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September 29Will Ohio State Struggle at Iowa?! / Ohio State Primetime LIVE 104 Presented by FanDuel
Ohio State Primetime LIVE 104
Presented by FanDuel
Hosts: Garrison Gaddy, Denzel Jones, Riley Burnett
OhioStateVOCFB
Theme: Recap of Ohio State’s win over Illinois + preview of Saturday’s trip to Kinnick Stadium vs. Iowa.
Line: Ohio State -13.5 (down from -14.5). Kickoff 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Illinois Recap — Tale of Two Halves (00:01:28)
Riley: Game felt like two different halves. Jeremiah Smith had a monster night (career highs in receptions, yards, TDs — 210+ yards, 4 scores).
Positive shoutouts:
TJ Alford — ~33 snaps, did the little things right. Similar to his Week 1 PFF grade. Defense needs to get back to basics.

Peyton Pierce still playing ~50 snaps.
Concerns:
Devin Sanchez — fine first half, sloppy second half. High ceiling, not his best game. The TD they thought he gave up wasn’t on him (per Zach Smith film); communication / early pass-off.

Secondary miscues still showing up even when Ohio State is up multiple scores. Riley compared it to the Oregon game two years ago — five minutes of sloppy communication can flip a game.
Garrison: Defense has to clean up communication before late-season games. Winning 2-1 now; time to move on.
Iowa Preview — First Trip to Kinnick Since 2017 (00:06:16)
Ohio State last played at Iowa in 2017 (Urban Meyer’s 55-24 loss). Garrison still hasn’t watched that game.
Iowa coming off an emotional 91-yard game-winning drive at Michigan. Hosts played the KRUI student radio call of the TD (“Iowa has your back”) and praised the raw emotion.
Early thoughts on the matchup:
Riley / Denzel: Ugly first half, then the game opens up. Score projection in the 30-something to 14 range.

Iowa will try to make it ugly (similar to Michigan). Ohio State needs a highlight play (Jeremiah fade, etc.) to flip momentum.

Must be firing on all cylinders early so they don’t get stuck in a grind.
How Should Ohio State Attack Iowa? (00:11:53)
Garrison: Iowa’s OL isn’t great; Michigan ran on them and got zero pass rush on Bryce Underwood. Should Ohio State lean run or keep spreading it?
Riley: Mix heavier personnel early, add tempo to keep Iowa’s defense on its heels. Iowa is a top-10 defense (only 3 TDs allowed all year) but still need to keep them tired.
Denzel: Throw the ball. When Ohio State abandons what works (see Michigan run-heavy games), they look terrible. Arthur Smith has called a nice balance. Target Jeremiah as much as possible; get more to Brandon Inniss (sure hands, 8-for-8). Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd have the most juice. Dev McKeon has dropped important first-down balls.
Garrison pushback: Fans wanted Jeremiah 10–15 touches. Smith is scheming him open and Julian Sayin is delivering. Don’t get mad that the best player in college football is getting the ball.
Young WRs:
Chris Henry Jr. — slant last week + excellent blocking.

Brock Boyd — “white lightning” speed + downfield blocking. Hosts called Henry and Boyd the two best blocking WRs on the team.
Dead Air Sports stat (Tyler): When Ohio State throws on first down they average 14 yards per play, 86% completion, 798 yards, 8 TDs. Garrison: “That’s air raid.” If Underwood can throw for nearly 300 on Iowa, Sayin better exceed it.
Riley on first-down passing: Completing 9 yards on first down keeps the defense on the field and sets up shot plays / Bo Jackson chunk runs later.
RB room debate:
Denzel wants more Isaiah West carries to see if the hype is real (only ~2 carries/game).

Also wants more Jacoby (harder runner, broke tackles last week) than Bo Jackson this week.

Riley: Against Iowa’s strength in the middle of the field, Bo’s ability to bounce and run away from traffic (see last year’s Michigan game) still matters. Take what they give.
Consensus: Balance. Whatever works. Just don’t let it stay close into the second half.
Defense vs. Iowa Offense (00:23:08)
Iowa ranked 3rd in Big Ten total offense — but schedule was weak until Michigan. WRs: Reese Van Der Zee, Tony Diaz (247 yards), Van Steenbergen. Tight ends are good. Hank Brown sacked only once this year.
Kerry Wilder discussion:
Garrison’s source: Wilder struggled reading / understanding playbooks in high school. Ryan Day wanted him as a third-down starter.

12 snaps last week, 4 pressures.

Riley: Derrick Henry also couldn’t read playbooks early. Coachability + instinct matter more. Give him more snaps.

Denzel: Tired of sitting him. He had two cupcake games (Ball State, Kent State) to learn on film. DN isn’t safety — “set the edge or rush the passer.” He’s producing more pressure than anyone else.
DL effort / tackling: Garrison’s three non-negotiables: effort, tackling, knowing your whereabouts. Ohio State struggling in all three.
Preferred DL look:
Kenyatta Jackson, John Walker III, Jason Moore, rotate the other DE.

Wilder as first DT off the bench — can play any spot on the line.

Kenyatta (5th year) looks passive; supposed to feast on Kent State / Ball State.
Linebackers:
Alford’s PFF grade looks good; Garrison thought run fits were just okay, coverage better.

Need Alford + Pettyjohn together for 40+ snaps to see if the combo works.

Pierce “hugs” instead of blowing people up. Want linebackers flying 100 mph even if they’re wrong.
Yards per play: Hosts thought the defense was mid-pack. Live check: 4.16 YPP, ranked ~27th (was listed 12th earlier). Garrison’s preseason guess was 15–20. Fine for a title run if tackling and effort show up against Indiana / Oregon later.
Iowa scoring expectations:
Denzel: Okay with 14 if they’re field goals, not explosives. No more “nobody over there” run fits or easy TDs.

Riley: First Iowa drive may eat most of the first quarter and end in 3. After that they should be gassed if Ohio State keeps the ball.

Garrison: Two turnovers, short fields, Ohio State 35–40 points. Iowa 13 (one fluky TD, maybe off a tip). 37–13 lean. If Iowa scores 20, “different conversation” about Matt Patricia and the defense.
Who Needs to Step Up the Rest of the Season? (00:42:17)
Offense
Riley: Dev McKeon — hands inconsistent, not getting open, blocking not notable. Ceiling is higher. Possible “deer in headlights” since Texas.

Denzel: Entire RB room. Need one guy (West, Jacoby, or Bo) to consistently hit 100 yards and a 25-yarder.

Garrison: Tight ends as a group (D+). Nate Roberts showed life / hands; blocking still a problem (can’t even block safeties on outside zone). Another receiving TE would help Sayin’s checkdowns.
Defense — emerging stars
Denzel: Alford + Pettyjohn starting together.

Riley: Jason Moore (20+ snaps last week) — can slow Big Ten run games.

Garrison: Devin Sanchez. Most talented in the DB room (6-2, long, track athlete). Jermaine Matthews has been more consistent so far. Sanchez has dropped INTs and taken back-to-back DPIs. Expect the talent to show in the second half of the season. Also wants more from Jalen McClain.
Coordinator Watch (00:53:46)
Riley gives Arthur Smith the edge right now. First-down passing numbers are elite (still 9.5+ YPP at Texas). Wants the old flood / 10-yard out concept back for McKeon (Carnell Tate used to live on it).
Garrison notes Carnell Tate made an NFL 53-man roster (surprise to him).
Jeremiah Smith / Bobby Hauck Joke (00:56:48)
Smith is two TDs from Ohio State’s all-time receiving TD record.
Illinois DC Bobby Hauck stepped down after the game. Hosts joked Smith made a grown man quit — memes were elite. Riley: Hauck didn’t call a terrible game; his corners just couldn’t cover Smith.
Power Rankings Sidebar (00:58:43)
Garrison has Iowa at No. 10 in his Week 4 rankings (neutral-field “who wins the game”).
Denzel: Iowa should be 5–6. It’s not pretty football, but it’s Iowa football. After beating Michigan, Denzel says Iowa would beat Penn State right now on a neutral field. Chat mentioned 11-1 Iowa — hosts laughed it off.
Score Predictions
Riley / Denzel early: 30-something – 14

Garrison: 37–13 (or 35–40 for Ohio State, Iowa 13)

Chat (Steve): 41–20 — hosts said 20 Iowa points would be a problem.
Clip-Friendly Moments
KRUI “Iowa has your back” radio call replay (~00:08:50)

First-down passing stat / “that’s air raid”

Brock Boyd “white lightning” + blocking praise

Kerry Wilder playbook / snaps debate

“If Iowa scores 20, different conversation”

Jeremiah Smith made a DC resign

Urban 2017 Iowa / “don’t give Zeke the ball” Michigan State bar story
Close: Show airs Mondays 7 p.m. ET. Tuesdays = Mark Rogers Ohio State Buckeyes Live. Fridays = Ohio State Call-In Show.

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1 hr 2 min
September 28OHIO STATE - Illinois Post Game Show
Ohio State Postgame Live — Illinois
OhioStateVOCFB | Garrison Gaddy & Denzel Jones
Result: Ohio State 42, Illinois 19 (home)
0:00–1:17 — Open
Sunday postgame after OSU’s home win over Illinois.

Plug: vocfb.com / vocfb.com/shop.

Jump straight to defense. Offense “we all kind of know what it was.” Defense is the conversation.
1:17–6:00 — Defense overview
Stats they hammer:
~462 yards allowed, 19 points.

263 passing yards; 6.9 yards per pass (they note “good” is 7.2, so they held under that).

199 rushing yards, 6.0 YPC — ~7.5 YPC if you take sacks out. Garrison: “unacceptable.”

Garrison cares more about points than yards, but 6 YPC “leads to something else.”
Illinois credit:
QB Caden Houser (Coastal Carolina / Michigan State / high school teammate of Eppie) was good.

Dixon good; “number two receiver” also had a day.
Tone:
Denzel: defense “looked like trash.” Too many explosives. “You can win games, but you can’t win games against good teams with that many explosives.”

Secondary looked much worse once Jay Timmons went out. Denzel: Timmons is the best DB on the team; one play he can really ding him on.
6:00–11:30 — Secondary / Devin Sanchez
Mixed unit: good plays and bad plays from Sanchez, J. McClain, Timmons.

Devin Sanchez sequence: two near-consecutive PIs, then a TD they pin on assignment/communication. Garrison: coming in talking All-America swagger, you have to know your assignment. No help in that area — “he should have just went back anyway.”

Denzel: Sanchez “went brain dead” on the stop-route / hands / hips play.

Jermaine Matthews: “great yesterday.” Pressed their best WR, followed him.

Earl Little Jr.: playing like an All-American; name barely called = good.

Jalen McClain: should be the QB of the secondary after three years of snaps. Still slipping some without Caleb Downs as the eraser. Made PBUs that saved him. Hauser missed a wide-open TD up the middle (McClain/Calhoun area).

Cam Calhoun: Denzel did not like him as next man up — beat 3–5 times. If McClain doesn’t break up two balls, those are Calhoun busts.

