Buckeye Talk: Ohio State Podcast By Cleveland.com

We're closing out the week with a Rapid Fire Friday on Buckeye Talk. Nathan Baird and Stephen Means roll through a handful of questions from our Subtext subscribers to head into the weekend. First up: Which Ohio State football player is the best bet to win a major national award in 2020? Justin Fields is the returning Heisman Trophy finalist. All of 2019's other award winners or finalists have moved on. Could other Buckeyes rise up to contend for major positional awards? Among the other topics on today's episode: How many Fields interceptions would "give us pause?" Could Ohio State's 2020 offense actually better suit Master Teague? After years of rolling their eyes at SEC fans who talked about their grinder of a schedule, did Buckeye fans see the same dynamic play out for their team in 2019? As always, thanks for following us on Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Buckeye Talk daily pod keeps rolling right along, and today the topic is quarterbacks. We know Ohio State enters the 2020 season with one of the nation's top quarterbacks. Prompted by a Buckeye Talk Subtext subscriber question, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means delve into having a returning starter might be a bigger edge than ever in the season ahead. They also play devil's advocate on how much of a jump Fields can take between his sophomore and junior seasons. In the second half of the pod, both Nathan and Stephen rank their top five quarterbacks the Buckeyes will face in the 2020 regular season. 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

For the big Wednesday episode of Buckeye Talk we resume our walk through Ohio State football's 2020 schedule after taking a "bye" week. Next up are the Iowa Hawkeyes, who will visit Ohio Stadium on Oct. 10. Nathan Baird talks with Des Moines Register columnist Chad Leistikow about all things Iowa. How do the Hawkeyes keep outperforming their recruiting rankings? How long will Kirk Ferentz stick around? And most importantly, how could Iowa potentially come to Columbus and give the Buckeyes a scare? Additionally, Nathan and Stephen Means reach back to Buckeye Talk Subtext subscriber memories of the 2017 Ohio State loss at Iowa. Some had very visceral reactions to that loss, but some also appreciated it for triggering necessary change within the program. Before all that, however, Nathan and Stephen debate a question that may be central to the Ohio State season. Which is more crucial for the Buckeyes' national championship hopes for 2020: An offense that reaches its expectations or a defense that exceeds its expe

Nathan Baird and Stephen Means confront one of the most common questions from our Buckeye Talk listeners. When will Ohio State schedule Alabama/Auburn/LSU/insert your SEC power of choice here? Actually, they flipped the question around, prompted by a Subtext subscriber. If you could pick one non-conference opponent for a home-and-home series for the Buckeyes, who would you choose and why? Nathan and Stephen both looked west for their answers. (Doug Lesmerises, on furlough this week, likely screamed his disapproval from home.) However, most of our subscribers looked south. This is the Tuesday warm-up before the big Wednesday pod. Thanks for coming back five days a week for Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another Monday, another opportunity to Mark It Down and make our bold predictions on the future of Ohio State football. Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means tackle the question of who will ... well ... tackle the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage the most in 2020. Who will succeed Chase Young as the Buckeyes' sack leader this fall? Doug insists there are only two candidates, and he and Nathan opted for the same defensive end. Stephen strayed from the trend and looked at another position as OSU's next sack leader. Our Buckeye Talk Subtext listeners voted for eight candidates, though one was the clear favorite. To vote on the next Mark It Down Monday topic, or to suggest a podcast topic, sign up for a free trial by texting 614-350-3315. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Friday Buckeye Talk episode, Ohio State's rivalry with Michigan is once again the focus. Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means discuss what it would be like if Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer played golf with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson; why Michigan doesn't recruit Ohio more; what to make of Michigan coaches doing cartwheels over a recruit; and what would happen if the Big Ten realigned with the Buckeyes and Wolverines in separate divisions. There are some other Big Ten-related questions from text subscribers, and with new listeners finding the pod every week, those subscribers offered slogan suggestions for Buckeye Talk to inform new listeners what this podcast is all about. Whether you are old or new, thanks so much for being a listener. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh baby, there is a good fight in this episode. On this Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises lined up against Nathan Baird and Stephen Means in a major disagreement over how many losses it would take this season for Ohio State fans to lose faith in Ryan Day. Major difference of opinion near the end of this one as the guys took eight questions from text subscribers. But first, they dealt with questions about whether the Big Ten will ever catch up with the SEC and whether there is a surge in Big Ten recruiting this season. At the end, they took subscriber answers on whether Alabama or Clemson is the bigger challenge for Ohio State as a national title contender this year, and debated quarterback skill vs. motivation in what will be driving the best teams in the country. It's a heated Buckeye Talk, and thanks for listening. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State adds a recruit and plans to return from the coronavirus shutdown. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this big Wednesday episode of Buckeye Talk, America's favorite Ohio State football podcast, the comparison is to the national champs. Can Ohio State's offense this season be as dangerous and dynamic as LSU's offense last season? To figure that out, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means watched several LSU games from last year, and they broke down the comparison into five areas: play calling, offensive line, receivers, running back and the quarterback comparison between Joe Burrow and Justin Fields. There were some areas where the Buckeyes absolutely have the potential to match up with one of the great offenses in college football history, and other areas where Ohio State might have trouble reaching that LSU level. Find out what the guys think of each comparison. Also, there's a discussion of Ohio State's latest 2021 recruit, and final voting in the fast food bracket that will be reduced from the Sweet 16 to a champion. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privac

