Bucknuts Morning 5: An Ohio State athletics podcast

There's been a lot of talk about Ohio State's J.T. Barrett -- and rightfully so. Same deal with Mike Weber.

The Buckeyes' defense has been lauded for their impressive play -- and rightfully so.

And yes, Curtis Samuel has received some praise. But we think he's having an unbelievable season thus far and people aren't talking about him quite enough.

Samuel is on pace to rush for over 1,000 yards and surpass 1,000 receiving yards this season. Other than that, he's not really doing much.

Matt Baxendell joins Dave Biddle to discuss Samuel's impressive season, why Indiana tends to give Ohio State a difficult time, whether Barrett will win the Heisman Trophy, and whether the lack of a deep passing attack is the biggest concern for the Buckeyes thus far.

Did you think the Buckeyes would be this good?

Did you think Mike Weber would be this good this early?

Should J.T. Barrett stay in Columbus for his redshirt senior season?

What are our impressions after seeing Wisky and the Fighting Khakis tussle?

Is Tennessee a contender or pretender?

What is the nation's should-be top 5 right now?

Lots of questions.

One man with the answers: Duane Long.

Time to treat your ears to some serious football chatter.

Spend 5ish with us to get your day started!

There are teams that put up good statistics and then there is the 2016 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Through one-third of the regular season, the No. 2 Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) are putting up numbers that are off-the-chart great.

For example, the Buckeyes are ranked No. 3 in total defense in the country, and they're ranked No. 4 in total offense. Now that's not only a balanced team, but a squad that is balanced while playing at a high level. You can be balanced, but be averaged offensively and defensively. Thus far, Ohio State has been excellent on both sides of the ball, clearly exceeding any expectations that fans or media had entering the season.

So, what is a possible weakness on this team? Anything that concerns you?

Steve Helwagen joined Dave Biddle to discuss that, plus the upcoming game against Indiana, the media schedule for today and more

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer mentioned on his Thursday call-in show that he wants to play true freshman wide receiver Binjimen Victor, who hasn't seen any action up to this point.

If Meyer wants to play Victor, he should make sure the young wideout sees the field, right? If Victor is as good as everyone thinks, will he really be at OSU for five years anyway?

This on the heels of the Buckeyes only playing a total of four true freshmen all of last season.

So, this begs a question: Is Ohio State too conservative when it comes to playing true freshmen?

And the question is an odd one to ask considering Meyer preaches that OSU doesn't recruit players to redshirt them.

Jonah Booker joins Dave Biddle to discuss that, Meyer's glowing comments about junior safety Erick Smith, give OSU-Rutgers predictions and much more.

Where does Ohio State stand with Baron Browning?

Why all the chatter about Bubba Bolden?

Has Brian Kelly lost it at Notre Dame?

Who wins the St. Thomas Aquinas @ Bishop Gorman tussle that is fast approaching?

Does Lester getting the boot from LSU mean Dylan Moses is available?

Will Michigan be able to take Wisconsin's best punch?

Lots of questions. One man has the answers: 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong.

Sit back and absorb the wisdom ... 

Who is the biggest "50/50" recruit left on Ohio State's board in the 2017 class? Someone that is a virtual coin flip to end up as a Buckeye or at another program?

That is one of the questions The Dean of Ohio State Football Recruiting, Bill Kurelic, answers on today's show.

Also covered:

* Kurelic's reaction when he first heard the news of Danny Clark's de-commitment.

* Was Clark asked to grayshirt?

* Is Tate Martell exceeding expectations with his strong play so far this year?

What if you had the choice between defensive tackle standouts Jay Tufele and Marvin Wilson? Which one would you pick?

What is the deal with Danny Clark? Will he jet for Kentucky?

Which coaches on Ohio State's staff could be swept up in the coaching carousel we already saw start rolling in Baton Rouge?

And who are the top five teams in the country as of this morning?

Those are the questions ... and we brought it Duane Long for some answers!

Spend 5ish with us as you get the day off to a rocking start!

Is there anything to the Danny Clark-to-Kentucky rumors?

What is the biggest storyline for Ohio State coming off the bye week? Is is that the players kept their noses clean over the weekend?

What will be a tougher game for the Buckeyes this season: at Wisconsin, or Michigan at home?

Dontre Wilson seemed frustrated after the Oklahoma game. Anything to see here?

Alex Gleitman joins Dave Biddle for that and more.

Which Ohio State players will leave early for the NFL following this season?

Brandon Castel joins Dave Biddle as they give their predictions on that subject.

Also included:

* An update on Greg Schiano's car accident.

* Have we revised our preseason predictions for Ohio State, as far as overall record?

How has Ohio State managed to keep raising the bar?

What is the program does to keep it on top and constantly upping its standard of play?

We bring in 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong to give his theory on why Ohio State has hit such an unbelievable stride.

Also, recruiting updates on Jeffrey Okudah, Marvin Wilson and Steve's shares his Big Ten Top 5 as of today.

Spend 5ish (more like 20) with us this a.m.