Buckeye Talk: Ohio State podcast by cleveland.com

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Jim Tressel, rivalry coach; transfer cornerbacks; and more suggestions Ohio State can use to beat Michigan Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

On this Wednesday Buckeye Talk, the call went out to Ohio State text subscribers to send in concrete suggestions that Ohio State could try to help the Buckeyes prepare for Michigan next season.

From adding players to changing assistants to a different offensive focus to play calling responsibilities, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means ran through about 15 of the best and most interesting suggestions that were sent in.

Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk.

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Ohio State-Michigan rants: From play calling to Ohio players to social media and more Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises took in everything Ohio State text subscribers had to offer for the last two days and decided on these 10 points to hit on this slightly different version of a rants pod:

6:30 -- Ohio State losing to Michigan for the first time in the social media age

18:22 -- Whether stability breeds winning, or winning breeds stability

21:42 -- Play calling issues for Ryan Day and Jim Knowles

45:30 -- Ryan Day in equal talent games

50:00 -- How Ryan Day is in the opposite place of Jim Tressel

58:21 -- The right balance of Ohio players on the roster

1:03:46 -- Is recruiting bringing in enough talent at all positions?

1:11:54 -- OSU fans eventually get mad at all coaches

1:19:11 -- This loss was worse because it was unexpected

1:23:37 -- Comparing Ryan Day to Mark Helfrich

Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com.

Ohio State's slim playoff chances; Luke Fickell to Wisconsin; mashed potatoes; and more Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

On this Monday episode of Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird are taking a bit of a step back from Ohio State's loss to Michigan to look at the Buckeyes in the national picture and to discuss Big Ten coaching. The pod will get back to what happened in The Game and the state of the rivalry in the next few days.

Here, Doug and Nathan start by discussing if Ohio State could back into the College Football Playoff as a No. 4 seed and how the selection committee might view the Buckeyes vs. USC right now.

Then (31:56) it's onto Big Ten coaching and the surprise hiring of Luke Fickell by Wisconsin. Who will be the best coaches in the Big Ten in two years? Where does Ryan Day fit? And, just to get a read on fans, texters were asked if they'd fire Day right now if they were in charge. Doug and Nathan discuss those survey results.

Finally, (1:21:31) it's Whatcha Watchin', Whatcha Eatin' and Whatcha Thinkin' as Wakanda Forever, Thanksgiving food (again), Nathan's cough and if everyone will be happier in a 12-team playoff are discussed.

Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk.

Ohio State loses to Michigan postgame: What went wrong for the Buckeyes, and what to do now Nov 27, 2022

Show notes

On this postgame edition of Buckeye Talk after Ohio State's 45-23 loss to Michigan, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means break down Ohio State's second straight loss in The Game and what it means for both programs.

First (0:30), the discussion is about where Ohio State's defense failed against Michigan's offense. That includes the idea that the Wolverines were propelled by two players who could have been Buckeyes.

Then (40:30), the discussion turns to the Ohio State offense, which scored just three points in the second half. From play calling to personnel, why didn't the Buckeyes score more?

Included in that is a discussion (1:18:30) about whether Ryan Day should have gone for it on fourth-and-5 in the third quarter.

The final discussion (1:37:49) is all about Day and where the coach and program go from here.

Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk.

Ohio State-Michigan game preview and picks: The effect of emotion, surprise players and injuries Nov 25, 2022

Show notes

On this game preview edition of Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means dig in deep on the matchup between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan, while Michigan writer Aaron McMann stops by for a segment to lend his expertise.

First, the guys start (0:45) on the Ohio State offense vs. the Michigan defense. Will C.J. Stroud provide some magic? Will Dallan Hayden carry the rushing load? And is the Michigan pass rush a problem?

Then (40:43) it's a quick look at potential surprise players for The Game, as the guys give their choices.

Then (47:54) it's Ohio State defense vs. Michigan offense. Will the Jim Knowles plan work? And might Michigan wind up relying on quarterback J.J. McCarthy more than ever?

Then it's a visit from McMann (1:02:30), who provides a look at what Michigan might be like if star running back Blake Corum is out or severely limited.

Finally (1:32:28), Doug, Nathan and Stephen make their picks for The Game.

Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com.

How to bet rivalries, and how often Ohio State and Michigan coaches beat the spread in The Game: Betting the Buckeyes Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

On this week's version of Betting the Buckeyes on Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises and Tyler Shoemaker are back to talk about Ohio State football and national college football from a betting perspective.

First, (1:00) they discuss how to bet rivalries and how intangibles factor into a bet. Then they talk about the 7.5-point spread for Ohio State-Michigan and how much more Ohio State was favored by several weeks ago. Tyler gives his numbers for the game, and the guys agree on which side of the total they like, and Doug suggests a parley. Finally, TShoe suggests his Ohio State bet of the week.

Then (17:38) it's onto the Power Five conferences with Doug and Tyler each making five bets there. Doug is very excited about his record last week.

In the final segment (40:06), Tyler picks his upset special and gives out his three best bets of the week after going 3-0 on best bets last week. Then it's time for another gambling tidbit, and this one is a little more sophisticated.

Thanks for listening to Betting the Buckeyes on Buckeye Talk.

Disclamer:

Broken hands; rushing smart; jumping Georgia; setting back Michigan; and how chippy will The Game be? Rapid fire Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

On this Thanksgiving Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means are taking rapid fire questions from text subscribers about Ohio State football and the The Game. Among the topics covered:

How should Ohio State rush JJ McCarthy?
Will CJ Stroud remember Desmond Howard and take it out on Michigan?
Tommy Eichenberg's broken hands
Jaxon Smith-Njigba expectations
How chippy will The Game be?
Could Ohio State jump Georgia with a win?
How does the media feel this week?
Could Jayden Ballard play a role Saturday?
Ryan Day can't overthink or be too conservative
A draft of Thanksgiving side dishes
How much would a loss set Michigan back?
Should OSU fans rush the field with a win?
What base was Jim Harbaugh born on?
Would OSU fans accept a new version of The 10-Year War?

Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. And Happy Thanksgiving.

Disclamer:

Jack Sawyer; a toughness battle; delays of game; and cherishing the rivalry: Ohio State rants Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

On this Wednesday episode of Buckeye Talk rants, Doug Lesmerises takes another list of rants from text subscribers (sign up for free texts at 614-350-3315) and runs through what's on the mind of Ohio State fans and what matters the most during Ohio State-Michigan week.

Topics discussed include:

How Jack Sawyer might be used
Don't get trapped in a toughness battle
Wishing The Game wasn't Thanksgiving week
Cherishing the privilege of the game in what might be the last, best version of it
Comparing Michigan to Tresselball
Homefield for Ohio State
How Doug says im-por-tant
Divulging little tidbits about The Game
Kicking off at noon
Predicting this game would be 11-0 vs. 11-0
Paris Johnson getting just one year at left tackle
Stop spoiling The College Football Survivor Show
Ohio State's issue with delays of game
Is Tim Walton the next Bill Davis?
Does Ryan Day get too much criticism?
Hating weather talk

And more. Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk.

Disclamer:

What Michigan does, from pass rush to run blocking, and how Ohio State can handle it Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

Welcome back to a bonus Buckeye Talk, as Ohio State-Michigan week means a Tuesday pod when there usually isn't one.

Doug Lesmerises kicks off this pod with his breakdown of the Wolverines, first discussing three aspects of Michigan's offense (1:30), then looking (18:53) at three parts of Michigan's defense. There will be a Michigan writer on the pod later this week, but this was a look at the Wolverines through the lens of the Buckeyes.

Then, Doug is joined (28:06) by new cleveland.com writer Jimmy Watkins. His beat is rivalries and that means on his first day on the job Monday he was in Ann Arbor for Michigan interviews. He checks in with the vibe and news from Jim Harbaugh and Michigan players.

Finally, (46:32), Nathan Baird has an interview with L. Jon Wertheim, one of the producers of a new documentary on the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.

Many more pods to come this week. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk.

Disclamer:

The perfect Big Ten season helped create 11-0 Ohio State vs. 11-0 Michigan Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

On this Monday Buckeye Talk, Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird are thinking all about Ohio State vs. Michigan -- and maybe a little bit about Thanksgiving food.

First, they offer an appreciation (4:30) for both the Buckeyes and Wolverines getting through the regular season undefeated so far to make this matchup happen.

Then (9:20), they talk about the polls, where the Buckeyes have always been clearly ahead of the Wolverines.

Then (14:03), it's back to the idea of both Ohio State and Michigan making the College Football Playoff, which is more real after Tennessee's loss.

Then (26:36) the five best teams in the Big Ten are compared to the five best teams in the other major conferences to spark a discussion about quality depth and what's good and bad about it.

Ryan Day's thoughts on Ohio State and Michigan maybe playing back-to-back games someday (41:56) are discussed, before a brief discussion about Iowa (50:28) taking control of the race in the Big Ten West.

Finally, (52:54), it's Whatcha Thinkin', Eatin' and Watchin', where Doug has a theory about this more national version of The Game, and Thanksgiving plans are shared.

Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk.

Disclamer:

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