Bucknuts Morning 5: An Ohio State athletics podcast

We are still basking in the glow of Ohio State's opening win and really just the return of meaningful football. Sure, it was the opener against an overmatched opponent paid to come get its tail kicked, that will not stop us from making sweeping judgements off a limited sample size.

It's what we do!

Duane Long is here in his usual Tuesday spot to offer up his impressions of the debut weekend:

* Justin Fields and his amazing start ... yet lackluster finish. What gives?

* How did the linebackers look after an offseason of consternation?

* The offensive line showed signs of being dominant. How strong were the signs?

* Is J.K. Dobbins going to be able to carry the load? Who can help him?

* What type of challenge does Cincinnati present this weekend?

Spend 5ish with us this a.m., 'Nutters!

It is Labor Day, but Bill "Bank" Greene is open for business.

Bank joins Dave Biddle for today's show to discuss:

* Ohio State's season-opening win over Florida Atlantic.

* The performance from Justin Fields?

* What needs to improve the most for the Buckeyes?

* What are thoughts about the upcoming OSU-Cincinnati game?

* What is the latest on the recruiting trail for the Buckeyes?

We need more than 5ish to wrap up Ohio State games and forecast the future. So we had to bring our 'extended' Sunday morning podcast back for the season.

What did we think of Florida Atlantic? What did we think of Ohio State's debut on several fronts?

Bill Kurelic is here.

Matt Baxendell is here.

Steve Helwagen is here.

I got out of the way and let them spread wisdom.

Enjoy spending part of your Sunday a.m. with us!

It is eve of Ohio State's season opener against visiting Florida Atlantic, and there is plenty to discuss on the show as Jonah Booker joins Dave Biddle for his usual Friday visit.

Some of the items on the docket include:

* JBook is pretty fired up about the development of OSU sophomore quarterback Justin Fields and cannot wait to see him in action in the Horseshoe on Saturday.

* What else are we looking forward to seeing the most during the game?

* What is to be expected when the Buckeyes finally release their depth chart later today? What will we learn about the injury status of senior defensive end Jonathon Cooper, senior wide receiver Austin Mack and perhaps others?

* What are reasonable expectations for wide receiver Garrett Wilson as a true freshman?

All of that and more is on tap for the Friday extravaganza.

The real start of the season - Ohio State hosting Florida Atlantic - kicks off Saturday at noon.

But there are plenty of questions that need answering and not just out of Columbus. So we brought in 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong to offer insight on Ohio State season's ahead on the field, on the recruiting trail and ... where the Buckeyes will end up.

But we had even more to present The Fong. So it was time for another edition of ... The True or False Game!

Here are the 'statements.' You'll have to tune in for The Fong's responses!

* Justin Fields will be the best QB in B1G

* Garrett Wilson will be the best true freshman in country

* JK Dobbins will finish as B1G’s second leading rusher

* Ohio State will make the College Football Playoff

* Henry Parrish will ultimately be a Buckeye

* Ohio State will finish the 2020 cycle with a top 3 recruiting class

* Tua Tagovailoa will win Heisman Trophy

* Lincoln Riley will leave Oklahoma to take over the Dallas Cowboys after this season

Then we threw some fill in the blank questions at The Fong!

* The injury suffered by Alabama’s Dylan Moses means ______

* The next coach at USC will be ______

* At this time next year, Urban Meyer will be ______

* The national Championship will be ______ over ______

Spend 5ish with us this a.m., 'Nutters!

What will be the most exciting things to see play out during Ohio State's season-opener against visiting Florida Atlantic on Saturday?

One of course is how sophomore quarterback Justin Fields performs. But what else?

The revamped defense? The offensive line? The young running backs?

Yes, yes and yes.

The People's Champ, Matt Baxendell, joins Dave Biddle to delve into that on the Wednesday extravaganza.

For a 5-star recruit and one of the highest-rated players at his position - ever - there certainly are a lot of Justin Fields doubters.

Why?

Who knows?

Why is Michigan picked by many to beat Ohio State?

Who knows?

But that didn't stop Duane Long and me from trying to figure out the Fields angst and get on the record with our expectations for the new quarterback.

Also:

* What is Duane's biggest concern about the Buckeyes with the opener just days away?

* Which Buckeye are we not discussing enough?

* Which Big Ten teams (see: NOT Ohio State) could be upset this weekend?

All that and more awaits so spend 5ish with this a.m., 'Nutters!

Ohio State kicks off its 2019 football schedule on Saturday against visiting Florida Atlantic in just five days, and you can feel the excitement in Buckeye Nation.

Steve Helwagen joins Dave Biddle on today's show to discuss expectations for the 2019 Buckeyes, recent developments within the program and much more.

That is coming at you on the Monday extravaganza.

All offseason, Jonah Booker has been predicting a big season for Ohio State fourth-year junior running back Demario McCall.

With the recent news that McCall has established himself as the primary backup to starter J.K. Dobbins, it looks like JBook will be on the money with that prediction.

JBook joins Dave Biddle on today's show to discuss that, plus:

* How does the overall depth at RB now look for the Buckeyes this season?

* How much might OSU rotate on its offensive line, especially early in the year?

* Were there any surprises coming out of camp in terms of positional battles?

All of that and more is coming at you on the Friday extravaganza.

We hope you packed a lunch for today's show. You're gonna need it.

Yes, it's Thursday so 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong is here to spread wisdom on the following topics:

* Jalen Berger, Michael Drennen, E.J. Smith ... who will be Ohio State's running back recruits in 2020?

* Which Ohio State freshmen has Wiltfong heard are thriving in camp? Is there a freshman who is the best player at his position ... already?

* Real football starts this weekend. Who does Wiltfong thinks emerges in the Florida-Miami tussle and will we be treated to a Tate Martell sighting?

That would be enough for your standard Thursday show. But like we said: It's a MEGA POD Thursday.

We are also joined by Dane Brugler, NFL Draft Expert for The Athletic. He offers the most complete breakdowns you can get on the possible NFL futures of several Buckeyes:

*Chase Young

*Jeffrey Okudah

*Thayer Munford

*K.J. Hill

*Austin Mack

*Ben Victor

*Jordan Fuller 

*Jonathan Cooper

*BB Landers

*Malik Harrison

*Damon Arnette

How many first rounders are in that group? Who would Dane take if Chase Young, Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa were available in the same draft?

Spend a lot more than 5ish with us today, 'Nutters!