This Tuesday Buckeye Talk episode is all about coaching, as the guys key in on four areas based on questions from our text subscribers: Which current Ohio State football players will make the best coaches someday? Who would set up as a better replacement for Ryan Day a decade from now, Luke Fickell still as the Cincinnati head coach, or Brian Hartline if he becomes Ohio State's offensive coordinator? Which current opposing coaches are the most dangerous to the Buckeyes, and are they in the Big Ten or are they national rivals? Which Michigan coach taking over for Jim Harbaugh would provide the greatest challenge to the Buckeyes? Doug Lesmerises, Stephen Means and Nathan Baird answer those questions. If you'd like to ask questions that lead to podcast discussions, sign up for a free trial as a text subscriber by texting 614-350-3315. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with the second installment of Mark It Down Monday. The Buckeye Talk gang of Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means gets specific with a big prediction about the near future of Ohio State football. In what year will the Buckeyes win their next national championship, and who will be the quarterback? Returning Heisman Trophy finalist Justin Fields leading OSU to the 2020 championship may be the obvious answer for some. But are the Buckeyes talented enough on both sides of the ball relative to the national competition? If Ohio State is a couple of years or more away from winning it all, which quarterback will get it done? Two true freshmen are battling to back Fields up in 2020, and another top recruit comes on board for 2021. The Buckeye Talk crew debates the importance of a quarterback in winning the championship and whether Kyle McCord can step in immediately in 2021 and beat out CJ Stroud and Jack Miller to run the show. As always they turn to the subtext subscribers to continue the debat

On this Friday Buckeye Talk episode from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises is joined by Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com. They talk about Adam's recent ranking of the best head coaching hires and coordinator hires in college football in the last 25 years, and where Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel, Ryan Day, Kevin Wilson and Tom Herman rank on that list. Also among the topics: Would Ohio State have won the 2015 national title if Herman as stayed on as offensive coordinator? Does Ohio State need to win a national title in the next three years? Will Wilson be hired by another school as a head coach soon? It's a great episode giving some national college football context to Ohio State, so thanks for listening to it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Busy Thursday Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, as Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means answer six text subscriber questions, and then Nathan and Doug go into the latest from Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith about what a 2020 season might look like with coronavirus restrictions. Among the questions from subscribers are a particular Michigan criticism of Ohio State that really grinds a texter's gears; whether an OSU national title in 2020 would come with an asterisk; whether the basketball program grabbed transfers too early; and whether players returning off the shutdown will be able to play their best. Then it's a healthy discussion about how many fans might be at OSU games in the fall, whether the Oregon game will be played, and what a season of only Big Ten games would look like. 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