Denzel’s CB3: Dominic (not Calhoun). Practice vs. game player debate.

Scheme note: Sanchez giving 6–8 yards of cushion. Denzel hates playing that far off. Garrison puts that on Matt Patricia / staff, not on Sanchez choosing it.
Poll Garrison ran on X: Is this defense closer to the Texas game or the Illinois game? Denzel: more energy for Texas; Sanchez tighter vs Texas even with the TD allowed.
11:30–22:30 — Front seven, Patricia, rotations
Linebackers
Riley Pettyjohn: decent; “good plays / bad plays.” Early-season “running around making plays without knowing what they’re doing” look with Alford — full speed, but won’t fly vs big-time teams.

Christian Allegro looked lost after a solid start to the year.

Peyton Pierce: tired of seeing him. Out of position, going the wrong way on runs, lost confidence. Not just getting bullied anymore — assignment issues.

Denzel’s LB plan: Pettyjohn never comes off. Rotate Allegro and TJ Alford. Pierce off the 70% snap share.
D-line
John Walker III: consistent, week in week out.

James Smith: best game so far; solid.

Edrick Houston: Denzel — “looks like trash.”

Quay Russo: playing way too much, not setting the edge, missing a lot. “Lettuce” (effort/want-to) isn’t translating.

Edges folded; middle “okay.” Denzel almost never uses “soft” — used it here. Prefers calling them soft over effortless (“if you’re not giving effort, get off”).

Missed sacks / fly-by’s: Timmons missed a sack and got hurt on a rough angle; Russo didn’t hit the other edge.
Patricia / coaching blame
Garrison: Patricia did dial stuff up; guys flew at the QB and then flew off the screen. Won’t blame Patricia for missed tackles, Sanchez technique, or getting blown off the ball. Lazy to only blame the DC and skip position coaches + players.

Denzel (D-line coach background): DC still owns rotation. Some blame has to hit Patricia.

Both: Kerry Wilder should be in more. Every time he’s in, he gets pressure. Somebody (Larry Johnson / Day / Patricia) owns that.

Source talk on Wilder (Garrison, via FaceTime / high school coach family tie):
Struggles with the playbook / “the why,” always has.

Freak athlete; hard to keep off the field.

Can’t be a 265–270 DT at the next level; DE asks for more mentally.

Staff won’t put him out down-to-down if they can’t trust him.

Denzel: Kent State was the lab. Unlosable game — get him wrong reps, correct on film, take a step. Using “playbook” as an excuse at this level is on Johnson/Patricia.

Kenyatta Jackson: hasn’t taken the step (Denzel wanted ~9.5–10 sacks; Garrison thought 12). NFL scouts (same source) thought he should have come out last year, sit 1–2 years in the league; draft stock likely doesn’t rise unless the rest of the year is huge. Would have gone before Caden Curry; Combine would have helped him. Curry’s production/hustle always showed even behind Sawyer/JTT.

Garrison’s three non-negotiables on defense: whereabouts, tackling, effort.

If juniors/seniors/5th-years won’t give effort, play the young ones: Zion Grady, Kerry Wilder, Eppie. Jason Moore: nobody starts over him except Walker III.

Patricia-as-NFL-DC problem: small NFL roster, you know who plays. College depth + position coaches need to be told: find your best 4 / best 2 and only sit them for a breather.
Would right personnel have stopped 500 yards?
Denzel: Pettyjohn 70% + Pierce not at 70% kills a lot of those runs. D-line was soft on the edges (Russo). Alford got “turnt” in the A-gap on a run that was right there.
22:30–30:12 — Defense wrap
Illinois is a real offense; 19 points isn’t a blowup in isolation. 462–500 yards is.

Last year OSU 34–16. “On par” in score, not in yards.

Secondary is still the best unit if it plays consistent high-level ball (Day’s QB word applied to DBs).
30:12–36:00 — Offense open: Jeremiah Smith
Box they read:
Jeremiah Smith: 12 rec, 217 yards, 4 TDs (all of Julian Sayin’s TDs).

Julian Sayin: 27-of-36, 367 yards, 10.2 Y/A, 4 TDs.

Jacoby Jackson: 10-56-1 TD.

Bo Jackson: 11-53.

Isaiah West: 2-15 and a 12-yarder; they want to talk him.

Sayin rushing: 7-29-1 TD, 4.1 YPC, long of 8.
Jeremiah:
“From here on out, if it ain’t C.C. / Chris Carter, if it ain’t Orlando Pace, I don’t want to hear anybody else’s name” for OSU Mount Rushmore talk (Archie debate tabled; Garrison won’t put him over Eddie; second Heisman historical aside).

Denzel: different than Marvin Harrison Jr. — high-point, body control, catch-point, toe-tap TD. “It just looks different.” Thankful he’s on this team.

Route that “turned him completely around”; freeze-frame of the DB looking one way while Jeremiah looks at him like “where are you going?”

Can you win big games as a one-WR show? Garrison: Saban/Julio comps get shut down — those Bama teams also had 1st-round RBs. OSU doesn’t. Stack the box and you still have to play what OSU wants… unless the other WRs come along.
~36:00–58:00 — Rest of offense / “kid gloves”
(middle of show is Jeremiah film + supporting cast)
51 new players. Garrison handling the roster with kid gloves through the first month / first third. Championship standard is November, not Week 4. Just get better.

After Jeremiah: Brandon Inniss, Kyle Parker (still somewhat injured), Devin McEwen, Phillip Bell (excited about development; likes him on punt return — “stop letting the ball bounce”).

Then straight freshmen. Guilford (Fort Wayne kid, Denzel soft spot).

Need Brock Boyd and Chris Herron Jr. to come along. Someone disagreed; Garrison doubled down.

Kid gloves coming off: Iowa next.
58:00–59:40 — Illinois context / close OSU game
Some overreaction to 19 points. Illinois had a plan. Brett Bielema’s O-line is his calling card; Illinois a likely 8-win team.

Defense looked like hot garbage at times, then “got together when they needed to.”

Yards still the problem.
59:40–1:06:10 — Iowa 37, Michigan 31 (the “best game”)
Garrison’s dad after the final: “I am so happy right now. I hate them so much.”

Late drive, push-out-of-bounds penalty, clock, injury stoppage.

Zeke Berry: “buffoon” for shoving a player already out of bounds — no reason.

Michigan run game not good; neither back averaging 50+ rush YPG. Jacoby Jackson has more rush yards than both.

Bryce Underwood: best game of his career; don’t put the loss on him. Last TD (escape + create) looked real. Development bump.

The walk-away from the QB coach: both hated the attitude (“get out of my face”). Authority/respect rant — $12M NIL, still a “broke boy on that field” vs the coach they brought in for him.

Sidearm screen that should have been a first down; inch left and it’s a pick-six. Don’t cape him because of Jason Beck’s play-calling on that snap.

Last 91-yard Iowa drive: “how much had to go wrong” (Ohio State–Texas energy). Injury to John Henry Daly stopped the clock; Michigan was about to run a different play that Garrison doesn’t think works. Feels bad for Daly (Achilles history, compensation injuries). Disgusting that some Wolverine fans blamed the loss on him. “I would have hobbled off.”

Hank Brown / the throw and catch: money.
1:06:10–1:08:00 — Cam Coleman / Texas trolling
Cam Coleman season: 12-208-4. Yesterday: 1-30. Hasn’t had over 61 yards in a game.

“One A / one B with Jeremiah” talk is dead.

Texas skill: mid except the RBs and LT. Ryan Wingo (Thorpe) and Coleman not that guy.

Garrison asked if Coleman is better than Charlie Becker; people said he was crazy. “Looks like somebody over here knows ball.”

Losing to Texas / blowing the 4Q lead still sucks. Most people still think OSU is better than Texas. “Even when Stark gets a win, it doesn’t matter.”
1:08:00–1:12:30 — Oregon–USC / Dante Moore
Shoutout Dante Moore (Ohio kid; Denzel saw him in HS). Hit turned Garrison’s stomach.

Usually sides with the defender on momentum. Not this play: Moore already in the air and into the slide; No. 8’s shoulders still square, hadn’t started the tackle process.

Targeting ≠ helmet-to-helmet. Chris Simms / Scott Van Pelt “wasn’t helmet to helmet” = don’t know the rule.

Michigan fans also don’t know the out-of-bounds-and-pushed-back-in rule.

After the hit, air came out of USC. Maiava too involved emotionally; missed throws after looking good before.

Dylan Raiola (DR8) comes in, gets the dub. First-play read + rhythm throw; “moon ball.” Oregon QB development (Lanning / whoever) has been elite even if league translation is mixed. Bo Nix “all right.”
1:12:30–1:17:30 — Minnesota at Washington / P.J. Fleck
Denzel has been on Minnesota since the offseason; Mississippi State loss felt like getting “bamboozled.”

Minnesota goes into night Washington (elite defense) and wins. Drake Lindsey good; ran at will. Impressive.

P.J. Fleck bloody-face locker room: Twitter said weird. Both get it. Gladiator / testosterone sport. Players run through a wall. “Anything he says, I’m believing.” Earned the room after winning at one of the hardest places.
1:17:30–1:20:00 — Wisconsin–Penn State / UCLA–Maryland / Northwestern–Indiana
Wisconsin down 7.5, wins 2H, 14 in the 4th, beats No. 13 Penn State at Penn State, 3-1. Fickell’s biggest win. Garrison was down on PSU preseason (ranking too high, hadn’t played anybody). Teams “very even.”

UCLA 54, Maryland 3. Garrison: UCLA is real; had them ~9-3 / 4th in his mind. Fire Mike Locksley. Talent + Malik Washington (“would be good at Ohio State”) + solid D/edges — can’t get nuked like that in the “bring it together / win eight” year.

Indiana–Northwestern: Indiana almost lost. Chip Kelly dialing; Aiden Gilardi looked like a 1st-round QB “finally.” Northwestern will beat teams in their range — Denzel even says they’d beat Texas A&M. Hoover mention. Garrison: comfortable saying OSU is the best team in the Big Ten. Denzel: top two until they play a complete game; pissed at how easily yards/TDs came (Pierce wrong way, nobody there).
1:20:00–1:28:20 — Garrison’s Week 4 Big Ten power rankings debate
Fluid ranking: consistency + better team + neutral field.
Denzel pushes:
Wisconsin not better than Penn State.

Iowa too low — top five Big Ten / at least 6. Beat Michigan. Beat Penn State on a neutral. Beat Nebraska.
Garrison’s Iowa skepticism:
Kick-return / fluke / “act of God” last drive + Michigan undiscipline ≠ Iowa identity you can replay.

Doesn’t believe in Iowa’s O-line or D-line. Defense “executes” but Underwood shredded them; two Michigan WRs over 100.

Schedule walk-through (they land around 8 or 9–3 in Denzel’s version):
vs OSU — belt.

at Washington — toss-up / Garrison lean UW.

at Minnesota — split (Denzel yes Iowa, Garrison no).

vs Wisconsin — Denzel Iowa.

at Northwestern — Garrison NW.

Purdue — Iowa.

at Illinois — Garrison Illinois (points).

vs Nebraska — Denzel Iowa.

Denzel’s closer: Iowa always gets to eight (kick return, pick-six, fumble, “defense scored more than the offense” year). Garrison: this weekend told him nothing except Michigan sucked. Still hates watching Iowa. “You ain’t lying.”
1:28:20–end — Out
Thanks / like-share-sub.

Pit Boss grill plug.

Monday 7 p.m. Ohio State Primetime Live with Denzel, Riley, Garrison.

O-H / I-O.
One-line show thesis
Offense is Jeremiah + Sayin and everyone else is still catching up; defense won 42–19 and still failed the “no explosives / no 6-YPC / play your best four” test — Iowa is next and the kid gloves are off.

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1 hr 29 min
September 23ILLINOIS WEEK / Ohio State Buckeyes LIVE 388
Ohio State Buckeyes LIVE 388 — Illinois Week
Voice of College Football | OhioStateVOCFB
Mark Rogers, Steve Helwagen (Bucknuts247), Tony Gerdeman (Buckeye Insiders)
Special guest: Sunny Verma (Locked On Illini)
Aired Tuesday, 4 p.m. ET
Show open / Kent State wrap
00:00–04:45
No more Ball State/Kent State. Big Ten opener Saturday at noon ET in Columbus vs. Illinois.

Kent State recap in 15 seconds (Helwagen): Played a lot of guys, public mugging, crowd gone by third quarter. Veteran Columbus voice Dom Tiberi walking the press box saying “this is terrible.”

Gerdeman: Only meaningful takeaways are the negatives. Starters out first half + one third-quarter drive. Ready for Big Ten football.

Sayin 18-of-22 looks nice on paper, but:
Missed a fourth-down throw that should have been completed

Took a fourth-down sack in the red zone (“ball has to come out 100 times out of 100”)

1-of-8 on third down

Cannot run it in the red zone or on third-and-short

Defense: two field goals allowed in cupcake games; want more pass rush. Starters were 0-for-4 on third down vs. Kent State.

Day on Tuesday: “You all saw the problem.” Tight-end blocking in C/D gaps is the likely allusion.
Illinois situation: NIL, scheme, first three games
04:45–14:30
Sunny Verma on the Illini:
Bielema publicly contrasted roster spend: Ohio State ~$48–54M range vs. Illinois ~$19–23M.

Defense overhauled after Aaron Henry left for Notre Dame. New DC Bobby Houck (Montana HC) installing a 3-3-5 he has never coordinated at this level. Hire came after the portal closed — suggests 3-3-5 was not original Plan A.

Entire starting DL from 2025 gone; replacements took better money elsewhere. Secondary mostly back (Matthew Bailey, Juice Clark, etc.).

Week 1 UAB: defense poor, led Power 4 in missed tackles (~17). Still only 23 points allowed.

Week 2 Duke: Illinois had a double-digit lead. Fake punt kept a Duke drive alive; offense stalled badly in the second half / fourth quarter (three-and-outs, conservative play-calling, Hauser mistakes under pressure). Defense actually better than Week 1.

Week 3 Southern Illinois: similar to OSU-Kent State. Tackling improved (two hands on a guy and they went down). Little schematic takeaway.
Offense is the strength. OL has been ravaged (ninth/tenth lineman used at one point; two freshman guards started last week; one starter out for the year). Still a pleasant surprise so far. Jake Renfro health is a concern.
Illinois skill players
14:30–21:00
Colin Dixon, WR: Already owns the Illinois single-season home receiving TD record after three home games. Seven TDs. On a 28-TD pace. Connection with Hauser developed in the offseason. Third-year breakout after special-teams / blocking years (same path as Pat Bryant, Isaiah Williams).

Other WRs: Jay Sean Platt (lower-level transfer) out since preseason, doubtful vs. OSU. Hudson Clement missed time.

RBs: younger guys Braden Trimble, Javari Barnett stepping up.

Front six: Will Holmes (No. 24, 24–25 years old) the only consistent positive impact; Week 1 MVP candidate. Name Buckeye fans should know.
Caden Hauser vs. Luke Altmyer
Different QBs. Hauser has a cannon (60-yard Hail Mary vs. UAB). Elite first-read processor; gets the ball out fast. Two sacks allowed in three games — some of those “should have been sacks” per OC Barry Lunney Jr.; Hauser still needs to elude better.

Weakness: creating when the play breaks down (showed vs. Duke). Hasn’t played Big Ten defense in 3–4 years.

Captain as a first-year transfer (Altmyer wasn’t even a captain as a junior). Bielema/Lunney have now hit on DeVito → Altmyer → Hauser.
Fan patience, resources, Cignetti shadow
21:00–26:30
Illinois 19 wins last two years, but Duke loss already produced “fire Bielema” noise. Win-now NIL world.

Bielema’s Media Day point: if Illinois is within a couple million of OSU/Michigan, let’s play. At a $25M gap you’re in different leagues inside the same conference.

“Why can’t you be Indiana?” — give them Indiana’s money. Cignetti’s instant success is the worst thing that happened to Bielema’s narrative; Illinois rose from Lovie Smith basement but nobody noticed.

AD Josh Whitman viewed as one of the best in the country and understands the resource gap. Bielema has fired coordinators after one year before (Tony Patterson → Lunney worked).
Ohio State self-assessment after Texas
26:30–30:30
Sunny asks if perception of the Buckeyes changed after Austin.
Helwagen: They looked like the No. 1 team for 40 minutes (20-3 half, 23-3 late third). Heat + inability to sustain drives killed the defense. Two surface issues that must be fixed or they don’t win the Big Ten or a title:
Run the ball when they want/need to.

Pass rush (Arch Manning sat in the pocket and picked them apart in Q4).
Gerdeman: Preseason thought this could be 9-3 and still a playoff team because of the schedule. That hasn’t changed. One quarter flipped the “best team in the country” conversation into nitpicking. Fine margins.
Jeremiah Smith
30:30–37:00
Consensus: best Ohio State receiver of the last 40 years, not just the last decade. Mount Rushmore starts with him.

Broke career receiving yards record in 33 games. Produced from Day 1 as a freshman (rare; Boston, maybe Carter).

Will own yards, TDs, and receptions records. Close on the last two.

Didn’t play the second half of either MAAC game. 5-85 vs. Kent State in one half.

Slight criticism (Gerdeman): catch the ball with two hands sometimes (the Texas third-down one-hand attempt in Q4).

Team is better when they play off him rather than force-feeding him. Still haven’t found the complementary receivers for Sayin.

Two years of eligibility left; driven enough he could theoretically return, but first-round (top 3–4) lock.
Line and last-year tape
37:00–41:20
Spread: Ohio State –27.5. Total 53.5. Implied ~41–13 / 40–13.

Last year in Champaign: OSU won by 18, jumped on Illinois early (~20-3 half), Bielema furious walking off. Muffed punt / bad snaps. Score closer than the game. Only 4–5 Illinois starters return.

Verma: Illinois offense can get to 20. Question is whether OSU keeps the pedal down if up multiple scores late third/early fourth.

Counter: 20 would be the first time an offense has done it against Matt Patricia this year. OSU still the only team in the country that has not allowed a 30-yard play from scrimmage (Texas was death by 8–10 yard cuts).
Ryan Day Tuesday availability (Helwagen/Gerdeman recap)
41:20–48:00
Day was frank (“those are just the facts”).
Offense frustrations:
Sayin still not connecting eyes / finishing details after 14–17 starts.

Running backs: longest run last two games an 18-yarder vs. Texas. Home-run threat missing after Ball State.

Tight-end blocking so poor they put backup guard No. 81 on the field; Buckeye Nation panicked. C/D gap issues.

OL “okay.” Success rate and efficiency high while starters were in vs. Kent State; they just didn’t hit explosives. Day: backs seeing a hole and not running angry enough — bounce vs. shoulder vs. run the guy over. Jacoby Jackson running harder than Bo Jackson and Isaiah West.

Expect the angriest runner to get the snaps this week. Injury reports start this week (Big Ten).
Red zone: 2-of-5 TDs vs. Texas (4-of-5 scoring including FGs, failed fourth down). Must improve. Suggestion: leave Jeremiah Smith on the field inside the 10 even on run plays.
Arthur Smith (OC): some message-board heat after three games. Panel not ready to call him a disappointment. Still learning what this personnel can/can’t do despite spring + fall camp. Grade roughly a B. Execution is the limiter; only Jeremiah has clearly earned an A.
Historical scoring note / close
48:00–end
23 points vs. Texas = same total as 2019 Clemson loss. Moving the ball, not punching it in. Historic OSU “get to 24 and you almost never lose” stat.

James Laurinaitis ringing the Victory Bell then coaching from the sideline — logistics joke.

Line recap again. Watch what Luke Fickell / late-game script does if the game is in hand (hand-offs vs. let Fickell’s guys throw?).

Promos: BuckeyeInsiders.com (Gerdeman recaps + X’s and O’s), Bucknuts (Garrett Codge recruiting notes from Saturday’s visitors), Locked On Illini daily (Verma).
Where to find Sunny Verma
Locked On Illini (6 days/week), On3, Roundtable Illinois page, social @TheSonnyV.

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56 min
September 22Illibuck Week & Needed Changes! / Ohio State Primetime LIVE 103 Presented By FanDuel
Ohio State Primetime LIVE 103 — Illibuck Week & Needed Changes
Presented by FanDuel | Hosts: Garrison Gaddy & Riley Burnett
OhioStateVOCFB
Denzel out (under the weather)
Intro / Weekend (00:00–01:12)
Welcome to Ohio State Primetime Live. Denzel not on the show; send well wishes.

Riley’s weekend: watched a lot of football (college Saturday, NFL Sunday), prepped high school football coverage.
Kent State postgame — what they liked / didn’t (01:12–03:36)
Liked
First four drives looked great. Tempo, composure, “chill” offense. Riley wasn’t stressing.
Didn’t like
Next two drives: failed two fourth-down conversions.

Defense was fine vs. Kent State (QB-driven game plan didn’t materialize).
Peyton Pierce
Worst PFF grade on defense.

Riley: trying to be a field-general/Luke Kuechly-type reader of offenses, but lacks the physicality and aggressiveness that match that IQ. Becoming a “major problem.”

Riley Pettyjohn looked great again (most snaps this year). TJ Alford doing the right things.

Serious film-room conversations coming as conference play starts.
Garrison: “Everything you said is completely correct.”
Jeremiah Smith — record, growth, Heisman, “supremacy game” (03:49–10:55)
Smith broke Michael Jenkins’ Ohio State receiving yards record (held ~22–23 years) in two years + three games.

Riley: bittersweet — “we’re gonna blink and Jeremiah’s not going to be there anymore.” Hardest worker on the team (Ryan Day and past coaches). Work ethic, not just star rating.

Garrison flashback: pre-practice interview — Smith asked if he’d be fine starting; response was essentially “why can’t I?”

Heisman: still in the mix (Garrison notes Kamario Taylor jumping). Vegas still has him on pace.

Where is Jeremiah’s “supremacy game”?
Possible: Oregon (he’s scored vs. them both times as a freshman; “team he claims he hates the most”).

Indiana (revenge; he was still the X-factor in last year’s loss).

Riley’s lean: last game of the season vs. Michigan in the Shoe. Last time they walked into Columbus they took care of Ohio State.

Garrison’s projection (law of averages, ~5 rec/game, 1 TD/game): records likely fall somewhere between at Indiana and vs. Oregon at home. USC also a candidate given how they bracketed KJ Duff.

Current: 19 receptions, 5 TDs.

Watch USC-Rutgers tape for how they covered Duff — expect 110% of that vs. Smith, but Ohio State should have more complementary weapons by then.
Luke Fahey / QB room / 2027 outlook (11:04–16:17)
Garrison liked Fahey’s HS tape: gamer, good thrower, held up vs. California competition. Ohio State had no QB in that class; they viewed him as Buckeye material (project, like Tavian or Lincoln Kienholz).

From what they’ve seen (spring + limited in-season reps): Fahey has looked better than Tavian at every step.

Three-star taking the No. 2 role — not just a tactic to light a fire under Tavian. “There was a fire under Luke Fahey and it’s starting to show.”

High IQ, field-general traits fit the offense; arm talent standing out more than expected. 100+ passing yards vs. Kent State. Chris Henry Jr. nice hitch-route TD (length/strides cover ground; body work showing).

Chat: Aaron wants a portal QB next year; Steve says QB1 (Julian Sayin) is returning. Garrison agrees Sayin is likely back for senior year.

If Sayin leaves: they should still go portal. Not because Fahey/Tavian can’t be ready, but to create competition or bring in a solidified guy. Hypothetical: if a JKS-type is in the portal, Day’s job is to get him.
Team identity heading into Big Ten — what they need (16:18–19:12)
Riley’s big picture:
Both sides must settle on an identity. Can’t live on Jeremiah bailing them out of 3rd-and-medium/long all conference.

Can’t keep rolling the dice then asking a just-off-the-field defense for another stop.

Get complementary pieces going for four quarters:
Devin McEwen — recapture Week 1 usage.

Brandon Ennis — always targeted early (first 1–2 drives), then disappears. Need him throughout. Huge underneath/red-zone threat (short crossers, shallow routes). Exhibit A: wide open vs. Kent State when Sayin didn’t take the easy look (or the run lane).

OL must protect and run-block for four quarters.

Defense: Earl Little Jr. loved; want more from Jalen McClain and Devin Sanchez (inconsistent). Finding identity + comfort in conference play.
Defense specifics — PFF, Jason Moore, Kari Wilder, rotation (19:12–22:29)
PFF: Tarvis / Riley Pettyjohn 1–2 (90 and 90.5). Jermaine Matthews playing well. Jay Timmons “talk of the town.”

Jason Moore (top-100 DT recruit): flashes last year; two straight games of better tape, more reps vs. Kent State. Has he earned starting reps? Riley: he never got the same developmental snaps others did. If they need multiple stops, fresh Moore (and Kari Wilder) matter.

Kari Wilder snap count: Garrison relays Day’s postgame comment — they have him as a starter on third-down packages. Kent State only had those situations in Q1 and Q4, which is when he played. Goal is for him to own that role, then expand.

Patricia versatility / nickel on 3rd down changes the look and gets more of those “workability” guys snaps.
Garrison’s full OOC report card / needed changes (22:29–30:16)
Overall: Ohio State is in a good spot. Texas exposed weaknesses early; fans expected them all fixed in one week. “We’re greedy.”
Offense
Don’t need a true WR2 — need guys who do their jobs. Brock Boyd most WR snaps last week, then Chris Henry Jr. (getting them ready with Kyle Parker out).

Tight end room “has to get better overall… they’ve been bad.”

No. 1 offensive success rate in the country.

Sayin over-critiqued (worse than Kyle McCord treatment; some would give Devin Brown more leeway). Still things to fix: two Kent State plays where he had a run lane / Ennis wide open and didn’t take them.

Short-yardage / critical runs: ball in Bo Jackson’s hands. Jacoby Jackson averaging 7 YPC and has been good, but if he’s in and doesn’t get it, you wonder if Bo would have.
Defense
Healthy LB rotation: Pettyjohn starter no matter what. Tarvis and Christian Allegretti rotate. Pierce rotates in when needed — “get his ish together.” Mind and body not on the same wavelength (late to the play, missing tackles). Captain, respected, has the IQ; body has to catch up or he’s not playable.

DL pecking order Garrison’s leaning: John Walker III, Edrick, Jason Moore (back and forth), Will Smith, Jameer Perez. James Smith falling off — talent, hasn’t put it together.

DBs: individually good flashes; need it as a unit consistently. Closest to flawless: Jay Timmons and Earl Little Jr.

Want Patricia to dial up more pressure (Riley: send the nickel on a blitz occasionally).
Illinois isn’t the measuring stick, but it’s a rivalry, Big Ten opener in the Shoe. Want a good product.
Perspective tweet after Kent State: watching other teams keeps him from overreacting. Indiana slow-started vs. WKU then blew them out; USC gave up 35 to Rutgers; Oregon vs. cupcake; Michigan ugly first half. Ohio State takes care of lesser teams; Texas 4Q collapse is the exception.
AP Poll rant (32:25–37:26)
Ohio State drops 1 → 6 after 1-point road loss at Texas. LSU drops only 3 after losing to Ole Miss. Confusing.

Too easy to just say “SEC bias.” Rankings don’t mean much this early. Look at the schedules of teams ahead of them.

Shocked USC held after the Rutgers performance.

Penn State creeping up. Louisville jumped 7 — shoutout Lincoln Kienholz / Brohm.

Florida still favored over Ole Miss this week.

Iowa 17th, just ahead of Michigan (they play in Ann Arbor).

Texas A&M still ranked — Garrison doesn’t know what Marcel Reed is doing. Last year’s late-season turnover binge (12–13 in final 5) turned him off; those issues showed up again. Smaller than Sayin, limited arm.

Louisville defense has kinks; interesting close to the year vs. Kentucky (Governor’s Cup).
Illibuck preview — Ohio State vs. Illinois (38:09–46:06)
Noon, Big Noon Kickoff, Illibuck Trophy in Columbus. Garrison not thrilled about the window; it’s Ohio State + rivalry.
Riley’s keys
Last year they used width/perimeter well (Carnell Tate, Bo, Jeremiah). Need that mentality again. Chris Henry Jr. can take it in space.

Establish the run first so Illinois packs the box, then get outside. Starts on the first drive. OL has to win inside-out.
Illinois personnel
QB Caden Houser (ex-Michigan State — “QB factory that ships them out”). 758 yards, 74.1%, 8 TD / 2 INT.

RBs Valentine & Laurie: 177 and 159 yards, 4.7 and 7.2 YPC. Decent year.

Limited receiving threats.

Second-best offense Ohio State has seen after Texas. Bielema wants to run and play-action. Houser can move.

They’ll study Texas film for the 5–7 yard gashing runs.
Expectations
Garrison: should be a rout. Something like 40–10. Anything less is a disappointment given what both teams have shown.

Comfortable scores they floated: 38–6, 42–6, 42–10. Hold them to two field goals.

Uncomfortable: 14+ points allowed, especially if Illinois stays on schedule with 5–6 yard first-down runs and converts 3rd-and-short.

Spread ~27.5 — they should cover easily; four touchdowns better.
Linebackers will be tested more than any other group (stuff run, then keep pressure on Houser so he can’t live on easy completions).
Week 4 FanDuel best bets (Garrison 4-for-6 last week) (46:06–53:04)
Texas vs. Tennessee — UNDER 55.5
Both want to run. Tennessee leading SEC in rushing; true freshman QB playing well. Texas needs to run to settle Arch. Clock should tick. Riley agrees (Tennessee less sideline-to-sideline this year).

Virginia Tech –14.5 vs. Boston College
BC “sucks,” no Malik Washington. VT beat Maryland. Should control tempo and cover (17–21 point win range). Only worry: BC scores off a turnover.

UCLA –2.5 vs. Maryland
UCLA for real after Purdue. Can win by 3+. Riley also likes the over (Maryland gunslinger Malik Washington vs. shaky UCLA D).

Iowa vs. Michigan — UNDER 37.5
Iowa not scoring 10. Michigan not dropping 27–30 on Iowa’s defense. Classic 20–10 or 24–10 type. 0–0 / 3–0 at half would surprise no one.

Michigan State +5.5 vs. Nebraska
Spartans competitive vs. Notre Dame (dropped TD, bad TO kept it from being closer at half). Encouraged afterward. Home after a tough road trip. Nebraska struggled at home vs. Ohio U (MAC). Riley could see MSU winning outright.
Lock them in.
Outro (53:04–end)
Like, share, subscribe.

Monday 7 p.m. ET Primetime (Garrison, Riley, Denzel).

Mark Rogers Wednesday 4 p.m.

Friday 7 p.m. call-in show with Garrison & Denzel.

Sponsorships: [email protected] (Wynn Agency, FanDuel, Pit Boss).

“OH.”

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54 min
September 21OHIO STATE - Kent State Post Game LIVE
Ohio State 59-3 Kent State — Post Game LIVE
OhioStateVOCFB | Garrison Gaddy & Denzel Jones
Intro (0:32)
Welcome to Ohio State Post Game Live. Garrison under the weather / off-camera. Plug for likes, subs, vocfb.com.

Setup: “storied rivalry” with Kent State. Final: 59-3. Hot first quarter, slower second, adjustments and scoring in second half.
Overall impressions (1:25–2:40)
Denzel: First three offensive drives looked scripted and sharp — ball spread, mix of run/pass, not just Jeremiah Smith. Defense: still mad Wilder and Pettyjohn weren’t starting; those adjustments should already have been made. Otherwise “not much you can take from this game.”

Garrison: Agrees. You want to see younger guys and incremental improvement, but this isn’t a measuring-stick win. Same logic applies to the negatives — don’t overreact to missed throws either.
Julian Sayin / passing game (2:40–3:35, 8:40–10:10)
Fans on social media ripping Sayin. Garrison: he missed four throws. Final line they cite: 241 yards, 11.0 YPA, 2 TD, 0 INT.

Denzel: “not enough for me to cry and moan.” Played well.

Critique: two consecutive red-zone plays inside the 10 (3rd-and-4 / 4th-and-4). OL opened a lane; Sayin missed an open receiver and didn’t take the run. Garrison tweeted that Ryan Day should have been in his ear. Sayin showed willingness to run vs Texas and Ball State — needs that awareness when the lane is there.
Running backs (3:35–5:50)
Bo Jackson: 11-73, 6.6 YPC, 1 TD.

Jacoby Jackson: 8-47, 5.9 YPC, 2 TD. Both hosts liked the vision/weaving through traffic.

Isaiah West: Walk-in TD look where everyone blocked; West ran to get tackled instead of finishing. Disappointing given offseason hype and first-team reps. Talent/power is there; “needs to put it together.” Kent State — lower the shoulder or make someone miss.

Consensus: holes are often there; RBs have to hit them harder or create. Short-yardage issues more on backs than OL.
Offensive line (5:50–8:20, 26:20–28:20)
Looked fine. One sack — “boo-hoo.”

Gabe Van Sickle (Coopersville, MI — Garrison hometown): solid. Looked better than last time out. Garrison has heard the “can he start?” talk from high-school coaches.

Younger guys getting in was encouraging.

Short-yardage still a problem; Day harped on it. Denzel thinks it gets fixed and is more on RB reads/finishing than OL.

Tyler Bowen: solid second year, recruiting well (Sam Greer film “crazy,” next class looks good). Development “solid, not great.” Neither host has OL as a top worry. Backs aren’t getting hit in the backfield; they’re missing holes or failing to make someone miss.
Jeremiah Smith record (10:30–12:20)
Becomes Ohio State all-time receiving yards leader (needed 27 yards / 26 catches entering the game).

Passed Michael Jenkins, Chris Olave, David Boston, Marvin Harrison Jr. territory, etc.

Both thankful he stayed instead of Miami NIL buyout talk. Sad it’s his last year. Projection: he’ll hold every receiving record when he leaves.

What-ifs: MHJ if he’d started as a freshman; JSN if healthy (hurt Notre Dame game, limited 2020).
Other receivers (12:20–17:00)
Chris Henry Jr.: Hitch, jukes two guys, gazelle speed. Day said they’re building confidence. Denzel annoyed he didn’t play more vs Texas — size/speed/red-zone mismatch with Smith. Wants him and JJ opposite sides in the red zone. 6-5/6-6 vs Smith’s 6-4 helps short-yardage/red-zone issues.

Brock Boyd: 4 rec, 66 yards (longest 39). Route running, inside/outside, speed. Coming along.

Brandon Inniss: 4-78-1 TD (49-yard). Energy up when involved. “He be open. He be catching.” More middle-of-field throws from Sayin = more Inniss. On pace for a solid year.

Game flow better than Texas because everyone got touches early → better blocking and juice. Spread it, then isolate Smith.
Defense (17:00–26:00)
Not much to take vs Kent State, but:
Secondary: Looks good. Jermaine “JT” Timmons (true freshman) — both ask if anyone on defense is playing better right now. Can play anywhere in the back end. Pedigree (dad). Earl Little close second. Sanchez graded differently until he faces Indiana/Oregon/USC again. Tackling improved vs Texas.

Riley Pettyjohn: “The kid’s different.” Coverage PFF they cite as elite (9 vs Pierce’s 15 mentioned in chat). Want him starting with C.J. Hicks / Alfred over current starters.

Christian Allegretti: Solid game, hits holes harder, more speed/length than Peyton Pierce. Still prefer the younger pair for higher ceiling.

DT room ranking (Garrison, 3 weeks in):
John Walker III
2–3. Jason Moore / Edrick Reese
Then Will Smith, James Smith.
Moore looks like it’s clicking after inconsistency last year. Texas tape was good. If he hits 60–80% of ceiling, DT room jumps.

Jameer Perez (true freshman, Glenville/Cleveland, ~340): Scoop-and-score plus a spin-off-guard move. Fast/quick for size. Want him (and Walker) in goal-line packages after Texas got moved off the ball.

Caden Wilder: Limited snaps. Day: he’s the third-down starter; they want him to “own that package” first. Played 1st and 4th quarters. Denzel annoyed — talent is obvious, most pressure per snap on the DL; live with the mistakes. If Bo Atkinson can play, Wilder can play more than just 3rd down. Use him inside (3-tech) or outside.
Play-calling / Arthur Smith (29:20–30:20)
First three series called well.

Drag/go concept with Smith (similar to Washington last year) looked unstoppable. Why wasn’t that the 3rd/4th-down call vs Texas?
Big Ten snapshot / perspective (30:20–38:00)
USC 42-35 Rutgers — shootout possible; worry is OSU pass rush vs that offense. Secondary fine.

Indiana blew out WKU after slow first half. Mendoza 18-24-273-2 TD; Richard 15-149; Charlie Becker 5-127-1 (top-5/10 WR in CFB per Garrison).

Michigan 52-17 UTEP after 17-14 half. Underwood 19-25-223-2 TD + another fumble. Best RB game of year. Wildcat to get offense going = “laughable,” not worried.

Garrison’s even-keel point: watching the rest of the conference puts OSU’s “problems” in perspective. Overreactions (especially on Sayin) are wild. Poll of “concern level 1–10 on Sayin” showed a lot of 7s–8s–10s.

Sayin returning 2027: Garrison fine/happy. Denzel likes the offense but notes it backs up recruiting (Tavion gone, Fahey year 2, new commits Marcus / Brady Edmonds stacked).
Bets / other scores (38:00–42:00)
Garrison 2-for-3 on the card discussed:
– Missed Smith over 125 yards.
– Hit Chris Henry anytime TD (spectacular).
– North Texas/Texas State 49-35 hit.
– Minnesota -23.5 vs Akron hit.
– SMU/Louisville over 58.5 hit.
– Missed UTEP under 48.5 (Michigan second half).
– MSU +29.5 vs Notre Dame hit (27-10; rain + Fitzgerald fight).

Northwestern 41-7 Colorado. Chip Kelly “put Coach Prime’s squad in a blender.” Garrison had it as a lock. Aiden Chiles 17-22-241-3 TD. “Harvard of the Midwest.” RJ Day coming soon joke.
Outro (42:00)
Ohio State Primetime Live Mondays 7 p.m. ET with Garrison, Denzel, Riley.

Like / share / subscribe.

O-H-I-O.

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42 min
September 19Jeremiah Smith Set To Make HISTORY! / Ohio State Call-in Show LIVE 81 Presented By FanDuel
Here’s a set of structured, timestamped episode notes you can drop into an OhioStateVOCFB / Hawkeyes-Wire-style recap.
Episode Notes: Jeremiah Smith Set To Make HISTORY!
Ohio State Call-in Show LIVE 81 | Presented by FanDuel
Host: Garrison Gaddy | Guest: Denzel Jones
OhioStateVOCFB
Show open (0:00–1:24)
Garrison Gaddy opens Friday 7 p.m. ET Ohio State call-in show.

Call-in link in chat; open to Buckeye fans and opposing fans.

Mentions tonight’s Miami–Wake Forest game.

Standard like/share/subscribe + shoutouts to Riley Denzel, Mark Rogers, Fearless Leroy / The Boys of College Football.
Kent State watch points — defense (1:25–8:04)
Garrison frames Kent State as a non-measuring-stick game after Ohio State blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead vs. Texas. Things to look for:
Defensive line — wire to wire
Wants full-game effort after the front got gassed in the fourth vs. Texas.

Names: Edgar Houston, James Smith, John Walker III (already plays that way), down to Jason Moore (played well in limited Texas snaps).
Linebackers
Four playable LBs. Peyton Pierce took the brunt of fan criticism after Texas; captains Pierce and Julian Sayin spoke after Ryan Day — right two to talk.

Pierce must play better; Kent State is not the measuring stick.

Wants young LBs to start / get first-team reps: Riley Pettyjohn, T.J. Alford (called “freaky athletes”).

Christian Lago better as edge rusher than in coverage.

Pettyjohn sack of Arch Manning praised: left his zone, full-go decision, aggressive. That’s the identity this less-talented (vs. 2025) defense needs.
Matt Patricia / scheme
Be more aggressive: press, stunts, use athletic bodies — not just bull rush.

Secondary fly-around guys: Earl Little, J. McClain (one of the better tackling DBs in the country), Devin Sanchez, true freshman nickel Jay Timmons (near-elite tackler).
Kent State watch points — offense (8:05–21:00)
Wide receivers
Want more rotation / rhythm for depth after Texas “stints.”

Freshmen Brock Boyd and Chris Henry Jr. earned more work as blockers in Week 1 vs. Ball State; Boyd also showed route ability vs. Texas.

Devin McEwen: get him open and hit him. Julian Sayin’s missed RPO to McEwen vs. Texas called the worst throw Gaddy has ever seen from him (worse than prior INTs / pick-six).

Kyle Parker out.
Offensive line
Phillip Daniels status TBD (Ryan Day typically holds injury news).

Austin Sereveld: very good at guard and LT; not RT (failed two years ago and again vs. Colin Simmons).

Best five as of now: Carson Hinzman, Sereveld, Luke Montgomery, Ian Moore, + Daniels if healthy.

Want Gaben Sickle (RG) and others with the 1s. Staff has preached secondary positions — use them. Chat mentions Sam Greer (freshman, huge) and Carter Lowe; Gaddy open if they’re practicing at that level.
Julian Sayin
“Just hit the open shots.”
Running back
RB2 still unsettled. Offseason “Isaiah West taking Bo’s reps” talk was out of context (West, Jacoby Jackson, Legend Bay all needed 1st-team looks).

Bo Jackson: best game of short career vs. Texas — not huge numbers (~3 YPC, 17 carries) but ran hard, made people miss, hit the edge, caught the ball, ~100 total yards. In big games (Indiana, Michigan, Oregon, USC, Iowa, Illinois) Bo should get 20 rush attempts minimum.

Legend Bay: most electric in the room — shiftiest, fastest, 10.2 100m, moves like Braxton Miller. True freshman; staff building trust after Week 1 kick-return decisions. Deserves a split of RB2 work.

Suggested RB2 split: thirds — Isaiah West / Legend Bay / Jacoby Jackson.

Jacoby Jackson: 48-yard TD vs. Ball State; strong runner, keep giving him work.

Chat (Aaron): West “all talk,” 3-star. Gaddy: stars matter less at RB; Chris Olave was a 3-star, Marvin Harrison Jr. wasn’t a top-20 WR.
Perspective on the Texas collapse (21:01–24:00)
Reminds fans: blowing a 20-point Q4 lead is a 1-in-10 (or rarer) event.

Conversation in a Michigan fan Space with “Metal”: how many times out of 10 does OSU drop that lead? Answer: that one time.

Colin Cowherd / Joe Clancy point: a lot had to go right for Texas.

“Everybody ain’t Texas.” Only a handful of rosters (Georgia, Notre Dame, maybe Oregon) can do what Texas did — or what OSU did going up 20 on Texas.

Two most expensive rosters in CFB; QB play from Arch Manning and Julian Sayin wasn’t great, talent still is.
FanDuel / Jeremiah Smith history + props (24:01–33:40)
Line on OSU–Kent State: –52.5. Gaddy generally doesn’t bet his own team.
Jeremiah Smith records (needs entering the game)
26 yards from Michael Jenkins’ all-time OSU receiving yards record.

27 receptions from the receptions record.

