that doesn't mean a win over Texas will come easily.The Longhorns are in the CFP semifinals too for a reason, the biggest of which is its defense, which leads the nation in passing yards allowed per attempt. We're not sure if anyone in college football can stop Jeremiah Smith right now, but the Longhorns might be the most well-equipped team in the country to at least slow Ohio State's passing offense down.On the other side of the ball, Ohio State faces a dangerous passing attack led by an old friend in Quinn Ewers. But we expect the Buckeyes' defense to make life difficult for Ewers, especially considering the Longhorns' recent struggles in the running game, and we think Ohio State might hold the quarterback advantage anyway with how well Will Howard has played in Ohio State's first two CFP games.We share our full thoughts on Ohio State's matchup with Texas and make our predictions for how the Buckeyes' Cotton Bowl battle with the Longhorns will play out on this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, as outlined below:0:00 Intro0:58 There's Not Much to Nitpick From Ohio State's Dominant Performance vs. Oregon4:33 Texas Has One of the Nation's Best Pass Defenses, But Can Anyone Stop Jeremiah Smith?11:24 Making Texas' Offense One-Dimensional Could Be the Key to Another Dominant Win18:44 Which Quarterback Would You Rather Have: Will Howard or Quinn Ewers?21:26 Colin Simmons is A Really Good Freshman, But We'll Take Jeremiah Smith23:31 Ohio State's Offensive Line Faces Another Big Test, Will It Rise to the Occasion Again?27:18 Donovan Jackson and Justin Frye Have Both Stepped Up in A Massive Way30:00 Our Biggest Reasons for Confidence and Biggest Reasons for Concern in the Cotton Bowl39:19 Lathan Ransom, Tyleik Williams Among Players to Watch vs. Longhorns42:24 Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Texas45:28 Predictions for Notre Dame vs. Penn State

With the Buckeyes set to play the Ducks on a Wednesday in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays comes one day early as we discuss the keys to the game and make our final predictions for how the game will play out.The full rundown for our Rose Bowl preview edition of RPW:0:00 Setting the Stage for What Should Be A Classic Game2:44 The Buckeyes Have Turned Doubters Into Believers, But There's No Lack of Motivating Factors5:05 Ohio State's Defense Can Make the Difference in the Rematch8:43 But Ohio State's Offense Must Put Up Similar Numbers Without Key Offensive Linemen13:17 Will Oregon Benefit from More Rest or Will Ohio State Benefit from Building Momentum?17:39 Denzel Burke, OTs, DEs, RBs and Jeremiah Smith Among Players to Watch24:50 Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Oregon29:57 Our Predictions for the Other Three College Football Playoff Quarterfinals

Ohio State fans got their Christmas present four days early.In front of a raucous Ohio Stadium crowd that gave the Buckeyes plenty of energy despite a Tennessee takeover attempt, Ohio State gave its fans everything they could have asked for in a 42-17 dismantling of the Volunteers that reestablished the Buckeyes as a national championship contender and punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.The next round could be the biggest hurdle in the Buckeyes' path to actually winning a national championship, as they face the CFP's No. 1 seed in a New Year's Day battle with Oregon at the Rose Bowl, but our belief in Ohio State's ability to beat the Ducks is much higher than it was a week ago based on its performance against the Volunteers.We recap what made Ohio State's showing against Tennessee so impressive and look ahead to the Buckeyes' rematch with Oregon on our Christmas episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, which you can watch in the video at the top of the page or listen to in the audio player below.The full rundown for the show:0:00 Improved Offensive Line Play, Offensive Game Plan Leads to Tour De Force Performance4:37 Will Howard Demonstrates NFL-Caliber Passing Ability in His Best Game As A Buckeye Yet6:45 Did Ohio State Learn Lessons from The Game or Just Not Take Michigan Seriously Enough?16:10 Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau Lead Elite Defensive Effort vs. Tennessee20:32 Buckeye Fans Show Out, CFP Gives OSU Blueprint to Continue Improving Game Environment26:51 Whoever Wins Ohio State vs. Oregon Will Be Our Pick to Win the National Championship31:19 Three Options for Fixing the Unbalanced Seeding in the College Football Playoff Bracket34:47 Pass Defense, Offensive Line Must Prove Their Improvement is Real vs. Oregon43:55 Why We're Both Taking the Over in Ohio State vs. Oregon45:13 Why We're Leaning Ever-So-Slightly Toward Picking the Buckeyes to Beat the Ducks

Three days away from the first-ever College Football Playoff game at Ohio Stadium, our confidence level that Ohio State will beat Tennessee sits at around 60%.Ohio State's interior offensive line remains a major concern as the Buckeyes have opted not to commit to a set trio of starters inside, and we think Tennessee is a well-rounded team capable of challenging Ohio State in all phases of the game. But Ohio State's dominant defense and its elite receiving playmakers still make us think the Buckeyes should beat the Volunteers, though we're both expecting a tight game at the Shoe on Saturday night.In our pre-CFP episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we discuss what concerns us most about the matchup with Tennessee and what gives us confidence in Ohio State, then make our official predictions for not only Ohio State vs. Tennessee but the entire College Football Playoff.The full rundown for our game-week show:0:00 We're Three Days Away from A Historic Night at Ohio Stadium2:10 Why Our Confidence Level in An Ohio State Win is at 60%7:48 Why We're Taking the Points and the Under10:19 Ohio State's Interior Offensive Line Remains A Major Concern Amid Talk of Guard Rotation20:39 Jayden Fielding Will Likely Remain the Kicker Even Though OSU Hasn't Committed to Him Yet23:44 Saturday Night's Forecast Keeps Getting Colder; How Much Will That Impact the Game?30:19 Ohio State's Elite Defense, Receivers Are Reasons to Be Confident in Buckeyes33:56 Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Tennessee35:50 Ohio State Usually Plays Its Best When It's Being Doubted, It Needs to Feed Off That Again39:38 Predicting Who Will Win Every Game in Every Round of the College Football Playoff

Ohio State's College Football Playoff opener is just 10 days away.While there have historically been more than three weeks between Selection Sunday and the marquee bowl games, the wait for games that matter is much shorter this year as the College Football Playoff begins on Dec. 20 and 21. Ohio State will host the last of four first-round games as it welcomes Tennessee to Columbus for an 8 p.m. game in the Shoe on the 21st.With that in mind, we start this week's Real Pod Wednesdays with our initial breakdown of Ohio State's matchup with Tennessee and the challenges the Volunteers will present to the Buckeyes. Ohio State's offensive line will be put to the test again – potentially with a new starting lineup – and the Volunteers' running game is one of the best in the country. But the Buckeyes should still have the edge if they do what they failed to do against Michigan by playing to their strengths in the passing game.We also take a look at Ohio State's College Football Playoff draw as a whole and the challenges that could lie ahead for the Buckeyes if they advance – and whether the draw should affect the requisites for Ryan Day to keep his job. To wrap up this week's show, we discuss what Ohio State needs to accomplish in the transfer portal – starting with beefing up the offensive line – now that it is officially open for players to change teams for the 2025 season.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Adjusting to A New Postseason Schedule1:56 Tennessee's Defensive Front Will Pose Major Test for Ohio State's Offensive Line4:21 Joshua Padilla at Center, Carson Hinzman Back to Guard Among Possible Changes Up Front10:13 Dylan Sampson, Tennessee Rushing Attack Will Challenge Ohio State's Defense12:42 Ohio State Needs to Exploit Advantages in Passing Game, Not Focus Solely on Rushing Battle17:01 Home Field Will Be An Advantage for Ohio State, But Cold Weather Might Not Be20:34 Our Confidence Level Ohio State Will Beat Tennessee: 60-65%23:33 Ohio State is A 7.5-Point Favorite: Too High or Just Right?24:44 Buckeyes Face Daunting Four-Game Path to A National Championship31:08 Why Andy Still Thinks Ryan Day Should Need To Win At Least Two CFP Games to Keep His Job34:18 Ohio State Must Juggle College Football Playoff Preparation with Working the Transfer Portal36:20 No. 2 QB Job for CFP Should Be Open for Competition with Devin Brown's Impending Exit39:34 Ohio State Must Upgrade Offensive Line with Multiple High-Level Transfer Additions48:40 Buckeyes Also Need to Add Kicker, Defensive Linemen in Transfer Portal

Ryan Day said the right things at his press conference on National Signing Day, but that doesn't change the reality surrounding Ohio State's head coach.After losing to Michigan for the fourth year in a row, Day must win in the College Football Playoff to show he should still be the Buckeyes' coach. How many games he must win in the CFP remains up for debate, but the pressure is on for Day to deliver results in the postseason, especially now that Ohio State is safely positioned to host a first-round playoff game.On a late-Wednesday episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we share our thoughts on Day's signing day press conference and what he needs to do to salvage his job before looking ahead at the seeding scenarios for the Buckeyes that remain in play this weekend ahead of Selection Sunday. We finish up the show by sharing our initial thoughts on Ohio State's 2025 recruiting class after 25 players signed with the Buckeyes on Wednesday.The full rundown for our signing day show:0:00 Intro1:02 Ryan Day Shows Accountability in Press Conference, But He's Ultimately Judged on Results6:04 Ohio State Must Be Able to Sustain Confidence in CFP After Failing to Do So vs. Michigan15:40 How Many Games Does Ryan Day Need to Win in the CFP to Keep His Job?26:36 Ohio State Will Be No. 8 Seed in CFP At Worst; Will It Move Up if Penn State and Georgia Lose?39:47 Ranking the Difficulty of Potential Matchups with Tennessee, Alabama and Indiana44:35 Ohio State's 2025 Signing Class Full of Quality Players, But Buckeyes Need More in the Trenches

It's time for war.The LL Cool J song wasn't playing at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Tuesday as it used to during the Urban Meyer years, but the message could still be heard loud and clear as Ryan Day and four of Ohio State's top leaders met with the media four days ahead of The Game. The Buckeyes' confidence entering this year's rivalry game appears very real, but Ohio State isn't overlooking the Wolverines despite their 6-5 record.We share their confidence and believe Ohio State will end its three-game losing streak against the team up north on Saturday, but we also aren't taking the Wolverines lightly. While Ohio State holds most of the advantages in the matchup on paper, Michigan will test the Buckeyes in the trenches – at least with its defensive line vs. Ohio State's offensive line – and that's usually where this game is decided.We share our thoughts on where we see Ohio State having the advantage and where we see the Buckeyes being challenged in this matchup and make our predictions for how The Game will play out on this week's Real Pod Wednesdays. We also have some Thanksgiving week fun at the end of the show by building our ideal Thanksgiving plates (with plenty of football analogies from Dan).The full rundown for this week's Real Pod Wednesdays:0:00 Intro1:07 Andy's Personal Thoughts on What Makes the Ohio State/Michigan Rivalry So Special4:38 This Game Means Everything to Ohio State, and Ryan Day Clearly Understands That Now8:42 Buckeyes Are Approaching This Game As A War10:50 Ohio State Seemingly Views Michigan As A Bigger Threat Than Indiana Was Last Week13:20 Controlling the Line of Scrimmage is Michigan's Road Map to Victory15:55 Both Defensive Lines Have the Edge Over Each Other's Offensive Lines23:02 Ohio State's Defense Should Dominate If It Can Take Away Michigan's Offensive Strengths27:43 Will Howard Proving He's One of Nation's Best QBs and He Understands The Rivalry34:37 Jack Sawyer, Jeremiah Smith, Arvell Reese Among Players to Watch in The Game38:06 Score Predictions for The Game39:56 Building Our Ideal Thanksgiving Plates

