Buckeye Talk: Ohio State Podcast By Cleveland.com

On this Monday episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means and Nathan Baird take a look back at Ohio State's 37-17 win over Maryland. That means looking at everything that went right and the few things that went wrong that might be bigger issues against better teams. Much of that is centered around the Buckeye's offensive line which continues to be the most pressing issue for an offense still looking to hit its stride. Those problems compounded against Maryland as OSU struggled for most of the first half until finally putting it together halfway through the third quarter. Meanwhile, the defense continues to trend upward with arguably its most complete performance of the season. Stephen and Nathan spent almost an hour critiquing the offense. But they spent just as much time talking about all the good things that happened for a defensive unit that's clearly coming into its own. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State returned to the field to face an undefeated Maryland team and walked away with a 20-point win even if it took some time for the offense to get going. So Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis used a postgame Buckeye Talk to try to make sense of it. Should you be worried about how long it took the offense to start clicking while being held under 40 points for the fourth time this season? Or should you focus on what is clearly an improved defense starting to trend toward being elite? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State returns to the field for the first time since a big win over Notre Dame to host Maryland in what is the Buckeyes' seventh-straight game against an undefeated opponent heading back to last season. This Friday episode of Buckeye Talk is about getting OSU prepared to face the Terrapins. But first a quick discussion about the status of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and whether we should expect to see more of running back Miyan Williams going forward. That’s followed by Stephen once again kicking Nathan and Andrew off the pod to welcome Tyler Shoemaker, as the two discuss the game’s best bets. Then Nathan and Andrew return as the trio wraps things up with their game picks, plus a short discussion on whether Maryland could play spoiler for any of the top three teams in the Big Ten East. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Thursday Buckeye Talk is brought to you by an important question in discussing which head coach has been better between Ohio State's Ryan Day and USC's Lincoln Riley. One of our loyal text subscribers has asked Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis to discuss the two while having a deep discussion about what is more important to a resume: A Heisman Trophy winner or a College Football Playoff win: The discussion kicks off with the trio deciding which coach they feel has been better; The topic shifts to breaking down what either Kyle McCord winning a Heisman or Day getting his second CFP win would do for Day's resume; Finally, they decide which holds more weight for Day who has made it clear that OSU's identity under him is being a program that competes for championships while producing elite quarterbacks. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Wednesday episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis discuss what Ryan Day and Jim Knowles had to say as Ohio State prepares to face Maryland. The conversation includes a look at where quarterback Kyle McCord can take his next step as OSU's starter and Day's frustration with the inability to convert in short-yardage situations. Then after the break, the trio talks defense and how the lack of aggressiveness in Knowles' play-calling hasn't prevented the unit from being among the nation's best so far. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Tuesday episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means and Andrew Gillis take recruiting questions from our text subscribers. Given the recent decisions of both commits and other targets, of course, the entire conversation was all about the future of the offensive line. That includes discussing the decommitment of three-star Marc Nave, four-star target Jordan Seaton plus a conversation about whether Ohio State could ever have the nation's No. 1 recruiting class. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State's 2023 schedule is filled with opponents featuring quality options at quarterback so Stephen Means and Nathan Baird used this Monday episode of Buckeye Talk to break down them all down. Kyle McCord beat the first name on that list in Notre Dame's Sam Hartman but still to come are Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa, Penn State's Drew Allar and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy. Where does Kyle McCord rank among those players heading into his fifth game as a starter? What are the chances he's the better quarterback on the field by the time each game arrives? Does OSU need him to turn into the Big Ten's best quarterback for it to achieve its goals? All those questions are discussed to start off a week where the Buckeyes will return to the field after an off week. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before covering Ohio State's 17-14 win over Notre Dame last week, Stephen Means and Andrew Gillis stopped to watch five-star wide receiver commit Mylan Graham. So on this Friday episode of Buckeye Talk, the two discuss what they saw or didn't see. Then they wrap things up with a conversation about the future of OSU's wide receiver room which could lose its top four players after the 2023 season leaving room for anyone to claim a starting spot next season. That includes the three commits in the 2024 class the latest highly-rated recruits Brian Hartline has landed. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Thursday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis discuss Kyle McCord coming off his first big win as Ohio State's starting quarterback. McCord agreed with the idea that one of the things that might make him special is his poise and that was on display during a game-winning drive against Notre Dame. But how did he develop that trait? The trio discuss McCord plus provides an update on an important Buckeye wide receiver who left South Bend, Indiana, with an ankle injury even if he was able to finish the game. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State played just four games before heading into the off-week with a 4-0 record, ranking fourth in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. It'll return on Oct. 7 to host Maryland, but the first four weeks provided a decent enough sample size to take a bigger picture view of things about this roster. On this Wednesday pod, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird, Andrew Gillis and the Buckeye Talk text subscribers review OSU's performance so far this season breaking things into the offense and defense and answering these questions: Who are the offensive and defensive champions through 4 games? Rank the offensive and defensive position groups from most to least confident in going forward Rank the assistant coaches based on performance & recruiting. After a lengthy discussion on the two sides of the ball, the trio wrapped things up by revealing what they think this team's ceiling is plus a conversation of which regular season opponent is the biggest threat to Ohio State. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more

On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis look back on Ohio State's 17-14 win over Notre Dame. Among the things discussed: The high-level play of the secondary through four weeks; How the defensive line held up against a quality Fighting Irish offensive line and a change in philosophy in how Larry Johnson rotates; What to take from the low Pro Football Focus grades from the linebackers; OSU’s defense was clearly the better unit the first four weeks of the season, but is there anything to still be worried about on that side of the ball? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Monday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis look back on Ohio State's 17-14 win over Notre Dame. Among the things discussed: Are the offensive line actually fixable after four games of struggle; Notre Dame's success in taking away Marvin Harrison Jr. and how the Buckeyes can combat it going forward; Ryan Day's play-calling in the red zone; Can Kyle McCord still continue Ohio State's streak of first-year starting quarterbacks who've been Heisman Trophy finalists? Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The defense set the foundation, Kyle McCord, Emeka Egbuka and Chip Trayanum came through with clutch plays on the final drive, and Ohio State escaped Notre Dame with a 17-14 victory. In this episode hastily recorded in a Trader Joe's parking lot, we gave our instant reaction to Ryan Day's fired-up comments after the game, what Kyle McCord showed in that final drive and what this win means for a defense whose time may have arrived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Friday which means it's time to break down Ohio State's primetime road matchup with Notre Dame. After discussing the two programs all week, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis have just two more things to discuss: During his Friday radio show, Ryan Day stated that the Buckeyes' offense is "gonna let it rip" against the Fighting Irish after using the first three games to build up to this one. Following a lengthy discussion about what OSU's offensive plan to be aggressive really means, the trio talk about Notre Dame's starting quarterback and how big of a threat he truly is on Saturday. To do so, they — with the texters' help— look at the past nine quarterbacks who have beaten Ohio State to figure out how he measures up. That's followed by Stephen once again kicking Nathan and Andrew off the pod to welcome Tyler Shoemaker as the two discuss the game's best bets, of which there are plenty, unlike the past three weeks. Then Nathan and Andrew return as the trio wrap things up with their game picks p

On this Thursday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis take a unique angle in discussing Ohio State's primetime matchup with Notre Dame. This is the first like-minded opponent either side has played this season in a matchup that could end up having significant implications for the College Football Playoff. But there are also a few individual storylines that are just as important. We're trying to figure out which of those people have the most to prove on Saturday. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Ohio State back-doored its way into the College Football Playoff last season Ryan Day vowed that the world would see a more aggressive side of him and his program. Then he backed it up against Georgia, even if it still led to a one-point loss. But that game breathed new life into the program's future under Day while also setting a new standard for what to expect from his teams. The first three games haven't required that version of him to come out. But heading into a top-10 matchup with Notre Dame on the road, it may be finally time to bring that side out. On this Thursday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Bard and Andrew Gillis talk about Day's approach to Saturday's game plus a discussion about what else Day and Jim Knowles may be ready to unleash in a talent-equated matchup. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Tuesday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means and Andrew Gillis discuss Ohio State's 2025 quarterback commit Tavien St. Clair. Even before Ryan Day showed up the Buckeyes had had an impressive run of in-state quarterbacks who would go on to do impressive things in Columbus, some of them turning into Heisman Trophy winners and others leading the team to national titles. But can St. Clair one day develop into both as a fast-rising prospect that could one day earn five-star status? Plus a look ahead to what the quarterback room could look like by the time he arrives. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The level of competition on Ohio State's schedule is about to take a significant step up as the program got through its first three weeks 3-0. Wins over Indiana and Youngstown Sta were about the Buckeyes figuring out the rest of its two-deeps specifically at the starting quarterback spot where Kyle McCord and Devin Brown’s battle continued on. A 63-10 win over Western Kentucky on Saturday was about solidifying that two deep and building momentum toward the future. That mission can be deemed a success. Now it’s time to find out how good this team can be with an early test in the former of a primetime, top-10 matchup with Notre Dame. On this Monday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means and Nathan Baird take a look back at OSU’s win over the Hilltoppers while also getting an early look at its next opponent: The Fighting Irish. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State spent the past week picking a quarterback and taking the necessary steps toward preparing for a schedule that was about to get much tougher. Those actions showed in a 63-10 win over Western Kentucky where the offense looks closer to what we’ve come to expect from the Buckeyes and the defense wreaked havoc for 60 minutes. It was a good way to punctuate the end of what has felt like the college football version of a preseason. But that’s over now and all that matters is figuring out what we can take from the dominant win and apply to what is coming next Saturday when OSU heads to Notre Dame. On this postgame episode of Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis explore just that. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Friday Buckeye Talk, Stephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis break down Ohio State's home game against Western Kentucky and make their picks. Here's what gets discussed: The bulk of the conversation is centered around a question from a text subscriber: 'What should we consider success against this WKU high-powered offense?'  Then we flip that question around on the offense discussing what success looks like for a unit that is locked in on Kyle McCord being its starting quarterback Then per usual, Stephen kicks the two off the pod and invites Tyler Shoemaker to discuss the game from a gambling perspective. Then the trio returns to make their game picks. Thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices