The Buckeye Weekly Podcast

It’s time for the preseason edition of Tale of the Tape.

In this episode of The Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr go position by position through the Ohio State and Michigan offenses to decide which team has the advantage heading into the 2026 season.

The guys compare Julian Sayin and Bryce Underwood at quarterback, debate whether Ohio State or Michigan has the better running back room, break down the Wolverines’ revamped wide receiver group against a Buckeye unit led by Jeremiah Smith, and examine two tight end rooms that both enter the season with something to prove.

They also finish with the offensive lines, where Ohio State returns four starters from a group that earned plenty of All-Big Ten recognition, while Michigan brings back significant experience of its own.

Who has the edge on offense right now — and how different will these answers look when the Buckeyes and Wolverines meet in November?

0:00 — Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast
0:38 — Introducing the preseason Tale of the Tape
1:16 — Quarterback: Julian Sayin vs. Bryce Underwood
1:58 — Why Bryce Underwood should be better in Year Two
3:16 — Why Arthur Smith’s offense could help Julian Sayin
4:29 — Running backs: Ohio State vs. Michigan
6:08 — Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter give Michigan the edge
7:21 — How Ohio State’s running back depth could change the comparison
8:05 — Wide receivers: Ohio State has Jeremiah Smith
8:49 — Andrew Marsh and Michigan’s receiver room
9:08 — How JJ Buchanan fits after moving from tight end
10:36 — Can Michigan’s receiver additions close the gap?
12:53 — Tight ends: An unusual Ohio State-Michigan comparison
14:10 — Does Ohio State finally have the advantage at tight end?
15:32 — Offensive line: Ohio State’s experience vs. Michigan’s depth
17:30 — Why the Buckeyes get the edge up front
19:05 — Final offensive Tale of the Tape results
19:39 — Ohio State wins four of five position-group comparisons
20:01 — Could Michigan actually have the better running back room?
20:32 — Michigan Monday returns for the 2026 season
21:01 — Closing thoughts

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Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith has been honored as an all-conference player, an all-American, an Iron Buckeye, a player of the week, and much more. But when he was named one of the captains of the 2026 Ohio State football team, he got emotional. So why was that such a big deal to him?

In this special bonus episode, you'll hear the answer to that and much more directly from Smith.

Payton Pierce is going to be the man in the middle of almost everything for the Ohio State defense in 2026. He's the middle linebacker, the guy with the green dot who runs all of the helmet radio communications, and, now, a team captain. 

In this special bonus episode, you'll hear from Pierce about how he earned such a big role, what he said to the entire defense after a disappointing start to fall camp, and more.

Julian Sayin has been named a captain for the 2026 Buckeyes, so does that mean he's ready to be the leader that Ohio State needs?

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss Julian Sayin as a leader and the positive reviews he's getting from teammates and coaches for how vocal he has become. How will that be displayed on Saturdays? Is he willing to back up the talking with more physical play? The fellas discuss these topics and much more.

Austin Siereveld was a second-team all-conference player at left tackle in 2025, and so it would have been perfectly reasonable to expect him to play another year on the blind side this fall. But from all indications, he's going to be moving to right guard for 2026. 

Initially, Siereveld wasn't necessarily thrilled about the move, so what changed that got him on board with the move? 

In this special bonus episode, you'll hear the answer to that and much more directly from Siereveld. 

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss the latest with the Ohio State safeties. What have the Buckeyes shown so far in their plans to replace Caleb Downs? What has changed from the spring? How deep will the Buckeyes go? The fellas discuss all of these questions and more.

In this special bonus episode, you'll get a chance to hear directly from Ohio State captain, wide receiver, and Block O jersey recipient Brandon Inniss about why that last honor gave him a momentary pause, why he thinks new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has a plan to get him the ball, how QB Julian Sayin has taken over the offense, and why true freshmen wide receivers Chris Henry, Jr. and Brock Boyd are poised for big things this fall.

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss an interview session with Ohio State offensive lineman Austin Siereveld and his thoughts on where he'll be playing this year. He has essentially confirmed what the starting five will be for the Buckeyes this season.

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss Ohio State middle linebacker Payton Pierce, the outstanding leadership he has shown in camp, the expectations for him this season, what this season means for the Texas junior, the task in front of him following the immense losses on defense, and more.

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss the Ohio State defensive tackle position while comparing it to the past two years when the Buckeyes had first- and second-round draft picks on the interior. Does Ohio State have that this year? Does the defense NEED stars at defensive tackle in order to be one of the best defenses in college football? If the Buckeyes are going to contend for a title, do they have what it takes up front? All of these questions are discussed and more.