An old friend of Eleven Warriors joins this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays to help us break down Ohio State's third top-five opponent of the season.Former Eleven Warriors recruiting reporter Taylor Lehman, who now produces the Indiana football newsletter Bite-Sized Bison, joins us on this week's show to discuss the rise of Indiana football in Curt Cignetti's first season as head coach and what's enabled the Hoosiers to go 10-0 entering their biggest game of the season at Ohio State.Lehman tells us this year's Indiana football team is different even from the good Indiana teams that have challenged Ohio State in the past and says the program under Cignetti reminds him more of the program he covered at Ohio State than past Indiana teams. On the field, Lehman is confident in Indiana's defensive front and passing offense entering the matchup with Ohio State, though establishing a run game and covering the Buckeyes' elite trio of wide receivers will also be crucial to the Hoosiers' success.From start to finish, this week's episode is all about Ohio State vs. Indiana as we focus entirely on the Buckeyes' top-five matchup with the Hoosiers, even after Seth McLaughlin's season-ending injury. (For a more in-depth conversation about McLaughlin's injury and how Ohio State could replace him, watch our most recent episode of Press Coverage).The rundown for this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays:0:00 Welcome Back, Taylor1:14 What It's Been Like to Cover Indiana's Rise to 10-03:32 We Know Indiana is Good, But Is It Good Enough to Beat An Elite Opponent?7:33 How Indiana's Offense Has Become One of the Nation's Best13:25 Mikail Kamara, D'Angelo Ponds Among Stars of Indiana's Top-10 Defense16:54 Defensive Line, Passing Offense Among Strengths That Should Translate vs. Ohio State19:35 Rushing Defense, Establishing Run Among Keys to the Game for Indiana21:11 This Might Not Be Indiana's Biggest Game Ever, But It‘s the Biggest Game in a Long Time23:08 Indiana Should Still Be A College Football Playoff Team Even If It Loses to Ohio State26:52 Taylor's Game Prediction29:11 Seth McLaughlin's Injury Makes Offensive Line the Biggest Concern for Ohio State Again31:34 Passing Defense, Specifically Cornerback Play, the Other Big Question for Ohio State34:41 Josh Fryar, Donovan Jackson, Jack Sawyer Among X-Factors for OSU vs. Indiana38:14 Andy and Dan's Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Indiana

The biggest storyline for Ohio State this week isn‘t who the Buckeyes are playing, but where and when they're playing.Ohio State is expected to win big for the second week in a row as it plays another one of the Big Ten's worst teams in Northwestern one week after blowing out Purdue. This week's game offers a layer of excitement that last week's game didn't, however, because it will be played at Wrigley Field, offering a unique backdrop for an Ohio State football game at one of America's most storied sports venues.That said, the biggest talking point of the week among Buckeye fans has been kickoff times after the Big Ten announced Monday that Ohio State's top-five showdown with Indiana next week will be yet another noon game, which means the Buckeyes will play six noon games in a row to conclude their 2024 regular season. Many Buckeye fans want to see Ohio State play in more night games, but OSU doesn't seem overly eager to push back against early afternoon kickoffs.We begin this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays by sharing our top takeaways from the Buckeyes' 45-point win over the Boilermakers, then look ahead to this week‘s trip to Wrigley before sharing our thoughts on the noon game debate. We wrap up the show by discussing the latest developments in Ohio State basketball as the men's team races out to a 2-0 start while the women's team (also 2-0) makes two home run additions to its coaching staff in Katie Smith and Jacy Sheldon.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 We're Excited to Watch Football at Wrigley2:20 Ohio State's 45-0 Win Over Purdue Was the Uneventful Game It Needed Against A Bad Team4:18 Ohio State's Pass Rush Built Momentum As Defense Had Another Dominant Game vs. Purdue7:20 The Jack Experiment Didn't Work vs. Purdue, But That Didn't Make the Experiment A Bad Idea12:51 Ohio State Makes A Long-Awaited Big Play on Special Teams16:50 Other Standouts vs. Purdue: TreVeyon Henderson, Jeremiah Smith, Eddrick Houston, Sonny Styles26:57 Ohio State Could Have A Home-Field Advantage at Unique Venue vs. Subpar Northwestern Team34:22 Will Ohio State Be Quicker to Take Starters Out in Likely Final Opportunity for Backups to Play?38:07 Both of Our Score Predictions Have the Buckeyes Covering Comfortably40:40 We Like Noon Games and Ohio State Does Too, But Fans Miss Big Home Night Games47:02 Why Ohio State Probably Isn't Inclined to Push Back Against So Many Noon Games52:34 Defensive Intensity, 3-Point Shooting Stand Out in First Two OSU Men's Basketball Games57:14 Katie Smith, Jacy Sheldon Are Home Run Hires for Ohio State Women's Basketball1:01:15 OSU Men's Soccer Competes for A Big Ten Title and Sammy Sasso Returns to the Mat

The vibes are good again surrounding Ohio State football.After three weeks of negativity that followed Ohio State's loss to Oregon and uncomfortably close win over Nebraska, the Buckeyes gave their fans reason to be excited once again as they went on the road and earned a marquee win over Penn State, the No. 3 team in the country at the time. Making the win particularly special for the Buckeyes was how they won the game, as their defense held Penn State without a touchdown while the offensive line carried Ohio State to victory as it ran out the clock in the fourth quarter.Ohio State's improvements in both of those areas from its previous two games restored confidence that the Buckeyes remain a national championship contender, and the College Football Playoff selection committee agreed as it ranked Ohio State second in its initial rankings of 2024 on Tuesday night.With what should be an easy win over Purdue on tap this week, we spend this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays discussing what impressed us most in Happy Valley, where our confidence stands now that Ohio State will achieve its three major goals and how the initial rankings put the Buckeyes in excellent position for the CFP.The rundown for this week's show:0:00 The Vibes Are Good Again for Ohio State Football3:03 Ohio State Finds the Right Lineup Up Front with Donovan Jackson at LT, Carson Hinzman at LG9:48 What's Your Level of Confidence in the Offensive Line Now?12:51 Ohio State's Defense Looks Like the Elite Unit It's Supposed to Be Again16:00 Ohio State's Goal-Line Stand Was Emblematic of What's Made Its Defense Successful19:18 What Ryan Day and Jim Knowles Mean By Getting “Back to Basics” on Defense24:46 What‘s Your Level of Confidence in the Defense Now?28:38 Cody Simon, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins and Jayden Fielding Deserve Shoutouts33:05 Assessing Our Confidence That OSU Will Beat Michigan, Win Big Ten, Win National Championship39:55 The Buckeyes Deserve to Be Ranked Second, And They're In Great Position for the CFP Now44:15 Other Takeaways from the Initial College Football Playoff Rankings49:14 Forgive Us, Ryan Day, But We're Overlooking Purdue54:03 Why Andy Thinks Ohio State Will Cover and Why Dan Thinks OSU Won't Cover vs. Purdue56:00 The Vibes Are Good for Ohio State Basketball and Men's Soccer, Too

Ohio State plays Penn State in its second top-five game of the season on Saturday, while we're just one day away from Halloween.We celebrate both of those momentous occasions on this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.Nearly our entire hour of conversation this week is centered around the Buckeyes' trip to Happy Valley for a game with massive Big Ten championship implications for both teams, mixing in our takeaways from Ohio State's closer-than-expected battle with Nebraska and how that shapes our perception of the Buckeyes entering their second major test of the season.In the spirit of Halloween, our Ohio State vs. Penn State preview show also features a guest appearance from the Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot – who you may recognize as one of Eleven Warriors' own if you listen closely – who serves as our guest picker as we close the show by making our predictions for Saturday's game, where our toaster pastry friend serves as the tiebreaking vote in who will win the nationally anticipated contest.An overview of what we're talking about and when on this week's show:0:00 Intro0:47 More Nerves Than Excitement in Columbus After Near-Disaster vs. Nebraska5:39 Ohio State's Offensive Line Has Re-Emerged As Its Biggest Weakness10:47 Donovan Jackson Moving to Left Tackle in One Week Will Be Tough Transition for Entire OL18:02 Ohio State Might Need to Lean On Passing Game with Will Howard Playing at Elite Level24:09 Pass Rush Improved vs. Nebraska, But Containment Will Be Priority if Beau Pribula is PSU's QB29:14 Both Teams Could Have DE vs. OT Advantage as JT Tuimoloau Returns to Site of His Best Game32:03 Ohio State Should Force Penn State to Beat It With Wide Receivers, Not Tyler Warren37:17 Ryan Day Has Owned James Franklin, But Must Win This Game to Change Big-Game Narrative43:16 Play of Donovan Jackson, Offensive Line Will Likely Determine Outcome of the Game44:49 Jeremiah Smith, Sonny Styles Among Other X-Factors for Ohio State vs. Penn State48:47 Conversation with the Pop-Tarts Bowl Mascot55:39 Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Penn State

Ohio State shouldn't be in danger of losing to Nebraska, but there are plenty of questions surrounding the Buckeyes as their second half of the regular season begins.Three areas in particular will be under the microscope as Ohio State returns from its bye week against Nebraska on Saturday: New starting left tackle Zen Michalski, the Buckeyes' safety depth and their pass rush.Michalski is the player we'll be watching most closely on Saturday as he makes his first career start in place of Josh Simmons, who is out for the rest of the season due to the knee injury he suffered against Oregon. With a massive test looming next week against Penn State and Abdul Carter, can Michalski prove he's up to the task of protecting Will Howard's blind side? If not, how quickly will Ohio State turn to a plan B – and will that plan B be moving Donovan Jackson or Tegra Tshabola outside?Offensive tackle and safety were the positions where we most concerned about Ohio State's depth entering the season, and it appears both will be tested this week after Lathan Ransom was injured last week in practice. While Ryan Day offered no clarity on Ransom's status Tuesday, his non-answer is enough to suggest Ohio State will likely be without him for at least one week. If so, it remains uncertain whether Ohio State will replace him in the lineup with Malik Hartford, Jaylen McClain, Jordan Hancock or Lorenzo Styles Jr. – or some combination of both.The pass rush, meanwhile, has been a major talking point for the past 10 days after Ohio State failed to notch a single sack against Oregon. After Day agreed with Nick Saban's assessment that Ohio State's pass rush scheme isn't working, will we see more creativity from the Buckeyes' pass rush against Nebraska, or will Ohio State save that for next week's trip to Happy Valley? Either way, the Buckeyes need to prove that they can put more pressure on the quarterback this week as they go against another passer who's capable of testing their defense in former Ohio State commit Dylan Raiola.We discuss all of that and more, including our predictions for Ohio State vs. Nebraska and what we saw this past weekend from the likes of Indiana, Michigan, Georgia and Texas, on a new episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.The rundown for this week's episode:0:00 Andy Celebrates His Turkey Bowl Win4:43 Time to Turn the Page from Oregon Loss As Second Half of Ohio State's Regular Season Begins6:56 Dylan Raiola Has Been Inconsistent As A Freshman, But He's Giving Nebraska Hope10:32 Solid Left Tackle Play Without Josh Simmons is the Biggest Thing We Need to See This Week22:35 Ohio State Will Likely Need to Test Depth at Safety This Week With Lathan Ransom Injured31:07 Ohio State Must Get Pass Rush Going vs. Nebraska Even If It Saves Some Tricks for Penn State39:49 OSU Should Look to Help Denzel Burke, Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau with Scheme Adjustments44:41 Score Predictions for An Expected Ohio State Cover vs. Nebraska47:48 Indiana Looks Like A Real Threat While Michigan Might Need to Win This Week for Bowl Eligibility57:13 Texas' Loss to Georgia Further Evidence That Everyone is Beatable in College Football This Year

There's no sugarcoating Ohio State's defensive play against Oregon, but we still think the Buckeyes can achieve all of their goals.Ohio State's defense was bad against Oregon, especially when considering what this year's defense is supposed to be with all of the talent the Buckeyes have on that side of the ball. The Buckeyes' defense gave up way too many big plays without making big plays themselves, allowing eight plays of 25 yards or more while recording zero sacks and zero takeaways.We still believe Ohio State's defense can be the best in the country, but the Buckeyes must take full advantage of their bye week to figure out why they haven't played up to their talent and improve accordingly.Ohio State was much better on the other side of the ball against Oregon, with Will Howard having a great game aside from his mistake on the final play, but Josh Simmons' likely season-ending injury looms large as the Buckeyes must figure out a way to replace arguably their most irreplaceable player at left tackle.All of that said, Ohio State still effectively controls its own destiny in the Big Ten and College Football Playoff races, and we still expect the Buckeyes to prevail as Big Ten and possibly national champions – though they no longer have a mulligan to work with as they enter the second half of the regular season, which includes four challenging games even though we think Oregon is the toughest opponent Ohio State will face until the CFP.We discuss all of that and more, including our thoughts on the controversial pass interference penalty against Jeremiah Smith, Dan Lanning's clever gamesmanship and Ryan Day's late-game clock management, on our Oregon post-mortem/midseason bye week episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.0:00 Intro0:28 Andy's Prevailing Thoughts on the Oregon Loss: Defense Disappoints, Will Howard Impresses5:28 Josh Simmons' Injury Hurts Ohio State's Outlook More Than the Oregon Loss8:27 No Sacks, No Takeaways and Eight 25+ Yard Plays Allowed: A Bad Combination11:25 We Weren't Confident OSU's Defense Would Make A Late Stop, Which Sums Up How It Played14:10 Ohio State's Defense Still Has the Talent to Be the Nation's Best, But Must Figure Out Fixes17:09 One Game Shouldn't Define Denzel Burke, But Jermaine Mathews Jr. Should Get More Reps22:06 Pass Interference Call Was Questionable, But We Tip Our Hats to Dan Lanning's Gamesmanship31:22 Was Throwing in Field Goal Range A Mistake or Should Ryan Day's Aggressiveness Be Lauded?34:37 Why Andy Thinks the Narrative About Ohio State's Final Drive in 2022 Peach Bowl is Unfair36:46 Ryan Day's Late-Game Clock Management Needs to Be Better, But Everything's Easier in Hindsight39:35 Ohio State Has Used Its Mulligan, But Still Controls Its Destiny in Big Ten and CFP Races44:13 Options to Replace Josh Simmons: Zen Michalski, Austin Siereveld and Donovan Jackson?49:30 National Championship Confidence Has Decreased, But We're Still Picking OSU to Achieve Its Goals55:35 Andy Will Spend His Bye-Week Saturday Playing Football