The Buckeyes are planning for what a limited season might look like in 2020 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this big Wednesday episode of Buckeye Talk from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises and Nathan Baird are joined by Keith Sargeant of NJ.com to talk about Rutgers football and the return of former coach Greg Schiano. This is part of their series previewing Ohio State's 2020 schedule, and the Scarlet Knights are scheduled to be the Big Ten opener in Week 4. Keith talks about how much OSU transfer Brendon White will contribute to the Rutgers defense, whether Schiano is at Rutgers for the long haul, whether Schiano could ever raise that program to the level of a team like Michigan State, and what it would look like if Rutgers ever does beat Ohio State. But before that, Doug, Nathan and Stephen Means take an hour of text subscriber questions on a range of OSU topics, from Jack Miller to Kerry Coombs, from Damon Arnette to Kamryn Babb, and also get into the worst journalism mistakes of their careers. It's another jam-packed Wednesday episode from Buckeye Talk, which is now coming at you five days a week. Thanks for l

Ohio State's linebackers have three veteran starters back, three veteran backups on the second team ... and a wide range of what they could be as a group. On this Buckeye Talk episode, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means take on the first of what will be 11 position group breakdown episodes for the 2020 Buckeyes over the next several weeks. The linebackers are up. They talk about whether the group will be better or worse in 2020, and then what will happen in 2021. They identify strengths and weaknesses, make a crazy prediction each, pick a player they most want to watch and then assign a level of confidence to the group. Plus, Doug gives his three best OSU linebackers over the last 15 years. Also, the podcast got a new logo. Busy times at Buckeye Talk, so thanks for coming along on the ride. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the inaugural "Mark It Down Monday," where the Buckeye Talk crew of Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means put their names on predictions and stances around Ohio State football. First up: How many future Heisman Trophy finalists are on the Buckeyes' 2020 roster? Justin Fields has already been to New York once. Will he return after the coming season? Among the other returnees and incoming freshmen, who will have the combination of talent and opportunity to build a legitimate Heisman campaign? Can another defensive player make a Chase Young-like run? As Ohio State becomes a destination for elite wide receiver classes, could one of them erupt for enough production to pile up votes? This will be our new format to kick off the week during the offseason. As always, we also included our Buckeye Talk subtext subscriber votes and reactions on the pod. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State players and staffers continue to adjust to the coronavirus See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time for more quick-hit debates on Buckeye Talk, as this Friday pod includes seven questions from text subscribers. Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means discuss what it would be like if Tate Martell was still Ohio State's quarterback; their lame predictions for this season; whether they would eat kangaroo; if OSU fans should want Maryland to land a 5-star quarterback; how they balance their connection to Cleveland and Columbus; the next OSU assistant to be a head coach; and their pitches for a movie about the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks for the good response to the quick answer podcast on Wednesday. This won't be the new form for Buckeye Talk all the time, but the guys will work this style in on a regular basis to keep things moving. Thanks for making Buckeye Talk part of your day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buckeye Talk is working its way through Ohio State's 2020 schedule and previewing all 12 games. This week, it's time for the final non-conference game, a Week 3 showdown against MAC opponent Buffalo. So to talk about that game, Doug Lesmerises welcomed Buffalo coach Lance Leipold, who is entering Year 6 with the Bulls. Two years ago, Buffalo won 10 games and last year, the Bulls won the first bowl game in program history. And they have a lot back. So Buffalo again is expected to compete at the top of the Mid-American Conference. Doug and Lance talked about what the Bulls have back on offense and defense, the keys to building a winning program in the MAC and why he left Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he had won six Division III national titles, to take over at Buffalo in 2015. If you care about the teams that Ohio State plays, you'll care about this episode. 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/adchoi