Real Pod Wednesdays Eleven Warriors

Spring football showcased how much talent Ohio State has on its 2024 roster, but two of the biggest question marks surrounding this year’s Buckeyes.
Quarterback and offensive line have been the biggest positions of concern for Ohio State dating back to this time last season, and that didn’t change this spring. While Will Howard still looks like the frontrunner to start at quarterback for the Buckeyes, our opportunities to watch him throw this spring left us wanting more. And it’s clear Ohio State still doesn’t have five offensive linemen that it fully trusts.
All of that said, we remain confident about Ohio State beating Michigan, getting back to the top of the Big Ten and making the College Football Playoff. We believe OSU’s chances of winning the national championship are as good as just about anyone else, too, though there are plenty of hurdles the Buckeyes will have to clear first to get there.
With spring practices now complete, we share our biggest takeaways from the spring game, what we expect from the Buckeyes in the post-spring transfer window and our post-spring outlook for Ohio State’s 2024 season on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.
The rundown:
0:07: The spring game showed OSU’s talent, but didn’t answer our QB and OL questions4:51: Will Howard is still Ohio State’s likely starter; is he good enough to win a championship?13:28: It seems the quarterbacks will have much more freedom to run the ball with Chip Kelly17:19: Right guard is top transfer portal priority as offensive line isn’t where it needs to be yet26:24: Aside from offensive line, OSU doesn’t need any other starters from the transfer portal29:21: The offense “won” the spring game, but the defense was what stood out31:09: Secondary allows OSU to be more aggressive with C.J. Hicks, Sonny Styles as blitzers33:48: Post-spring transfer window will likely be busier this year, but Tuesday was a quiet first day36:50: Jaylen McClain, Sam Williams-Dixon, Eddrick Houston among spring game freshman stars38:41: Inky Jones, TC Caffey, Brennen Schramm among walk-ons who showed talent in spring game40:39: It was fun to actually see some schematic wrinkles in the spring game for a change43:29: Dan was “The Peoples Champ” of our spring game fantasy draft47:42: Confidence percentages for OSU beating Michigan, winning Big Ten, making CFP, winning natty

Ohio State’s spring game will be headlined by a quarterback competition for the second year in a row.
While Will Howard entered the spring as the frontrunner to start at quarterback, the competition has heated up over the past five weeks. Not only is Devin Brown pushing Howard for the starting job, but true freshman Julian Sayin is becoming a real factor in the competition, adding intrigue to Saturday’s spring game as each of them looks to make their case that they should be Ohio State’s starter this season.
Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs and Ohio State’s offensive line will also be in the spotlight on Saturday as Smith and Downs look to keep their hype trains rolling while the Buckeyes continue to evaluate whether they have the pieces they need on the right side of the offensive line. We discuss all of the top storylines entering the spring game on this week’s Real Pod Wednesdays.
To add a layer of fun to our spring game viewing experience, we also conducted a fantasy draft to pick the offensive skill-position players who we think will have the biggest spring games on Saturday. Each of us drafted one quarterback, one running back, one wide receiver, one tight end and one flex player – which both of us used on a second wide receiver – to build teams that will be scored using standard fantasy football scoring (one point per 25 passing yards, four points per passing touchdown, one point per 10 rushing/receiving yards and six points per rushing/receiving touchdown).
Spring Game Fantasy Draft Picks:1. Dan – Jeremiah Smith, WR2. Andy – Quinshon Judkins, RB3. Andy – Carnell Tate, WR4. Dan – Julian Sayin, QB5. Dan – Jelani Thurman, TE6. Andy – Devin Brown, QB7. Andy – Brandon Inniss, WR (Flex)8. Dan – James Peoples, RB9. Dan – Bryson Rodgers, WR (Flex)10. Andy – Gee Scott Jr., TE
In the second half of the show, we discuss the state of Ohio State’s running backs room following Monday’s news that Dallan Hayden will enter the transfer portal. We wrap up the show by discussing all of the latest news on the Ohio State men’s basketball front including the hirings of Joel Justus and Jamall Walker, John Calipari’s reported interest in the job that ultimately went to Jake Diebler and the commitment of five-star point guard Marcus Johnson.
The full rundown for this week’s show:
0:07: Quarterback competition is the big spring game storyline, especially with Julian Sayin’s progress9:25: We’re all excited to watch Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs play in the Shoe for the first time14:06: Ryan Day leaving the door open for a transfer addition on right side of offensive line19:54: C.J. Hicks, Sonny Styles, Bryson Rodgers among others to watch in spring game22:10: Drafting our spring game fantasy teams29:35: Ohio State still has the depth it needs at running back even with Dallan Hayden’s exit35:43: Expect more transfers next week because that’s just the way college football is now39:22: Carlos Locklyn won the introductory press conference42:49: Jake Diebler makes two strong assistant coach hires in Joel Justus, Jamall Walker48:30: Money, timing, long-term upside among factors in OSU hiring Diebler over John Calipari55:12: Ohio State lands a huge piece for the future with commitment of Marcus Johnson

There’s been no shortage of Ohio State football and basketball happenings over the past week.
On the gridiron, Ohio State has now completed 10 of its 15 spring practices, highlighted by its Student Appreciation Day scrimmage on Saturday. Jeremiah Smith and C.J. Hicks are among the Buckeyes turning heads on the practice field while quarterback and offensive line remain Ohio State’s biggest question marks with a week-and-a-half of spring ball to go. Who will coach the running backs is no longer a question, though, with the hiring of Carlos Locklyn to replace Tony Alford.
On the hardcourt, postseason roster movement is in full swing for Ohio State men’s basketball as the Buckeyes made a big splash in the transfer portal by adding Meechie Johnson but subsequently lost one of their top players with the departure of Roddy Gayle Jr., who joined Scotty Middleton and Bowen Hardman as Buckeyes who have gone portaling since the season ended last week.
The full rundown for this week’s show:
0:58: It’s no longer a question of whether Jeremiah Smith will start but how good he’ll be right away5:27: Will Howard leaving the door open for Devin Brown, maybe even Julian Sayin to be starting QB12:43: C.J. Hicks seems to be making a move toward a breakout season16:21: Ohio State’s defensive tackle depth looks promising with emergence of second-year players18:54: Bryson Rodgers doesn’t have a clear path to the field yet, but he’s making a case for himself21:05: Luke Montgomery, Josh Fryar looking likely to be starting right side of offensive line26:28: Ohio State’s offensive line doesn’t look great yet, but it at least looks better than last year28:47: Carlos Locklyn looks like a good running back coach hire despite his limited experience35:03: Tim Drevno should be valuable asset for offensive line, adds pressure for Justin Frye39:00: Meechie Johnson is a great addition, but transfer portal has been a net loss for OSU so far42:15: Ohio State still in the market for another transfer guard (Matt Allocco? Bronny James?) 45:28: Is Meechie an upgrade over Roddy Gayle? That depends on how you look at it46:50: Adding a wing becomes an even bigger portal priority with Scotty Middleton gone47:51: Ohio State needs to add another player in the frontcourt, too49:40: OSU could put together a quality lineup with its current players, but proven depth is lacking51:35: Bowen Hardman’s departure comes as no surprise52:32: Jake Diebler must now prove he can land impact transfers without clear Ohio State ties

The offseason is officially underway for both Ohio State basketball teams.
Ohio State’s men’s basketball season ended Tuesday with the Buckeyes’ loss to Georgia in the NIT quarterfinals while the women’s basketball season concluded with an upset defeat to Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. While both teams had hopes of continuing their seasons further, the focus for both teams now turns to the offseason – particularly what they will do in the transfer portal to bolster their rosters for 2024-25.
After starting this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays with some shoutouts for Ohio State’s newly crowned national champions, we dive into what next year’s rosters could look like for both Buckeye basketball teams and what they both need to add in the portal. Later in the show, we talk about the latest developments for Ohio State football including Jeremiah Smith’s historically fast black stripe removal, the emergence of Jason Moore as a defensive tackle to watch and the ongoing search for a new running backs coach.
The full rundown of where you can hear us talk about a variety of topics in this week’s show:
0:07: Ohio State women’s hockey and pistol teams are elite5:14: Ohio State wrestling’s future looks bright with national champion Jesse Mendez leading the way9:20: The end of Ohio State’s men’s basketball season felt like a success despite Tuesday’s loss15:11: Ohio State has a good core to build around if it can retain key juniors and sophomores19:57: Adding a forward to replace Jamison Battle is Ohio State’s biggest transfer portal need22:18: Meechie Johnson, Jalen Sullinger, Matt Allocco among potential transfer guard targets29:12: The start of the offseason will be telling of Jake Diebler’s readiness to be a head coach30:43: Jake Diebler’s hiring will be judged by if his Buckeyes outperform Dusty May’s Wolverines34:34: Rebounding, lack of depth among flaws that cost Ohio State women’s basketball40:05: Ohio State women need to add transfer center, guard who can make immediate impact46:11: Jeremiah Smith’s black stripe removal adds more fuel to the hype train49:24: Brandon Inniss, Caleb Downs and Quinshon Judkins hype also continues to grow52:11: Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks expect to be on the field together in some situations53:44: Jason Moore emerges as a player to watch in defensive tackle rotation55:23: Ohio State should be able to rotate more on defensive line this year, but how much should it?57:18: The running back coach search continues, but Ohio State doesn’t need to make a panic hire1:01:00: C.J. Stroud’s pro day appearance shows why he’s an ideal ambassador for Ohio State