It's time for our first true look at what this year's Ohio State football team is made of.The first half of the season has all built up to this week's road trip to Oregon, where the second-ranked Buckeyes will face the third-ranked Ducks in what's not only one of the biggest games of Ohio State's regular season but one of the biggest games of the entire year in all of college football. While Ohio State was heavily favored to win all of its first five games, this week brings a true matchup game for the Buckeyes in which they'll be tested in all phases.Ohio State has some potential advantages over Oregon, with its defensive line and running game looking like two of its biggest strengths. But the Buckeyes will have to break the trend of the past three weeks in which teams throughout the Big Ten have lost after long road trips. Will Howard faces his first major test as Ohio State's quarterback, the offensive line faces its first major test in pass protection and the Buckeyes' pass defense must prove it's up to the task against an Oregon offense full of weapons.We spend more than an hour previewing the game from all angles on this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays. The rundown below highlights some of the main topics we covered in our breakdown of the Buckeyes vs. the Ducks.0:00 The First Marquee Game for Ohio State Has Arrived4:30 OSU Offensive Line Passed A Test vs. Iowa, But Oregon Presents Bigger Test in Pass Protection12:05 Defensive Front Has Momentum Off Iowa Dominance, But Oregon Brings Different Challenges18:36 Ohio State's Pass Defense Has Something to Prove Against Best Offense It's Faced So Far24:39 A Massive Measuring-Stick Game for Will Howard33:38 Running the Ball Effectively to Take Pressure Off of Howard Will Be Crucial39:04 Continuing to Excel in Red Zone, Situational Football Could Make the Difference43:22 Why the Challenge of A Long Road Trip Shouldn't Be Overlooked50:44 Keys to the Game: Winning the Battle in the Trenches and the Running Game55:48 The Importance of Avoiding Mistakes on Special Teams56:54 Why Carnell Tate, Caleb Downs Are Our X-Factors for the Game59:10 Our Score Predictions and Levels of Confidence in an Ohio State Win

Ohio State's first month of the season is complete and we're still feeling good about our preseason picks that the Buckeyes can win this year's national championship.There's still a couple of lingering question marks, though it's not necessarily what we thought the biggest concerns would be going into the season, as Ohio State's linebacker play has been shaky while its offensive line has exceeded expectations. And there are certainly bigger tests to come than what the Buckeyes have faced so far, including this Saturday's game against Iowa at Ohio Stadium (3:30 p.m., CBS).With that being said, we both agree that we're feeling just as if not more confident that Ohio State can achieve its goals of beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten and winning the national championship one month into the season as we did before it began.On this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we evaluate what we saw from Ohio State in the first month of the season before looking ahead to this week's matchup against the Hawkeyes and the challenges they'll present to the Buckeyes in the ground game on both sides of the ball.The rundown for this week's conversation:0:00 Intro3:27 Run Game, Jeremiah Smith, Safety Play Among Most Impressive Aspects of First Month17:10 Linebacker Play Among Areas Where Defense Can Grow30:40 Will Howard and Offensive Line Have Played Well, Still Have More to Prove vs. Better Defenses38:45 Why Our Confidence That OSU Can Win the National Championship Has Only Grown42:49 Iowa Will Test Ohio State in Run Game, But Buckeyes Should Have Advantage in Pass Game51:24 Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Iowa

Ohio State appears to have plenty of competition in the Big Ten as the Buckeyes begin conference play this week.While we agree with the widespread consensus that Ohio State is the class of the conference, that doesn't mean the Buckeyes will easily run the table to a Big Ten title. Their conference schedule includes three of the conference's other marquee teams – Oregon, Penn State and Michigan – while Iowa, Indiana and Nebraska have all established themselves firmly in the middle of the conference's pack with the potential to surge higher.Ohio State's first Big Ten opponent can't be overlooked either. Michigan State enters this week's matchup against the Buckeyes with a 3-1 record, having already earned one conference win over Maryland, and the Spartans will be the toughest competition Ohio State has faced so far this season on both sides of the ball after the Buckeyes started their year with a trio of tuneup games against overmatched Group of 5 opponents.That said, we spend most of this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays taking a big-picture look at the Big Ten and assessing which teams have impressed us most through the first four weeks of the season before turning our attention to the matchup with Michigan State and making our predictions for how the Buckeyes' battle with the Spartans will play out.The full rundown for this week's episode:0:00 Intro – The Tests Start Getting Tougher This Week at Michigan State5:52 Oregon is Still Ohio State's Top Competition in the Big Ten10:08 Penn State is Probably the Big Ten's Third-Best Team, But Big Tests Await vs. Illinois and USC14:17 Illinois and Even Nebraska Look Improved, But Both Still Have to Prove Themselves16:28 Michigan Shows It Can't Be Written Off With Win over USC23:05 Indiana Looks Like An 8+ Win Team27:45 Rutgers is Off to An Impressive Start, Too31:14 Iowa's Resurgent Running Game Makes It Dangerous35:24 Ranking Ohio State's Big Ten Games From Most Difficult (Oregon) to Least Difficult (Purdue)45:25 Aidan Chiles' Ability to Throw Deep and Run Makes Michigan State A Test for OSU Defense54:22 MSU's Balanced Defense Will Be Toughest Competition So Far for Ohio State Offense56:19 Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Michigan State59:03 As Big Ten Play Begins, The Focus Should Be On One Week At A Time

Ohio State's first two games have given us a look at how the Buckeyes' depth chart stacks up at every position, and the Buckeyes appear to be loaded just about everywhere.The Buckeyes haven't faced any real tests yet, and they won't this week either – at least we don't think so – as Ohio State hosts Marshall in its final non-conference game of the regular season, a game the Buckeyes are favored to win by 40 points.That said, the Buckeyes have looked the part of an elite team so far, dominating their first two opponents with a 52-6 win over Akron and a 56-0 rout of Western Michigan. Ohio State's starting lineup is full of stars on both sides of the ball, and the first two games have demonstrated that the Buckeyes have a lot of talented backups, too.On this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we take a look at how Ohio State's depth chart stacks up at every position so far this season and evaluate where the Buckeyes are the deepest and where question marks still linger.Following a nearly hourlong discussion on the Buckeyes' depth chart spanning their offense, defense and special teams, we conclude the show by making our predictions for how the Buckeyes will fare against the Thundering Herd and whether Michigan is headed for its second loss of September when it hosts USC this weekend.The full rundown for this week's episode:0:00 Intro4:46 Will Howard Solidified as Starting Quarterback; Could Julian Sayin Become No. 2 QB?10:47 James Peoples Proving Himself as RB3 Behind TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins13:46 Ohio State's Receiving Corps Looks Better Than Last Year Even Without Marvin Harrison Jr.19:40 Tight End Group Showing Depth But No Go-To Guy Yet24:07 Ohio State's Interior Offensive Line Two-Deep Looking Strong29:27 Offensive Tackle Depth Remains the Biggest Concern on Ohio State's Depth Chart31:46 Defensive End is Ohio State's Deepest Position33:46 OSU Still Looking for More Defensive Tackle Depth Behind Strong Top Three38:30 Arvell Reese's Outstanding Start Bolsters Ohio State's Linebacker Depth41:38 Jermaine Mathews Jr., Lorenzo Styles Jr., Aaron Scott Jr. Giving OSU Great Cornerback Depth46:36 Safety Depth Remains Question Even with Malik Hartford, Jaylen McClain Surging49:32 With Joe McGuire's Emergence at Punter, Kick Returner is Biggest Special Teams Question53:39 Why We Both Expect Another Blowout Win from Ohio State vs. Marshall57:06 Is Michigan Destined for Its Second Loss of September vs. USC?1:02:26 Nebraska/Illinois, Michigan State/BC Among Other Big Ten Games to Watch This Weekend

If you've been following the TTUN Scandal threads on Eleven Warriors‘ message board, you‘re undoubtedly familiar with the name Premierdrum by now.For those who haven't, Premierdrum is one of several Eleven Warriors site members – along with Brohio and 22buck, among others – who have taken it upon themselves to dig into the Michigan sign-stealing scandal and share what they've learned from their investigative reporting in the 11W forum. Premierdrum, who formerly worked for multiple Columbus TV stations, has used his background as a media member to uncover information about the NCAA's investigation into Michigan and potential punishments the Wolverines could face as the NCAA awaits Michigan's response to its Notice of Allegations.Premierdrum's posts have drawn thousands of daily visitors to Eleven Warriors as his reporting has garnered attention from Ohio State fans and others following the scandal, so we invited him onto this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays to share how and why he started reporting on the scandal, what he's uncovered through his reporting and why he believes major sanctions and a possible coaching change could be coming for the Wolverines.(Disclaimer: Premierdrum is not an employee of Eleven Warriors and his reports have not been confirmed by Eleven Warriors staff unless otherwise stated.)Following our conversation with Premierdrum, Dan and Andy delve into the trouble Michigan is facing on the field after suffering a 31-12 loss to Texas this past weekend. Ohio State, on the other hand, looked like a championship-caliber team in its 56-0 win over Western Michigan, and we wrap up the show by talking about what impressed us most from the Buckeyes' dominant performance against the Broncos.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Intro1:11 How Premierdrum Became An Investigative Reporter on the Michigan Scandal4:45 Why Reality Could Be About to Catch Up with the Wolverines6:56 The Evidence Against Michigan11:05 Why “Three Goofballs on a Message Board” Are Worth Listening To13:46 Potential Punishments (And A Coaching Change?) for Michigan18:04 Why the NCAA Wants to Make An Example of Michigan22:36 Could Michigan Self-Impose A Postseason Ban?27:06 Premierdrum's Thoughts on “Untold: Sign Stealer” and Connor Stalions29:02 Premierdrum's Excitement to Be in the “Find Out” Phase of the Scandal31:38 Premierdrum's Closing Thought: Support the Ohio State Marching Band32:18 Dan and Andy React to What They Heard from Premierdrum38:45 Michigan Doesn't Look Like A Team That Will Be in the CFP This Season Either Way46:31 Ohio State Looked Like A Championship-Caliber Team Against Western Michigan49:57 Offensive Line, Chip Kelly's Playcalling Among Ohio State's Week 2 Standouts51:58 Ryan Day Making Bigger Impact on Other Units With Chip Calling Offensive Plays54:22 Is Oregon Still the Second-Best Team in the Big Ten After Slow Start?