6 TDs from the TD record.

Wild split: 27 catches from the catch record but only 26 yards from the yardage record.
Prop: Smith over 125 receiving yards (+116)
Denzel: thinks 150 yards, ~9 catches, 2 TDs. May sit in the third if Day runs it up. Still expects the record to fall this week.
What-if on the record book
Marvin Harrison Jr. (2,613 yards, same TDs as Smith with fewer catches) would likely own the record if he’d played as a freshman. C.J. Stroud “Marv-bust” year; people didn’t fully clock Emeka Egbuka yet.

JSN would also be in the conversation with extra seasons.
Prop: Chris Henry Jr. anytime TD (+210)
Both Gaddy and Denzel think CHJ and Brock Boyd score. Freshman class too good to leave off the field.
Freshman class talk with Denzel (33:40–35:20)
Top-3 freshman class in recent OSU memory; too many ready-now players.

D-line: Wilder looks like the best edge they have (5 snaps, 2 pressures vs. Texas). Kenyatta good setting the edge, not same rush juice.

LBs: Pettyjohn and Alford better than current starters.

Legend Bay: at least 5 touches a game.

Freshman WRs look the part; room is light on upperclassmen.
Garrison’s five games / best bets this week (35:20–47:20)
Pick
Gaddy
Denzel
Jeremiah Smith over 125 rec. yds
Yes
Yes (thinks 150)
Chris Henry Jr. anytime TD
Yes
Yes (+ Boyd too)
North Texas / Texas State over 62.5
Yes
Lean under (~55) — only disagreement
Minnesota –23.5 vs Akron
Yes (overreaction to MSU loss)
Yes
SMU / Louisville over 58.5
Yes (game of the week; Jennings vs Kienholz; both Ds leaky)
Yes (~30–34 type game)
UTEP / “Teton” (Western Michigan) under 48.5
Yes (rain in Michigan)
Pass / too unknown
Michigan State +29.5 at Notre Dame (night)
Yes (riskiest; Fitzgerald toughness, Aidan Medvedevich ~70%, Cam Edwards 5.2 YPC)
Yes — ND takes over late but covers the number
Also floated: Bryce Underwood under 0.5 INT or a fumble prop if it exists (2 fumbles in 2 games).
SMU–Louisville is Gaddy’s No. 1 game of the week. Brief Heisman aside: Kienholz athletic enough that Gaddy wanted him getting designed runs when he was at OSU; still team-Jeremiah for Heisman.
Sign-off (47:20–end)
Postgame show with Denzel ~1 hour after OSU–Kent State.

Pit Boss grill/smoker plug.

“OH-IO.”

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49 min
September 16WILL TEXAS HANG OVER KILL 2026? / Ohio State Buckeyes LIVE 387
Ohio State Buckeyes LIVE 387 — “Will Texas Hang Over Kill 2026?”
Voice of CFB / OhioStateVOCFB
Host: Mark Rogers
Guests: Steve Helwagen (Bucknuts 247), Tony Gerdeman (Buckeye Weekly / Buckeye Insiders), Steve Helwick (Underdog Dynasty / By the Belt)
Opening: The 24-23 Texas loss and the two extremes
00:00–01:43
Ohio State is not a program that treats a road loss as a moral victory. A 24-23 result in Austin would have looked respectable in the offseason. The way it happened is the problem.
Mark frames the spectrum: some say the sky isn’t falling after a one-point road loss to the new No. 1 team; others treat it as inexcusable. He wants a balanced take.
01:43–05:16 — Steve Helwagen’s preamble
Week 1 vs. Ball State (56-3) looked like a team ready for Texas.

First half vs. Texas: dominant, 20-3 lead. Felt like a statement win that would help CFP seeding.

Second half: heat (92° air, ~110° on the field) + Ohio State offense going three-and-out starting mid-third quarter. Defense on the field too often. Texas three long scoring drives (91, 73, 71 yards, all double-digit plays) and three fourth-quarter TDs.

Records: first time Ohio State lost after leading by 17+ at half; first time a No. 1 team lost after leading by 20 in the second half. Biggest blown lead in program history remains 21 vs. Nebraska in 2011 (lost season). This one hurts because 2026 was supposed to be a title-contender year.

Glass half full: one-point road loss to a playoff-caliber team. Glass half empty: “You cannot ever lose that game.”
Kent State preview (with Steve Helwick)
05:16–16:12
They pivot briefly because Helwick is the Group of 5 guy.
Kent State snapshot
Brutal non-conference “ride to hell” schedule every year. Last year: 172-24 combined losses at Oklahoma, FSU, Texas Tech. Still finished 5-7 after an 0-12 season.

2026: 57-0 at South Carolina, then trailed FCS Wofford 15-14 after three before 22 unanswered in the fourth. Sloppy (muffed punt, missed FG, turnovers on downs) but clearly better than Wofford.

Offense is boom-or-bust, historically big-play dependent (Cade Wolford last year, now at Cincinnati). Conservative vs. South Carolina; some explosiveness late vs. Wofford.

QB Drew DeShields (Beloit West Branch, Ohio): dual-threat. vs. Wofford: 16-of-25, 248 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 10 carries, 74 yards, 2 TDs. Already 2 INTs this year.

Names to watch:
Darylis Clark — MAC Special Teams POY last year (2 kick-return TDs), now WR, second-leading receiver.

Rocco Nickel — 6-5 LB, boomerang transfer (Kent State → USF → back). Sound tackler, roaming.

Historical OSU-Kent State: average score 55-7 in three meetings. Vegas: OSU -52.5, O/U 59.5. Helwick wouldn’t be shocked if Kent State is shut out.

MAC overall: Helwick thinks it’s a down year. Western Michigan is the clear favorite (retained MAC OPOY, no portal losses after 10-1 finish). Bottom half (Bowling Green, CMU, Akron, Ball State, Kent State) is rough. Ohio State is playing two of the weaker ones.
Purpose of the game for Ohio State
Get starters in a groove, get young players snaps (like Fahey and St. Clair vs. Ball State), stay healthy for Illinois (Big Ten opener the following week).
Helwick was in Austin for the Texas game (after covering UTSA and Texas State). Brief comments: Ohio State left meat on the bone in the first half (bad 4th-and-2 run call), coverage breaks on deep balls (Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo drop). Pass rush and snap counts (Kari Wilder only 5 snaps, Pettijohn vs. Pierce) need fixing.
Deep Texas autopsy with Tony Gerdeman
23:39 onward (Tony arrives after traffic)
The goal-line decision
23:39–32:00
Mark: purist view is you stop them at the 1. Practical view: let them score with ~50 seconds left, give Julian Sayin the ball with timeouts.
Tony agrees completely. Ryan Day was informed by past success stopping Texas near the goal line, but this defense had been on the field the entire fourth quarter in 110° heat. Discretion > valor. Pete (Pierce?) said they never even considered it.
Tony’s point: without Caden McDonald (the “floppy belly” All-American DT), Ohio State almost never stops first-and-goal from the 1. Four cracks over center/A-gap was going to score. They should have pushed the receiver into the end zone on the previous play to get more time.
Situational football failed: OSU 1-of-6 on third down in second half (5-of-8 first half), 2-of-5 red-zone TDs. Texas 4-of-4 scoring (3 TDs, 1 FG). Texas recovered 3 of 4 fumbles. Missed FG. Hook-and-ladder on the final drive. Any one of 10 plays flips it.
Offense and Julian Sayin
40:40–48:00
First half: Sayin A-minus — 12-of-16, 195 yards, TD. Missed back-shoulder to Jeremiah Smith in the end zone on the opening drive.

Second half: 5-of-16, 83 yards. Day said 2-for-last-10/12 besides the Hail Mary. One 43-yard “throw it up” to Smith (Smith’s 8th and final catch). Smith targeted 15 times, 8 catches; no receptions in final 20 minutes (drop + two PIs).

Other receivers: Brandon Inniss 1 catch (19 yards) + Hail Mary target. Devin McEwen 1 catch for 5 yards (after 6-97 vs. Ball State). Targeted 3 times total for the two. McEwen wide open down the middle — Sayin missed him.

Will Muschamp’s defense took Smith away after the third-quarter 43-yarder. Fourth straight 140+ yard game for Smith (OSU record) — they lost three of those four. Need diversification.

Run game: 94 yards. No run over 11 yards. Bo Jackson ~5 YPC when not blown up. Legend Bay 1 carry, 0 yards, never seen again. Chris Henry Jr. barely used. Tressel standard was ~200 rush / 250 pass. Not close.
Defense / personnel
Coverage breaks on verticals (Coleman, Wingo). No consistent pass rush. Kari Wilder (DE used as pass-rush NT) only 5 snaps — needs 40. Riley Pettijohn should play more than Peyton Pierce. Young DBs (Sanchez, McLean) struggled; Timmons, Earl Little, Matthews (huge 4th-down stop + end-around discipline) played well.
Ryan Day context and “all his losses look the same”
48:00–56:00
Tony lists Day’s losses by AP ranking: almost all top-10 or better (one unranked — Michigan 2024). Day has 17 wins vs. AP top-10 in 7+ seasons (Tressel 10 in 10 years, Meyer 13 in 7). Eight wins vs. top-5 (Tressel 4, Meyer 6).
People blame Day for everything after the fact (4th-and-2 run, not kicking FG, not letting Texas score). Same people wanted to go for it live.
Brandon Marcello (CBS): entire offense felt built around getting Smith the ball; when that was taken away last 20 minutes, they had nothing else.
Forward look
Heat and Austin environment won’t repeat. Lessons (situational football, snap counts, getting other skill players involved, pass rush) need to be applied now. Illinois in two weeks, Iowa after that, Oregon in November, Michigan. One more “good” loss is probably still playoff-viable; 9-3 with two top-10 losses is dicey.
Omen talk: they play Kent State in 2026 like they did in 2002 and 2014 title years. Day just went 1-3 in a stretch like Meyer after the 2013 losses + 2014 Virginia Tech.
Closing
Focus this week is not Kent State — it’s getting the house in order before Big Ten play. Both Steve and Tony still digging out of the Texas tape (Tony on situational failures and young players; Helwagen may re-watch the 22 second-half offensive plays). Next Tuesday: Illinois preview.
Key quotes / clip-worthy timestamps
Helwagen on the loss: “Inexcusable, unforgivable. Just no way.” (~05:00)

Goal-line debate consensus: let them score (~25:00–30:00)

Smith’s last 20 minutes: zero catches after 8 (~42:30)

Marcello via Tony: offense built around Smith, then “oh well, we don’t have anything else” (~50:30)

Day’s résumé vs. Tressel/Meyer (~49:00)
The show stays in “neither sky-is-falling nor everything-is-fine” lane: the talent and first-half tape say they’re a contender; the second-half execution, personnel usage, and late-game decisions are real problems that have to be fixed before Illinois.

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1 hr 1 min
September 15Needed Personnel Changes & Bounce Back Week / Ohio State Primetime LIVE 102 Presented By FanDuel
Ohio State Primetime LIVE 102 — Needed Personnel Changes & Bounce-Back Week
Presented by FanDuel | Hosts: Garrison Gaddy, Riley Burnett, Denzel Jones
OhioStateVOCFB
Show Open & Format Notes (0:00–1:25)
Garrison welcomes everyone to Ohio State Primetime Live. The show is officially moving to Mondays; Zay is now a permanent part of the rotation. Riley and Garrison are excited about the new setup. Standard plugs: like/share/subscribe, vocfb.com, vocfb.com/shop (koozies, sweatshirts, hats, tees).
They preview the Kent State game after recapping Saturday’s loss to Texas.
Texas Loss Recap — First Half vs. Second Half (1:25–4:00)
Riley’s overarching take:
Happy with the first half. The score near the end of the half was huge.

Lucky on the opening play and the interception (great ball by Arch, “one-in-a-million”).

Second half: offense came out flat and defense came out flat, especially in the third quarter. By the fourth, the defense was gassed after back-to-back three-and-outs. Texas’s physicality and tenacity took over.

Offensive game plan was lacking. Biggest individual disappointment: Peyton Pierce — not flying to the ball, not playing alert football.
Riley wants the talented younger linebackers used now instead of kept “in the back pocket.” “If it’s the right guy, let’s show our hand.”
Denzel notes he already went off on Pierce on the Sunday show. Garrison jokes that Pierce somehow had the highest PFS score (75.9 overall, 71 run D, 67 tackling, 73.9 coverage) — they treat it as a “nothing stat” because doing nothing means you don’t get dinged.
Fan Overreactions, Ryan Day Heat, and “Better Team” Debate (5:15–7:50)
Garrison addresses the postgame noise: Fire Ryan Day talk, people doxing Day’s house (called “really weird”). He compares his reaction to the 2024 Oregon loss — sat three inches from the TV, hands on hips, “Alright. Cool. Got it.”
His view: Ohio State was the better team for 2½ quarters until the fourth. On a neutral field he thinks they beat Texas. “Good teams win, great teams cover” — and they did cover.
Riley: Sad after the game but not devastated. Prefers an early loss so coaches actually go back to the film room and make personnel changes (unlike last year’s undefeated season where deficiencies were papered over). He’s been calling for Pierce not to start since before the season.
Snap counts shown: Pierce 37, Tarvis 26. They want those snaps split more evenly among the three linebackers. Allegro wasn’t awful but wasn’t great; still better than Pierce.
Clip discussion: Riley’s sack while Pierce was hanging out 5–7 yards behind him. Contrast in urgency and violence. “If you’re the middle linebacker you got to be the guy that’s crazy in the middle. You can’t just be hanging out like you’re a fan.”
Garrison: A Mike linebacker has to be a field general. Pierce’s energy (or lack of it) reflects on the rest of the defense, especially late.
Young Players Who Need Snaps (8:20–14:50)
Poll in chat: Do you want coaches playing more young guys on both sides?
Names floated:
Brock Boyd (needs to rebuild trust after drops last week)

Legend Bay — “coaching malpractice” to give him one touch in a game like that. Doesn’t matter that he’s a freshman.

Christian Allegro — Garrison has said he belongs on the edge, not at Mike. Fast in a straight line, can rush. Coaches have given him snaps at the S position too.
Riley: The two best linebackers on the team are obvious. Play them.
Denzel’s wish list:
Swap the linebackers

Legend Bay at least 5 touches

Chris Henry at least one pass a game

Chris Henry and Boyd 1–2 targets

Solidify RB2 (Jacoby Jackson is a strong runner)

Isaiah West hype from the beat writers was not real — “anyone who thought he was challenging Bo needs to repent”

Open to Legend Bay as RB2; blocking can be figured out later. He’s an extra weapon who can take it to the house.
Garrison wants more crossing routes and slants to get the ball out of Julian’s hands quickly and build confidence. Receivers who can do something after the catch: Jeremiah, Devin McEwen, Brandon Ennis (sure hands, clutch catch in the game).
They stress “workability” — elite teams need it on both sides. Position coaches (not just Arthur Smith and Matt Patricia) need to be pushing young talent.
Freshman Social Media — “Free Deuce” (14:57–19:20)
Riley flagged Instagram stories that have since been scrubbed. Legend Bay posted a sideline photo with “Free Deuce.”
Hosts interpret it as a not-so-subtle request for more touches. They compare it to Ezekiel Elliott speaking up after the 2015 Michigan State loss. All three believe Legend is a top-3 most dynamic player on the offense and needs to be involved early — out of the backfield and in the slot/empty sets.
Garrison is unsettled by the personnel choices: Why give Legend the ball early then never again? Same question for other young guys. Position coaches may be getting (or giving) bad advice.
Denzel wants the ball spread more. Feeding Jeremiah exclusively makes the offense predictable on third-and-medium/long. Texas’s secondary could match him physically. “You already know where the ball is going.”
2028 Recruiting — Luke Soda TE Commit (21:45–28:10)
Ohio State landed a 2028 commit: Luke Soda (pronunciation debated — “Soda” or similar), 3-star athlete, No. 51 athlete in the class, 6-4, 250, Cannon-McMillan HS (Canonsburg, PA). Also plays DE. Arthur Smith personally wanted him.
Riley likes Smith immersing himself in modern recruiting after coming from the NFL. Tight end is an intriguing position for him.
Denzel is cynical about Ohio State tight ends: they recruit good ones (Jelani, Luke Farrell, etc.), they get drafted and produce in the NFL, but Ohio State rarely uses them. Cade Stover was the last one they actually threw to consistently (and that was partly by default). Still likes Smith’s involvement.
Garrison: Ohio State doesn’t have to live off the tight end like some programs. They have receivers and running backs. But this is Smith’s bread and butter. Expect a “Buckeye bump” in the rankings. “What else is an Ohio State tight end good for unless you’re Cade Stover?”
Recruiting priority for the next two classes:
Riley: Keep hitting D-line hard. Never enough. Elite D-line helps everything and usually gets you to the playoffs.

Garrison: Front seven — mix of size and speed, “workability” guys Patricia can scheme with.

Denzel: Stop spending money on linebacker. Room is already packed (Sincere, Riley, Alfred, etc.). Shift resources to corner — depth behind the top two is not great.
Brief Bobby Carpenter comments discussion (Pierce vs. Tarvis speed, old comments comparing Pierce to Arvell Reese/Sonny Styles).
Kent State Preview — Bounce-Back / “Work Them Demons Out” (31:55–49:20)
Kent State is 1-1 (lost 57-0 to South Carolina, beat Wofford 36-15). Drew DeShields: 311 pass yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 101 rush yards, 2 TDs (he’s a third of their rushing offense). No receiver over 100 yards. Defense has one sack.
Garrison: He would hate to be Kent State. After a loss like Texas, you have to work the demons out. This is the game to do it.
What they want to see:
Different jersey numbers on both sides of the ball

Legend Bay 5+ touches

Freshman WRs more involved than they were vs. Ball State

Backup QB (Luke Fahey mentioned) in by the second half

Kari Wilder 30+ snaps (only 5 vs. Texas — not enough)

Pierce as a rotational piece; Riley or T.J. Alfred starting at that linebacker spot

Jay Timmons and Earl Little Jr. continue playing physical

Devin Sanchez coverage was excellent except the one TD given up — “dig deep”

Bo Atkinson as depth only; Epi, Zion, Carey, Quay have played better

Tighter coverage / more press-man

Brock Boyd before Chris Henry Jr. (more polished right now, faster)

Ryan Day should not hold back — put up as many points as possible to evaluate the roster
FanDuel: Ohio State -52.5, total 59.5. All three think they cover easily. Score predictions:
Riley: 70-0

Denzel: 63-0 (they’ll chill once they get it out of their system)

Garrison: 66-0 (throw in a Connor Hawkins field goal)
Any Kent State points are unacceptable. Defense looked soft vs. Texas; no excuses about heat.
Hawkins miss discussion: Garrison refuses to pin the Texas loss on the kicker. Hawkins is the reason they even had a TD lead late. Long list of other “huh?” moments (Julian not throwing to wide-open Devin McEwen, Jeremiah not catching, hold by Austin Saraville, last-drive TD allowed, linebacker/edge rotation, etc.).
Other Games (49:30–53:00)
Oregon vs. Oklahoma State
Loved that Oregon lost. Gave up ~561–600 yards. Can’t claim best D-line in the country after that. Drew Metzmaker and that Oklahoma State offense punched them in the mouth early; Oregon struggled to respond. Takeaway: you have to hit Oregon early.
Michigan vs. Oklahoma
Ugly, quarterback-less nail-biter. Michigan won the way they like to win at home. John Mateer looked nothing like last year’s version (thumb injury or not) — missed throws, late INT, offense only really went to the tight end. Michigan’s offense also struggled. Garrison hit the Under 0.5 passing TDs on Bryce Underwood. Mixed feelings about Michigan winning after “cheating the week before,” but they’ll take the result.
Close (53:00–end)
Like, share, subscribe, comment, hit the hype button. Membership tiers mentioned (Black Hole Club, etc.). Call-in show is Fridays at 7 p.m.
“O-H.”

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54 min
September 14OHIO STATE - Texas Post Game/Call-in LIVE
Ohio State–Texas Postgame / Call-In Live
OhioStateVOCFB — Garrison Gaddy & Denzel Jones
Late-night recap after Ohio State’s 23–24 loss at DKR Stadium
Show setup
Garrison and Denzel open immediately after the overnight loss. They frame it as a full-board conversation: coaching, personnel, drops, missed throws, and fourth-quarter collapse after Ohio State led 23–3. Credit Texas throughout; they refuse the “we took our foot off the gas and Texas just laid down” narrative.
First-half snapshot (hosts’ view)
Offense in sync early. Julian Sayin (transcript: “Julian San”) had the game’s high for QBs. Jeremiah Smith: 8-164-1 TD, 20.5 YPC, long 43. Bo Jackson: 19 carries, 74 yards (3.9 YPC), long 11. Jacoby Jackson 5 carries; Isaiah West 2; Legend Bay 1 snap/1 carry.

Pass protection fine first half; run blocking not. Hosts wanted more points instead of field goals while the lead was still expandable.

Defense had Arch Manning “in a spin cycle.” Jaylen McClain INT after a coverage breakdown on Cam Coleman. Jay Timmons forced and recovered a fumble. Riley Pettyjohn and Timmons were the two best defensive players on the field.

Texas missed big plays (Ryan Wingo drop; Coleman near-miss). Ohio State still only led 23–3 at half because they settled for kicks.
Personnel & snap-count frustration (core of the show)
Linebacker rotation: Denzel was “right about the linebackers.” Peyton Pierce looked slow, hesitant, spectator-like; 67 snaps. Riley Pettyjohn 37 snaps, Christian Allegro 51, Tarvis ~26. Hosts and caller Michael all want Pettyjohn (and Alford) on the field constantly. Pierce’s one forced fumble that wasn’t recovered doesn’t offset the rest.

