Ohio State’s 2024 roster is loaded with star players, but some of them would be tougher to replace than others.

While there’s no question that the likes of Denzel Burke, Jack Sawyer and Emeka Egbuka rank among Ohio State’s best players entering the 2024 season, the Buckeyes have enough depth at each of their positions to be OK if someone misses time. Losing a starting offensive tackle, safety or Will Howard, on the other hand, could be more concerning.

On this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays, we discuss which Ohio State players most need to stay healthy and perform well for the Buckeyes to achieve their goals of beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten and winning the national championship this season.

Later in the show, we also discuss the ongoing backup quarterback competition between Devin Brown and Julian Sayin, why Justin Frye should be on the hot seat and why we think the Buckeyes got it right with their captain selections.

The full rundown for this week’s show:

• 0:00 Intro
• 4:12 As Ohio State’s New Starting QB, Will Howard Stands Out As Important Player
• 11:03 Why Josh Simmons, Josh Fryar Might Actually Be OSU’s Most Indispensable Players
• 17:12 Ohio State’s Most Important Defensive Player: Caleb Downs or Lathan Ransom?
• 20:33 Jordan Hancock’s Unique Skill Set at Nickel Makes Him One of Most Vital Defenders
• 23:45 Cody Simon, Ty Hamilton Are Important Defenders Who Shouldn‘t Be Overlooked
• 28:20 Donovan Jackson Being Dominant is Crucial to Offensive Line’s Success
• 30:25 Why Will Kacmarek Might Be the Most Important Non-QB or Lineman on Offense
• 33:09 Both Top Running Backs Are Needed, But We’re Confident in James Peoples
• 35:57 Who is More Likely to Start A Game This Season: Devin Brown or Julian Sayin?
• 41:25 Only A National Championship-Caliber Offensive Line Should Save Justin Frye’s Job
• 50:08 Sawyer, Simon, Egbuka and Henderson Were The Captains We Expected