We said last week that anything less than perfection against Akron could be seen as a disappointment for Ohio State's season opener, and that's pretty much how it played out.With all the hype Ohio State entered the season with, much of the focus in the days following the Buckeyes' first game of the year has been on what could have gone better – namely, an underwhelming start for the offense and specifically the offensive line, particularly in run blocking. But Ohio State still won its season opener by 46 points, which means there were far more positives than negatives.There was no bigger positive than the play of Will Howard, who exhibited none of the accuracy issues that were present in the earlier stages of the offseason as he impressed as a passer while also proving to be a clear upgrade for the Buckeyes in terms of athleticism and pocket presence at the quarterback position. Other promising developments from the Buckeyes' 52-6 victory included the immediate impact of Jeremiah Smith, the depth that stepped up in the defensive front six and the explosive punt returns of Brandon Inniss.We spend more than half of this week's show discussing our takeaways from the season opener before looking ahead to the Buckeyes' second game this weekend against Western Michigan, who they'll host in Ohio Stadium at night on Saturday. In the final segment of the show, we share our biggest takeaways from what we saw from the rest of college football in Week 1 as Oregon and Michigan struggled to beat lesser opponents, USC made a statement in its season opener and Florida State and Clemson stumbled out of the gates.The rundown for Real Pod Wednesdays post-Week 1:0:00 Intro0:57 Ohio State's Season Opener Wasn't Perfect, But the Buckeyes Still Won By 467:37 The Offensive Line Needs to Improve, But There's Plenty of Time For It to Grow9:33 Will Howard Looks Like A Quarterback Upgrade in Impressive Debut14:28 Jeremiah Smith is Special18:07 A Great Start for Ohio State's Defense, Especially Its Defensive End Depth22:36 Has Arvell Reese Already Surpassed C.J. Hicks at Linebacker?28:51 Sonny Styles, Gabe Powers Also Impress at Linebacker30:52 Brandon Inniss Looks Ready to End Ohio State's Punt Return Touchdown Drought35:21 OSU Still Wants Nick McLarty to Emerge, But Joe McGuire Had A Good Showing at Punter37:12 Western Michigan Can't Be Overlooked After Playing Wisconsin Tough, But OSU Should Still Win Big42:41 Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Western Michigan45:27 Oregon is Still Ohio State's Top Competition in Big Ten, But Must Play Better vs. Boise State48:09 Michigan's Opener Shows Major Concerns on Offense51:20 Penn State, USC Highlight A Very Good All-Around Week 1 for the Big Ten54:11 Miami Looks Like Early ACC Favorite As Florida State, Clemson Stumble Out of Gates

Ohio State's first game of the 2024 season is just three days away and Connor Stalions has broken his silence.On this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we preview Ohio State's season opener against Akron and share our thoughts on Netflix's Connor Stalions documentary while also making some big-picture predictions for the Buckeyes' 2024 season.In the first 20 minutes of the show, we discuss what we're most eager to see from the Buckeyes in their first game of the year after eight months of hype and make our predictions for whether Ohio State will cover the 48.5-point spread.In the middle segment of the show, we hand out some preseason superlatives by making our predictions for who will be the Buckeyes' team MVP, All-Americans, breakout stars (other than Jeremiah Smith) and unsung heroes this season.In the final third of the show, we give our opinions on what Stalions had to say about his role leading Michigan's sign-stealing operation and why his story doesn't add up, with a shoutout to Eleven Warriors' own Brohio for his role in “Untold: Sign Stealer.”The full rundown for our opening-week edition of RPW:0:00 Intro0:38 What We're Most Eager to See in Ohio State's Season Opener3:16 Everything Must Be Kept in Perspective in A Season Opener Against Akron9:16 How Early Should The Backups Come In If The Game Becomes A Blowout?13:30 Balancing Rotation and Experimentation with Building Rhythm and Chemistry18:29 Why We Think Ohio State Will Cover the Spread21:32 The Unanimous 11W Pick: Ohio State over Georgia in the National Championship Game24:03 Team MVP Picks: Caleb Downs and Denzel Burke27:12 How Many First-Team All-Americans Will Ohio State Have This Season?32:30 Breakout Stars: Sonny Styles and Josh Simmons37:04 Unsung Heroes: Lathan Ransom and Ty Hamilton42:14 Why Connor Stalions' Story Doesn‘t Add Up51:41 Recognition for Brohio and Other Investigators in the Eleven Warriors Community54:38 Now We Await Michigan's Sanctions (Which Likely Won't Come Until 2025)

Ohio State's 2024 roster is loaded with star players, but some of them would be tougher to replace than others.While there's no question that the likes of Denzel Burke, Jack Sawyer and Emeka Egbuka rank among Ohio State's best players entering the 2024 season, the Buckeyes have enough depth at each of their positions to be OK if someone misses time. Losing a starting offensive tackle, safety or Will Howard, on the other hand, could be more concerning.On this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we discuss which Ohio State players most need to stay healthy and perform well for the Buckeyes to achieve their goals of beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten and winning the national championship this season.Later in the show, we also discuss the ongoing backup quarterback competition between Devin Brown and Julian Sayin, why Justin Frye should be on the hot seat and why we think the Buckeyes got it right with their captain selections.The full rundown for this week's show:0:00 Intro4:12 As Ohio State's New Starting QB, Will Howard Stands Out As Important Player11:03 Why Josh Simmons, Josh Fryar Might Actually Be OSU's Most Indispensable Players17:12 Ohio State's Most Important Defensive Player: Caleb Downs or Lathan Ransom?20:33 Jordan Hancock's Unique Skill Set at Nickel Makes Him One of Most Vital Defenders23:45 Cody Simon, Ty Hamilton Are Important Defenders Who Shouldn‘t Be Overlooked28:20 Donovan Jackson Being Dominant is Crucial to Offensive Line's Success30:25 Why Will Kacmarek Might Be the Most Important Non-QB or Lineman on Offense33:09 Both Top Running Backs Are Needed, But We're Confident in James Peoples35:57 Who is More Likely to Start A Game This Season: Devin Brown or Julian Sayin?41:25 Only A National Championship-Caliber Offensive Line Should Save Justin Frye's Job50:08 Sawyer, Simon, Egbuka and Henderson Were The Captains We Expected

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Dan joins us from Columbus to recap the Buckeyes offseason and the biggest stories from Big Ten Media Days. Is it title or bust for Ryan Day? What does their fanbase think of Will Howard? How does OSU's defense look?