Bucknuts Morning 5: An Ohio State athletics podcast

On Tuesday's Big Ten teleconference, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said the problems in the passing game were due to a lack of execution.

Translation: The players are messing up.

And while there is no doubt they are at times, don't the coaches share in the blame for the passing game woes? 

Matt Baxendell joins Dave Biddle to discuss that, plus:

* Talk about the freshly-minted College Football Playoff rankings.

* Give thoughts on Parris Campbell's injury and what impact it might have on the Buckeyes.

* Give opinions on Ohio State's game against visiting Nebraska this Saturday.

Are we overreacting to a team that is still in the national mix?

Why the malaise on offense?

Should Ohio State pursue Tennessee's Jalen Hurd?

What does Nebraska present as an opponent?

Will the Buckeyes defense continue to be haunted by slot receivers (see Westerkamp, Jordan)?

We bring in Duane Long for his usual Tuesday spot to get November off to a crisp start.

Join us for 5 x 4!

Ohio State threw one deep pass in its 24-20 win over Northwestern. J.T. Barrett missed an open James Clark on the play -- and the Buckeyes decided not to throw any more deep balls the remainder of the game.

As our Duane Long pointed out on The Front Row message board, Ohio State ranks merely 97th in the country in yards per completion. So, even when the Buckeyes are completing passes, they're not doing much damage.

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

* Ed Warinner's interesting interview after the Northwestern game.

* Urban Meyer starting to get testy toward the media when questioned about the offense.

* Thoughts on Ohio State's big game against visiting Nebraska this Saturday

Ohio State has a lot of problems that need to be corrected in a short amount of time. Jonah Booker joins Dave Biddle to discuss the following:

* Can the Buckeyes' passing offense be fixed this season?

* Will the play of Isaiah Prince improve, or might he be replaced?

* Thoughts on the play of Raekwon McMillan.

* The return of Corey Smith, albeit with him wearing a cast.

* Should OSU redshirt Dante Booker?

* Ohio State-Northwestern thoughts and predictions.

* All that and more on the Friday edition of the BM5.

Is Ohio State on the verge of putting together the greatest secondary haul in one recruiting class ... ever?

It's a distinct possibility.

So who better to being in for some wisdom and perspective than 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong?

On the road in Cleveland and weary from attending World Series Game Two, Wiltfong breaks down the Buckeyes' quest for recruiting history.

Also:

- Should we be worried about Florida State this weekend hosting three Texas targets: Jeffrey Okudah, Baron Browning and Marvin Wilson?

- Does Jackson Carman's visit to Alabama and subsequent added interest in the Tide worry Ohio State?

- What does Wiltfong expect when Northwestern comes calling for the Buckeyes this weekend?

All of that is just a click away! Spend 5ish (read: 15) with us this morning!

On today's show, we're thrilled to welcome in the newest member of the Bucknuts family, Patrick Murphy. He will be assisting with coverage of the Buckeyes' football and basketball teams, and will be in charge of our social media platforms. Patrick tells a little bit about himself on the show and then we get down to brass tacks.

* How will things play out for Ohio State from here? Will the Buckeyes be Big Ten champions? Or are they not as good as we thought?

* Will Urban Meyer make any changes to his depth chart this week?

* Which position groups might see a shake-up, if any?

* Thoughts -- and Patrick's prediction -- on the Ohio State-Northwestern game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.

There are times when the previous weekend's result has faded from memory and thoughts have totally shifted to the future.

This is not one of those times.

We are still breaking down what went wrong in Happy Valley and today we offer up the post-collapse impressions of Duane Long.

Punches are not pulled so set your back foot before listening.

You mad, bro?

Well, we are. We're about a day-and-a-half removed from Ohio State's 24-21 loss at Penn State and we're still salty. Very salty.

What are the biggest concerns regarding this Buckeye team? What questions does Urban Meyer need to answer at his press conference today?

Can the Buckeyes shake this loss off and end up making the College Football Playoff?

Matt Baxendell and Dave Biddle discuss all of that on today's show.

Is J.T. Barrett receiving too much flak for Ohio State's passing attack?

The Buckeyes rank just 83rd in the country in passing offense, but Barrett ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 10 nationally in passing efficiency.

Brandon Castel joins Dave Biddle to discuss Barrett, plus:

* Score predictions of Ohio State's game at Penn State, including how things will play out.

* How many assistant coaches will OSU lose this offseason? Who will they be?

* Is there a chance Dante Booker will get his starting job back from Jerome Baker, or has that ship sailed?

Will coveted defensive lineman Jay Tufele pick Ohio State over Michigan?

Will elite offensive lineman Jackson Carman stay within Buckeye State borders for college?

Can Penn State do what is needed to pull off an upset at home vs. Ohio State this Saturday night?

Who would win right now in a neutral-field matchup between Ohio State and Alabama?

Big guys. Big questions.

You know what that means: It's time to spend 5ish with 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong.