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 poss...
May 14, 2025•32 min•Ep. 292
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 ...
May 07, 2025•54 min•Ep. 291
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 conf...
Apr 30, 2025•43 min•Ep. 290
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 d...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 289
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 positio...
Apr 16, 2025•55 min•Ep. 288
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 aga...
Apr 09, 2025•55 min•Ep. 287
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 tha...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 286
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 ...
Mar 26, 2025•37 min•Ep. 285
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 Oh...
Mar 20, 2025•57 min•Ep. 284
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 retur...
Mar 12, 2025•59 min•Ep. 283
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 ...
Mar 05, 2025•47 min•Ep. 282
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 t...
Feb 26, 2025•46 min•Ep. 281
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...
Feb 19, 2025•41 min•Ep. 280
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 s...
Feb 12, 2025•59 min•Ep. 279
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 Wedne...
Feb 05, 2025•44 min•Ep. 278
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 run...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 277
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 to...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 276
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 ...
Jan 15, 2025•53 min•Ep. 275
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 count...
Jan 08, 2025•48 min•Ep. 274
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 Game 2:44 The Buckeyes Have Turned Doubters Into Believers, But There’s No Lack of Motivating Factors 5:05 Ohi...
Dec 31, 2024•34 min•Ep. 273
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...
Dec 25, 2024•51 min•Ep. 272
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 Buck...
Dec 18, 2024•52 min•Ep. 271
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 in...
Dec 11, 2024•54 min•Ep. 270
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-r...
Dec 05, 2024•56 min•Ep. 269
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 en...
Nov 27, 2024•49 min•Ep. 268
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. Leh...
Nov 20, 2024•43 min•Ep. 267
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 ...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 266
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 ...
Nov 06, 2024•58 min•Ep. 265
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 sha...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 264
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 S...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 263
