Ohio State opened up the 2024 season with a 52-6 win over Akron that started slow but ended with plenty of points on both sides of the ball On this episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Stefan Krajisnik and Andrew Gillis discuss what they learned about OSU after Week 1. They discuss the positives and negatives from an up-and-down day on offense. Then on defense, highlight the players that immediately stood out. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Friday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Stefan Krajisnik and Andrew Gillis break down Ohio State's season-opener against Akron and make their picks. Here's what gets discussed: What do you want to see from Ohio State's offense and defense in a game where the talent is so lopsided? The trio returns to make their game picks. Plus a look at some non-OSU games that might matter to the Buckeyes. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s another Mark It Down Monday, and as the 2024 college football season draws near, it’s time for Stephen Means, Stefan Krajisnik and Andrew Gillis to check in with some major predictions. In this episode, it’s the Heisman Trophy and Ohio State's recent history of finalists. Since Ryan Day arrived in 2017, OSU has had at least one finalist in all but two years. Three have been quarterbacks, plus a wide receiver and a defensive end. Can that run continue in 2024? They each provide who they think will be the top four for the award and why they picked the winner. Plus a conversation about whether a third non-quarterback could join Chase Young and Marvin Harrison Jr. by doing so. Thanks for listening to another Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew discuss Ohio State football's tight and defensive line positions. They highlight the different vibes from the defensive line coach and the tight ends coach when discussing their position groups. While one group seems to be confident about its options heading into a 2024 season where OSU could play as many as 17 games, the other is still trying to figure out how to replace the production of a two-year starter, who's off to the NFL. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On this episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means and Nathan Baird discuss the wide receiver room at Ohio State. They compare the current group to the 2022 wide receiver room and highlight the confidence Brian Hartline has in the young players. They also discuss the importance of culture and mental toughness in the wide receiver room. The conversation touches on Bryson Rogers’ decision to return to Ohio State and the potential breakout seasons of Brandon Innis and Carnell Tate. They also discuss the impact of Chip Kelly’s presence on Brian Hartline and his development as a coach. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On this episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means and Nathan Baird discuss the back seven of Ohio State's defense. The discussion highlights the cross-training and position flexibility of players like Sonny Styles and CJ Hicks. The depth and competition in the linebacker room are explored, as well as the handling of expectations and the development of CJ Hicks. The conversation also delves into the competition between cornerbacks and wide receivers, and the impact of Jim Knowles’ defensive scheme and the talent at Ohio State. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Big Ten will announce its all-conference teams and players of the year beginning Tuesday through Thursday. Nathan Baird and Doug Lesmerises talk about which Ohio State players will be first-team selections and which deserving players might get overlooked. Nathan also discloses some of the tougher choices on his ballot. First up, though, on this rare Tuesday episode of Buckeye Talk -- we take you behind the scenes of one of the long-standing traditions on cleveland.com's Ohio State beat. Every year we prepare for the open locker room at the Big Ten championship game by holding a draft of the players we will interview. These are never the obvious stars of the team, who we have regular access to throughout the year. These are the players who either are not playing much and we want to know why, or are true freshmen poised for bigger roles in the following season. There will be no open locker room after this year's game due to COVID-19, but we held the draft anyway to give you a peek inside how we approach the job and delve into some discussions on out of sight out of mind players. Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Monday Madness Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com, Nathan Baird and Doug Lesmerises kick off Big Ten Championship Game week with a discussion about what the Ohio State Buckeyes need to do against Northwestern in Indianapolis on Saturday to slam the door on the SEC believing it should get a second team in the playoff instead of the Buckeyes getting in there. There's a look at Illinois firing Lovie Smith, a discussion of all the Big Ten matchups this weekend and answers from the text subscribers on whether they'd rather see Ohio State play Northwestern or Michigan on Saturday. Then Nathan and Doug discuss the Northwestern defense, the betting line for this game, whether USC should be ranked higher on Nathan's AP ballot and how they think the final four for the playoff will look a week from now. Will the Buckeyes wind up playing Alabama, Notre Dame or Clemson in a semfinal? Thanks for listening to this Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State's 2024 Pro Day for the NFL Draft featured a smaller list of participants than most would've expected a year ago, with Marvin Harrison Jr. choosing not to participate in the draft process. On this episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis discuss Harrison's approach and speculate on his potential draft position. They also analyze the quarterbacks' performance at Pro Day even if Will Howard and Devin Brown weren't the players being evaluated by NFL scouts. Plus a conversation about OSU's star defensive ends and which one could end up going higher in the 2025 NFL Draft. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State will not play The Game against Michigan on Saturday due to the Wolverines' coronavirus cases. The Big Ten also apparently could not figure out some other way to get the Buckeyes. The result is maybe the worst weekend of Big Ten football ever, or at least in recent memory. But the Buckeye Talk crew valiantly came together to make their weekly picks.   The Buckeyes are playing a "mock game" in practice on Friday. Which OSU offensive and defensive units would have the edge if they went head-to-head in a scrimmage. All of that, plus why Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is such a little weasel.   Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this big Thursday Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com, Nathan Baird, Doug Lesmerises and Stephen Means step away from the upheaval of this week, with the cancellation of the Michigan game and the Big Ten decision to allow Ohio State to play in the Big Ten Championship Game despite playing only five regular-season games. That's been discussed. So let's do some football talk again. On this pod, Nathan, Doug and Stephen each give their top 10 list of the best Ohio State players this season. Of course Justin Fields is high on that list, but how does someone like defensive tackle Haskell Garrett fit in? How about offensive tackles Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere? Linebackers Pete Werner and Baron Browning? Receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson? Tight ends Jeremy Ruckert and Luke Farrell? There's a pretty deep list of guys doing their jobs in 2020, and this episode is all about ranking them, It's a good look at the full roster, so thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We covered our initial reaction to the cancellation of The Game in Tuesday's emergency edition of Buckeye Talk. Now, we delve into YOUR reaction. How did you feel when you heard Ohio State and Michigan would not play for the first time in 103 years? Which of the available options do you want the Big Ten to implement, and which one do you think is most likely? Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means discussed all of that. Also, what did Tuesday night's College Football Playoff rankings reveal tell us about where the Buckeyes stand heading into this weekend? Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ohio State-Michigan game is canceled See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michigan's coronavirus cases forced the cancellation of The Game, meaning Ohio State will not play the Wolverines for the first time in 103 years. Doug Lesmerieses, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means cut through all the chaos for their quick reaction to the news and thoughts on what might come next. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday Madness meets The Game. Or does it? We have reached the final week of the regular season, which should mean Ohio State playing Michigan in the Big Ten's biggest rivalry. But the Wolverines may not be able to play due to coronavirus cases. Nathan Baird and Doug Lesmerises look at the various options available to the Big Ten if Michigan -- and perhaps another team or teams -- cannot play. They also discuss the historic 30-point spread in favor of the Buckeyes and the coming resolution on the what-ifs in the College Football Playoff race. Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State beat Michigan State 52-12 on Saturday after missing last week's game because of positive COVID-19 tests. Overall, Ohio State was without 17 scholarship players for various reasons, including three starting offensive linemen and important defenders like Tuf Borland, Tyler Friday and Josh Proctor. Head coach Ryan Day also missed the game because of his positive COVID-19 test. So what did Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means learn about the 5-0 Buckeyes while they were short-handed? On this postgame podcast the topics include the defensive play, the new plan for the secondary, the interim win for Larry Johnson, a bad ABC broadcast, the new offensive line starters, Trey Sermon's big runs and what this all means for the Buckeyes in their playoff positioning. Thanks for listening to this postgame Buckeye Talk Podcast from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our typical Friday picks and preview pod here at Buckeye Talk, but we're expanding it. In a week where the main issue was whether the Buckeyes would even be able to play at Michigan State on Saturday, there wasn't a lot of football analysis. So Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means made their picks for Ohio State vs. the Spartans, but they didn't dwell on it. So they got into other things, led by questions from text subscibers. The main two issues were how Ohio State would fare on the field against other College Football Playoff contenders like Georgia, Texas A&M, Florida, Cincinnati, Clemson, Notre Dame and Alabama. All three guys gave their thoughts on that. Then the question came in from several texters on whether Urban Meyer is a legitimate candidate for the Texas job, and what would happen if he winds up leading the Longhorns. That, of course, was an interesting discussion. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this big Thursday Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, The Game is on our minds. Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means look at where things stand with the Ohio State and Michigan football programs and their COVID-19 cases, and what that might mean for the Ohio State vs. Michigan game scheduled for Dec. 12. A texter survey gave a window into the thoughts of fans on this as Doug, Nathan and Stephen discussed what current rules about COVID-19 the Big Ten might change, if Ohio State could get a different opponent for the last week of the regular season, what Kirk Herbstreit said about Michigan possibly trying to dodge Ohio State, whether the Michigan game or the College Football Playoff is more important to OSU fans, whether the Michigan game should have been played earlier in the season, and if the four-team playoff has made everyone obsessed with the playoff at the expense of everything else in college football. It's an odd, confusing time, but if you're stressed about what's happening with college football, let the podcast take on your stress for two hours. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a preview of the early college football signing period that is two weeks away, as Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Doug Lesmerises dive into the 2021 Ohio State recruiting class on this Buckeye Talk. With 20 verbal commitments, the Buckeyes have the No. 2-rated class in the nation, behind only Alabama. It features a five-star defensive end, two big-time running back recruits, a five-star quarterback and five recruits ready to rebuild Ohio State's secondary. Who are they? How did they get here? Which players might have roles right away in 2021? And what are the possible positions in 2021 where the Buckeyes will really need young players to step up? Stephen, Nathan and Doug get into all of that, so prepare for a deep dive recruiting episode that also gives a good look ahead to how the overall 2021 roster will shape up. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird, and Andrew Gillis discuss Ryan Day’s first interview since Tony Alford’s departure as Ohio State’s running backs coach. They analyze Day’s demeanor and approach to the situation, emphasizing the need to move forward and focus on finding a replacement. The conversation also delves into the importance of recruiting and player development for the running back position. The hosts speculate on the timeline for hiring a new coach and discuss potential candidates. They also provide updates on the offensive line battle and the depth at the tight end position. The episode concludes with a discussion on Day’s special teams discussion with a former Ohio State coach. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Buckeyes deal with COVID-19 cases in the football program. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Monday Madness edition of Buckeye Talk, Nathan Baird, Doug Lesmerises and Stephen Means debate how the college football committee will view the Buckeyes as they missed another game. Is Florida gaining on Ohio State when it comes to playoff resume? Plus, how Ohio State handled its weekend COVID news conference; how Alabama and Notre Dame should be ranked; the lingering questions about the OSU pass defense; and what Urban Meyer said about BYU. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices