Bucknuts Morning 5: An Ohio State athletics podcast

It's almost here.

The Buckeyes arrived in Arizona yesterday to prep for the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and this is the place to follow your squad.

Today, we bring in Duane Long for his usual Tuesday appearance - his last on the BM5 before Saturday's CFP semifinal.

What are Ohio State's keys to victory?

Only one way to find out: Spend 5ish with us this a.m. ... 

Is Clemson's defense a liability entering the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl?

Is Ohio State going to be far tougher than any team Clemson has faced this season?

The People's Champ, Matt Baxendell, joins Dave Biddle to discuss that and more on today's show.

Welcome to the last BM5 before the holiday weekend. We aim to spread some holiday cheer ... or at least discuss your beloved Buckeyes long enough to get your Friday started right.

* Is Billy Davis the right addition for the coaching staff?

* Why is Brian Hartline so fired up when it comes to former teammate Terrelle Pryor?

* Which youngsters are using bowl prep as a time to move up the depth chart?

Answers are needed so we bring in Brandon Castel to send you off into the holiday weekend with some answers.

Spend 5ish this a.m. with us!

There's not that much left on the 2017 recruiting plate for Ohio State. It's almost time to shift our real focus to turning '18.

So today we bring in 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong for a quick look at what is left for '17 and who will we begin to focus on heavily as we turn to '18.

Spend 5ish with us 'Nutters!

The Buckeyes have a running back committed in the Class of 2017: Texas native J.K Dobbins.

We now know Dobbins will be the only running back in the class. Is one back enough?

Recruiting expert Alex Gleitman joins us to sort out the future backfield situation.

* Why did Ohio State stop recruiting Cam Akers?

* Is Dobbins ready to step in and perform despite an injury-shortened senior high school season?

* How did Class of 2018 running back targets affect the current cycle?

* Is the success Ezekiel Elliott and Carlos Hyde are enjoying at the NFL level helping on the recruiting trail?

We do a deep dive on running backs so spend 5ish with us this a.m.!

If you were looking for a head coach wouldn't Ohio State's staff be a good place to start?

And if you were an NFL team wouldn't Buckeyes defensive coach Greg Schiano be on your list?

That's our concern and what we discuss in detail today our very own Duane Long.

What would it take to pry Schiano out of Columbus?

ALSO:

* Is pining for Marvin Wilson to be part of this class a fruitless exercise?

* With Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffery announcing they will skip their respective bowl games to prep for the NFL Draft, how would we feel if this were taking place with a Buckeye?

Spend 5ish with us 'Nutters!

We start your Monday with a comprehensive recruiting class and who better to control the curriculum than the Dean of Ohio State Recruiting?

Yes, we bring in Bill Kurelic for the most up-to-date report you can get on the prospects still in the Class of 2017 discussion for the Buckeyes:

* Jeffrey Okudah

* Darnay Holmes

* Bubba Bolden

* Jay Tufele

* Marvin Wilson

* Markquese Bell

* Kendall Sheffield

* Jaylen Harris

* Thayer Munford

Plus: Just how valuable has assistant coach Tim Beck been in Ohio State's taking of Texas during this cycle?

Spend 5ish with us!

Welcome to the first-ever Bucknuts Draftcast.

Given Ohio State's usual success at the NFL Draft has spiked to mythic levels, we thought it was time to dedicate a semi-regular feature to coverage of the Buckeyes possibly headed for Sunday football.

And who better to bring in for our maiden voyage than Dane Brugler, CBS Sports' lead NFL Draft Analyst.

We break down every Buckeye who could possibly be available at the April gathering and even get Dane's report on a certain opponent and get his breakdown and prediction for Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Enjoy, Bucknutters!

It was an action-packed media day at Ohio State on Thursday, and on today's show Patrick Murphy drops by to discuss the following with Dave Biddle:

* Urban Meyer's comments on Isaiah Prince.

* Meyer's thoughts on Malcolm Pridgeon.

* Meyer's comments on the Buckeyes' passing game.

* Thoughts on Dwayne Haskins performing well in practice.

* Meyer's comments on Torrance Gibson and what it means going forward.

It's fair to say things are running quite smoothly these days on the Ohio State recruiting front. Very fair.

As 5-stars join and Crystal Balls turns, the Buckeyes continue crafting a class destined to break the all-time 247Sports record for highest average rating per recruit. 

So who better to join us and talk about the likes of Darnay Holmes, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Bubba Bolden, Marvin Wilson and Jefrrey Okudah that 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong?

The answer: Nobody.

Which is good because Wiltfong is our guest today as we wallow in recruiting greatness.

Enjoy 5ish with us this a.m., Bucknutters!