Bucknuts Morning 5: An Ohio State athletics podcast

247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong is back from vacation and looking to make up for lost time.

He's way ahead on the Class of 2019 targets and stops by to spread knowledge. Among the topics:

* Bru McCoy is the nation's best player (according to Wiltfong). Does he have real interest in Ohio State?

* Indiana's best running back - another Rod Smith?

* Two receivers Crystal Balled to OSU?

All that and more awaits.

Spend 5ish with us this a.m.!

Ohio State snapped its two-game losing streak with a 79-52 beatdown of Rutgers on Senior Night in Columbus on Tuesday.

However, the Buckeyes' star -- forward Keita Bates-Diop -- had a subpar game, which is something we've seen from him too much lately.

Is there reason to be concerned about Bates-Diop, or is this just a blip on the radar for the man who will likely be Big Ten Player of the Year?

Looking at football, what are the biggest storylines entering spring, other than the quarterback situation?

The People's Champ, Matt Baxendell, joins Dave Biddle to discuss all of that and more on the midweek spectacular.

Quick: Name the starting linebackers for next season.

[Final Jeopardy! theme kicks in]

Don't worry. We struggled, too. 

If there is a position group in flux right now it is linebacker. Who starts? Heck, we don't even know which spot several candidates will be playing.

Is it a cause for concern? How might it work out? How much of this falls at the feet of Bill Davis?

Duane Long is here to discuss that, the pursuit of running back Noah Cain and how the Fighting Chris Holtmanns will rebound from a recent mini-swoon.

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

Has Ohio State's basketball team been exposed after two straight losses?

Patrick Murphy won't go that far, but he does think the Buckeyes are "regressing to the mean."

What can be expected from Chris Holtmann's crew moving forward? Have expectations now changed for the worse? Or is this two-game stretch just a blip on the radar?

What was up with Micah Potter being benched against the Wolverines?

Switching gears to football, what is the biggest concern for the Buckeyes in 2018? Is it the linebacker position, the offensive line, or something else?

Murphy and Dave Biddle chat about all of that and more on the Presidents' Day extravaganza.

It has been a dream season for Ohio State's basketball team. But it was a nightmare for the Buckeyes at Penn State on Thursday as the Nittany Lions swept the season series from OSU with a 79-56 blowout.

Was last night's game just an aberration, or is there cause for concern?

Also, Ohio State's assistant coaches in football are getting paid. Greg Schiano is making $1.5 million on a one-year contract, and Ryan Day signed a 3-year deal worth $1 million per season. What does this say about Day's future? What about Kevin Wilson's future?

Jonah Booker joins Dave Biddle to discuss all of that and more on the Friday extravaganza.

How well do you know the Class of 2019 targets Ohio State is after?

Not well enough.

Let's start to fix that.

Steve Wiltfong is on the beach somewhere recovering from National Signing Day so we had to recruit the Dean of Ohio State Recruiting himself - Bill Kurelic - for a super-important exercise.

The Prospect Comparison Game.

How do current Buckeye targets compare with Buckeyes past and present at the same stage of their high school careers? We asked. Bill answered.

Zach Harrison or Chase Young?

Ronnie Hickman or Parris Campbell?

Cade Stover or Baron Browning?

Get the answers and a bunch more. Spend 5ish with us this a.m., 'Nutters! 

Urban Meyer will soon sign a 2-year contract extension that would keep him at Ohio State through the 2022 season.

Do you expect Meyer will coach another five seasons for the Buckeyes? Could he stay longer than that? Frankly, we would be fine if he signed a lifetime deal.

The People's Champ, Matt Baxendell, joins Dave Biddle to discuss that, plus:

* The hiring of Taver Johnson as OSU's cornerbacks coach.

* It does not look like the NCAA is going to allow players who have not graduated to transfer and have immediate eligibility.

* Is Ohio State's basketball game at Penn State Thursday basically a coin-flip of a game? Or should OSU be getting more respect?

All of that and more on the midweek extravaganza.

What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure yo

Ohio State finished the 2018 recruiting cycle with the second-highest recruiting value per commit ever. The only class with a higher average value per prospect?

Ohio State's 2017 class.

So yes, this whole recruiting thing is going as well as you thought.

Maybe better.

How does it look for 2019? What are the names we need to know?

There's plenty and given Ohio State's range, these recruits hail from all over the 50 states. But today, we will start at the top. We brought in Duane Long to get things rolling, too.

So sit back and enjoy's Duane's Class of 2019 Top 5 Most Wanted!

Every Ohio State fan is waiting until Urban Meyer annoints a starting quarterback for his team this spring. Or perhaps right after spring ball ends.

But what if he doesn't?

In fact, doesn't it make sense for Meyer to keep the competition between Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow (and Tate Martell) going into preseason camp in August?

Well, maybe. But is that actually realistic?

Steve Helwagen joins Dave Biddle to tackle that topic -- one we will be debating here on Bucknuts for the next couple months or more -- plus the following:

* Thoughts on Taver Johnson perhaps joining Meyer's staff as the 10th assistant coach.

* Thoughts on Ohio State's basketball team being considered a No. 4 seed by the NCAA selection committee as it stands at the moment.

* What are realistic expectations for Chris Holtmann's squad this year now? Is anything less than a Big Ten regular season championship a disappointment? Anything less than a Sweet 16? And whoever would have imagined we'd even be having this discussion when the season began?

All of that and more on the Monday extravaganza.

The Bucknuts Morning 5 lives up to its name today. There are exactly five topics on the docket and Jonah Booker joins Dave Biddle to discuss all of them:

1. What are general impressions of Ohio State's 2018 recruiting class?

2. Where does the recruitment of Nicholas Petit-Frere rank in the pantheon of Urban Meyer "recruiting upsets" at OSU?

3. What in the world is going on with Michigan's recruiting efforts under Jim Harbaugh?

4. Will the No. 1 player in Ohio in the 2019 class (and the No. 1 player overall in the country according to 247Sports) Zach Harrison pick the Buckeyes?

5. What are the expectations for Ohio State's basketball team following the Buckeyes' win at Purdue?

Yes, the Friday extravaganza is loaded with all kinds of Buckeye chatter.