Defensive line last drive: Epi / Kenyatta / Will Smith / James packages, then Bo Atkinson in for the game-winning drive. Hosts: if Texas is already gashing the line, why insert Atkinson? Prefer Epi, Carey Wilder, or Quay. John Walker III “should never come off the field” unless he needs water. Kerry Wilder only 5 snaps despite looking explosive when in.

Running back usage: Bo Jackson is the second-best offensive weapon. Hosts hate the every-other-series committee; it keeps backs from finding a rhythm. Want 25–27 carries for Bo in this type of game, not 19. Legend Bay and Isaiah West barely used.

Receiver distribution: Too much force-feeding Jeremiah Smith. Devin McEwen drops (including a needed conversion) after being ignored. Brandon Inniss “seems to catch it every time they look his way”; hosts would have preferred him on the third-and-long McEwen drop.
Fourth-quarter collapse
Offense looked conservative / clock-killing: three-and-outs, three-run sequences, punts. Arthur Smith’s first-half calls were fine; fourth-quarter play-calling “terrible.” Julian off — balls behind Jeremiah, missed McEwen.

Devin Sanchez: generally solid game, but the Wingo TD “looked too easy” (outside leverage, simple out/curl). Phantom PI on Sanchez “sticks in the craw” and helped spark the comeback.

Defense gassed on two late drives. Hosts wanted a timeout after the first fourth-down conversion (4th-and-9) to give the D-line a breath; Patricia didn’t change personnel or scheme. John Walker laid out a lineman but was too tired to finish to the QB.

Goal-line at the end: Garrison initially wanted to let Texas score for clock. After talking to his sister he understood Day trusting the goal-line identity of recent years. Both still note this D-line is not K-Mac / Ty Hamilton / Tyleik Williams; expectations have to be tapered.
Specific plays & player notes
Jeremiah Smith: great overall game, still the best player on the team / in CFB in their view. Must-catch drops: ball behind him coming across the middle (Julian’s fault and a catch he should make); third-and-4 body catch. One-on-one end-zone ball needed to be outside shoulder / pylon — Julian put it inside.

Connor Hawkins: 3-for-4, including a 45/48-yarder that created the six-point lead they later lost. Hosts defend him on volume but still say the miss in a one-score game has to be made. Field goal did not lose the game; Ohio State was still up 6 when it happened. Defense then gave up 4th-and-9 and 4th-and-6.

Earl Little: “smacking the hell out of people,” overlooked positive.

Kenyatta Jackson: good at setting the edge vs. Goosby (sack), not aggressive enough finishing. Caller Michael questions size/strength vs. top tackles.

Austin Siereveld sack given up called out.
Coaching blame (spread, not single-target)
Ryan Day (final calls, goal-line, timeouts), Arthur Smith (conservative fourth quarter, stacked-box halfback dives, fourth-down personnel), Matt Patricia / position coaches (LB and DL packages), Tyler Bowen (OL adjustments). Players still have to make the critical plays. “Everyone has blame… only a couple players who don’t.”
Hosts push back hard on “fire Ryan Day / he’s coaching for his job.” One-point loss at DKR to a top-5 roster is not the same as losing to Akron or Maryland. Ohio State covered as a road dog; “good teams win, great teams cover.” Early loss often produces adjustments. Schedule after Kent State (Iowa at Kinnick) is the real measuring stick.
Caller Michael
Wants Pierce off the field immediately; ranks him fourth among the LBs.

Questions Kenyatta Jackson’s size/production vs. elite tackles (compares to JTT “baby arms” talk).

Wants more downfield aggression with Sayin + Smith.

Thinks Ohio State was the better team and would have won at home or on a neutral field. Coaching “not to lose” in the fourth is the recurring Day critique.

Super-chat / Robert Howard: “We will know how serious they are by how much we see 34, 5 and 17” (Pettyjohn, Alford, Wilder). Hosts agree those three + Bo Jackson need heavy, non-negotiable snaps going forward.
Positives they want replicated
First-half cadence / hurry-up that created field position.

Julian’s first-half confidence and willingness to run.

Getting the ball to Jeremiah while still making McEwen / Inniss threats.

Bo Jackson as featured back in multiple ways.

Timmons / Pettyjohn / Walker / Little physicality.
Kent State is a non-eval game. Iowa is the next real test of whether the first-half version or the fourth-quarter version shows up.
Close
Tough one-point loss after a 20-point lead. Get back on the horse. O-H / I-O. Next: Kent State, then Iowa.

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1 hr 8 min
September 09Horns DOWN & Clock Shenanigans! / Ohio State Primetime LIVE 101 Presented by FanDuel
Ohio State Primetime LIVE 101 — Horns Down & Clock Shenanigans
Presented by FanDuel | Hosts: Garrison Gaddy, Riley Burnett, Denzel Jones
OhioStateVOCFB
Intro & setup
00:00–01:20
Garrison and Riley open the show, plug vocfb.com and the shop, and set the table: Ohio State at Texas this week after talking with the Texas VOCFB guys. Quick pivot to Big Ten chaos before the preview.
Western Michigan–Michigan clock controversy
01:20–08:50
Garrison (West Michigan native, proud Bronco fan) and the group recap the ending: WMU thought they had the win, celebrated, then Michigan got an extra second and Bryce Underwood hit a 47-yard TD. Riley was FaceTiming a friend and thought the game was over before looking back up. Denzel calls it disappointing and “disgusting” for the WMU players and coach who already believed they had the biggest upset. Mental checkout after the whistle makes it nearly impossible to reset.
They discuss Big Ten audio (broadcast time vs. game clock), Coach Lance Taylor’s composure, and the MAC initially agreeing then walking it back. Garrison argues the MAC should fight harder—WMU is their best Playoff hope with Boise State coming. Contrasts it with a live play that isn’t over vs. a game that already felt finished.
Ryan Day presser, Jeremiah Smith, Devin McEwen
08:50–16:10
Day on getting Jeremiah Smith (#4) the ball: there has to be balance, but they have to work so he impacts the game. Riley is on the fence—Devin McEwen could be this year’s Carnell Tate in Week 2, but raw talent wins in certain spots and they have to get Smith the ball, especially if Texas shows man. Stretch the field; don’t just settle for jet sweeps and screens like the last CFP meeting.
Garrison is less worried: they’ve beaten Texas twice without forcing Smith volume; if they occupy two defenders on him, run McEwen underneath or use Julian Sayin’s legs. Riley wants Smith at 90+ yards as a low bar and will take shots even in tight windows (or take the PI). If the backs go crazy instead, that’s fine if the line wins.
Day also sounded loose and confident (unlike some past big-game pressers). Flexibility on the O-line; they can make in-game changes.
Legend Bay
16:10–18:30
Shoutout to Jalen Turner’s comment that Legend Bay unlocks Smith’s swing/screen game. Day addressed Bay’s ups and downs vs. Ball State (two kickoff returns he should have knelt). Group loves the juice and lateral quickness—“best thing since Braxton Miller.” Creating middle-of-the-field separation and east-west playmaking will be huge Saturday. Braxton Miller co-sign (give him No. 5) lands well.
Game framing & storylines
19:10–23:10
Garrison does not have Ohio State No. 1 personally (Notre Dame/Miami ahead in his fluid top 15). Sixth meeting this century. They like the big-boy scheduling (Georgia later). Excited for the narrative if an SEC team that went undefeated in Week 1 loses at home in Week 2 to a Big Ten team. Sarkisian excuse-making is already anticipated.
Defense vs. Texas
23:10–32:00
Comfortable with the four linebackers. TJ Alford and Riley Pettijohn stood out; Peyton Pierce had missed tackles (everyone did in the first half). Bo Atkinson disappointing; Caden Curry/Kyrie Wilder movement was encouraging. Kenyatta Jackson favored his right leg for a stretch in the second quarter—watch that for edge pressure and finishing vs. Arch Manning. Jackson led the country in Week 1 pressures (8) but has to finish sacks.
Tackling is the biggest Week 1 leftover. Can’t miss vs. Ryan Wingo, Hollywood Smothers, Relique Brown, Cam Coleman, Arch. Secondary: trust corners and safeties, but Ball State isn’t the bar. Jermaine Mathews locked Wingo last year; Jaylen Simmons was lights-out as a true freshman but this is the real test. Like the 4-3 packages they showed (Pierce at Mike, Alford/Pettijohn outside). Show it early to keep Arch from getting into rhythm.
Garrison’s FanDuel locks
32:00–34:20
Arch Manning under 1.5 passing TDs

Devin McEwen 50+ receiving yards (lock of the game)

Texas first-quarter lead -1.5
Also likes Texas getting a scripted fast start at home.
Offense vs. Texas defense / O-line
34:20–41:30
Riley wants middle-of-field usage and Legend Bay after-catch work to gas Texas, then tempo. Denzel wants 3.5–4 yards per carry and O-line improvement after a rough first half vs. Ball State (adjustments helped). Day comparing McEwen to Chris Olave is exciting. Bo Jackson’s change-of-direction over pure speed. Want more Isaiah West.
Philip Daniels cannot stay at RT vs. Colin Simmons. Prefer matching All-American vs. All-American (Daniels on Simmons) and living with Van Sickle/Padilla on the other side. Run-game issues in Q1 looked more like back vision than line play; second-half schematic/personnel changes produced 5.5 YPC even without the two long Jackson runs.
Matt Miller (Texas VOCFB) joins
41:30–58:00
Muschamp’s defense will be more aggressive and attack the ball (Raheem Biles strip example) at the cost of bigger plays given up. Most talented Sark roster overall; edges are the strength, interior still good. Cage Phillips is the one Texas player who worries Matt vs. Ohio State. Perimeter tackling vs. Texas State was poor—danger vs. Smith/McEwen. Bo Mascoe (Rutgers transfer) is a wait-and-see; Cade Phillips got beat.
Run game: backs are better than last year. Hollywood Smothers is the trusted down-to-down and receiving threat; Relique Brown is boom-or-bust. Arch’s mechanics looked cleaned up vs. Texas State (no more Uncle Rico arm angles); expect 64–66% completion, not 74%. Ryan Wingo’s hands and confidence looked improved.
Matchup flags: Emmett Mosley in the slot vs. Jaylen Simmons (Sark has confused young DBs before). Devin Sanchez talking big—needs to back it up. Both sides’ tackling will decide chunk plays. Garrison noted Colin Simmons lining up at Mike a few times vs. Texas State—if they show it again, throw at him.
Extra bets, closing bits
49:50–end
Garrison’s other Week 2 locks: Rutgers/BC under 54.5, UGA -40.5 vs. Kentucky, Pitt -7 vs. UCF.
Luke Soida (3-star TE) committed tonight. Schedule note: they’re tweaking the weekly show slate. Standard close and “OH-IO.”

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59 min

About Ohio State at The Voice of College Football

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Welcome to Ohio State at The Voice of College Football Network, your home for In-depth discussion, debate, & analysis on all things Ohio State. We have you covered from offseason all the way to…

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