Ohio State men’s basketball has a new head coach while Ohio State football has an unexpected opening for a running backs coach. Both teams have championship expectations.
The Ohio State basketball coaching search ended over the weekend when Jake Diebler was promoted from interim coach to head coach. While Diebler has never been a full-time head coach before, making it anyone’s guess how he will ultimately fare as a long-term head coach, Ohio State is projecting nothing but confidence in Diebler, making it clear they believe he can build the Buckeyes back into a championship contender.
Ohio State football, meanwhile, had a surprise staff vacancy pop up last Wednesday when Tony Alford left the Buckeyes to become the running backs coach at Michigan. Ryan Day didn’t seem too concerned about Alford’s exit during his press conference on Tuesday, though, stating that Ohio State has already identified an “excellent” group of candidates and that he believes the Buckeyes can have “the best offensive staff in the country.”
Day also showed confidence on Tuesday in several players who are currently competing for starting jobs in spring practice, namely right tackle Josh Fryar, tight end Gee Scott Jr. and wide receiver Brandon Inniss, who all drew considerable praise from Ohio State’s head man after the Buckeyes’ third spring practice.
With spring practice back in full swing for Ohio State football, Ohio State men’s basketball looking to make an NIT run with its head coach, Ohio State women’s basketball hoping to make a deep NCAA Tournament run and three other Ohio State sports teams having a chance to win national championships this weekend, it’s an extremely busy week in Ohio State sports, giving us lots to talk about on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.
The full rundown:
1:08: Jake Diebler’s hire came a bit sooner than expected, but it had good reason to make a move now5:37: Ross Bjork makes it clear the expectation for Diebler is to win championships7:08: Jake Diebler’s authentic passion for Ohio State can help him succeed as OSU’s head coach15:12: Rebuilding the coaching staff, adding transfers among Diebler’s first tests as head coach25:09: Getting back to the Sweet 16 should be the goal for Diebler’s first season26:04: Tony Alford’s departure was a surprise, but Ryan Day expects an “excellent” replacement27:25: Ohio State could be trying to pry DeMarco Murray away from his alma mater29:33: It seems like both Day and Alford were ready for a change30:35: Ohio State can afford to take its time with RB coach search because of who it has at RB33:54: Robert Gillespie, Deland McCullough, Stan Drayton also among logical RB coach candidates35:03: Ryan Day is smart to involve the current running backs in the RB coach search37:15: Ohio State’s Jim Tressel-inspired special teams coaching plan appears to be a sound one41:21: Buckeyes getting used to helmet communication, which could lead to more creative play calls44:09: Josh Fryar solidifying his status as Ohio State’s starting right tackle so far this offseason47:17: Gee Scott Jr. is putting himself in position to be Ohio State’s starting tight end50:28: Brandon Inniss showing Ryan Day and us that he can be an impact player this year55:12: Pro Day will give us our first real glimpse at Will Howard vs. Devin Brown56:25: Ohio State women’s basketball can beat anyone at its best but faces tough road to Final Four1:01:08: Women’s hockey, pistol and synchronized swimming are all on natty watch this weekend1:03:02: Houston and UConn are our NCAA Tournament picks (plus a bonus NIT pick from Andy)

It’s a season-defining week for Ohio State men’s basketball.
The Buckeyes are headed to the Big Ten Tournament with a chance to earn their way into the NCAA Tournament, but they’ll need to win at least two games in Minneapolis – which means beating an equally desperate Iowa team and a top-15-ranked Illinois team – to have a real shot of landing a spot in the bracket on Selection Sunday.
Meanwhile, Ohio State’s search for its next head coach continues to unfold behind the scenes. Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May seems to be emerging as the frontrunner while Alabama’s Nate Oats has entered the conversation and Xavier’s Sean Miller remains in the mix. Jake Diebler could continue to build his case for the job, too, if he leads Ohio State on a Big Ten Tournament run that gets the Buckeyes into the Big Dance.
We discuss all of that on this week’s Real Pod Wednesdays. We also talk about the most interesting things we learned from last Thursday’s Ohio State football interviews with Jim Knowles and eight of his defensive veterans, including the revelation that Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau could play some snaps at outside linebacker, Denzel Burke’s high praise for Jeremiah Smith and his less positive assessment of Will Howard’s first two days of spring practice.
The full rundown for this week’s show:
0:00: Ohio State must win at least two games in Minneapolis to have an NCAA Tournament shot4:33: It’s good to see Jake Diebler publicly vouching for his team to make the NCAA Tournament6:54: Recent results might not carry as much weight with selection committee as OSU would like9:24: Defensive improvement has keyed OSU’s recent success, and that must continue this week10:19: Bench production, aggressive play will also be important factors for OSU in Minneapolis14:12: Yes, a first-round bye is good for OSU; a win over 8-23 Michigan wouldn‘t have helped18:24: Weighing Dusty May vs. Sean Miller vs. Nate Oats vs. Jake Diebler as coaching candidates27:38: Ohio State must firmly commit to new coach rather than giving Diebler a one-year tryout38:56: Does it make sense to use Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau as OLBs in “double eagle” package?47:20: How Ohio State could utilize Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks on the field together51:22: Denzel Burke is unafraid to set huge expectations for Ohio State and himself54:50: Burke’s uncertainty on Will Howard serves as early reality check for transfer quarterback59:55: As Jeremiah Smith hype keeps growing, what should we expect from him as a freshman?1:04:54: OSU women’s basketball has a lot to work on after Big Ten Tournament loss to Maryland1:09:44: OSU women’s hockey still favored to win it all, but path could go through Wisconsin again