The Buckeye Weekly Podcast

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin was a Heisman finalist in his redshirt freshman season and put up one of the most statistically impressive seasons in program history as a first-time starter. Now, he has much bigger plans for the upcoming 2026 season. 

In this special bonus episode, you'll hear directly from Sayin about the honor of being named one of the team's captains, how quickly he and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith have gotten on the same page, the new responsibilities that he's expecting to have on the field this fall, and much more.

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr share 14 bold predictions about the Buckeyes this season. Predictions about Jeremiah Smith, Julian Sayin, Isaiah West, Kenyatta Jackson, Legend Bey, and many more.

You can find even more coverage of the Buckeyes at BuckeyeInsiders.com.

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss the Buckeye freshmen who have lost their black stripes so far (Brock Boyd, Chris Henry, Jr., Jay Timmons, Khary Wilder, Legend Bey, Luke Fahey, Simeon Caldwell, and Jordan Thomas) and what it means for their playing time this year. They compare this group to the freshmen who had lost their black stripes at this same point last year. Note: receiver Jerquaden Guilford lost his black stripe following this recording.

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Buckeye Insiders' Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss comments by Ohio State All-American receiver Jeremiah Smith about Buckeye freshman running back Legend Bey having a Heisman ceremony in his future. What would that look like down the road for Bey? What does losing his black stripe mean for this season? The fellas talk about all of this and more in discussing Ohio State's next big thing.

With the start of the 2026 Ohio State football season now a little over a week away, we're cramming a few extra bonus shows into your feed to help you fill the time between now and kickoff. 

In this special bonus episode, you'll get a chance to hear directly from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, and his thoughts on some of the bigger-picture items in the news right now, including former NFL players trying to return to college football, how the recruiting process has changed for high school quarterbacks, and how they decided to have seven captains this season.

If you enjoy this show, you'll love BuckeyeInsiders.com. That's where Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr are your Team Insiders, Juck Miletti is your Recruiting Insider, Ross Fulton and Michael Pettit are your Scheme Insiders, and Marcus Hartman is your Basketball Insider. 

Check out BuckeyeInsiders.com today, and join us on the Insiders Board: https://buckeyeinsiders.com/community/forums/the-insiders-board.5/

How many Buckeyes are actually going to play meaningful snaps on defense this season?

In this episode of The Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr go position by position through Ohio State’s defense and project how deep Matt Patricia and the Buckeyes will go in the biggest games on the schedule.

The guys discuss how many defensive ends could rotate against Texas, whether Ohio State will go five deep at defensive tackle, why the linebacker rotation appears to be set at four, and whether the Buckeyes will trust a third outside corner in high-leverage situations.

They also break down Jay Timmons’ role at nickel, the possibilities for dime packages involving Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Simeon Caldwell, and whether Ohio State will mostly stick with Earl Little Jr. and Jaylen McClain at safety.

0:02 — Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast
0:39 — How deep will Ohio State go on defense?
1:43 — Defensive end rotation: four, five or even six?
3:12 — Which young defensive ends could play against Texas?
4:59 — Setting the over/under on the DE rotation
5:58 — How deep will Ohio State go at defensive tackle?
6:38 — Why five defensive tackles feels realistic
7:33 — Linebacker rotation: is four the right number?
8:31 — How many snaps could Riley Pettijohn and T.J. Alford get?
9:50 — Outside corner: two guys or three?
11:02 — Why Devin Sanchez and Jermaine Mathews Jr. could dominate the snaps
12:00 — How Dominick Kelly could still get on the field
12:31 — Nickel and dime packages get complicated
12:54 — Jay Timmons appears locked in at nickel
13:04 — Safety rotation: Earl Little Jr. and Jaylen McClain
13:39 — Could Terry Moore or Leroy Roker get meaningful snaps?
14:04 — Final thoughts on Ohio State’s defensive depth
14:27 — BuckeyeInsiders.com and closing

Which position group do you think Ohio State can go deepest at on defense? And where do you think the Buckeyes need to keep the rotation tighter? Let us know in the comments.

For more Ohio State football coverage, practice intel, depth-chart discussion and more, visit BuckeyeInsiders.com and join us on The Insiders Board.

If you enjoy the show, make sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment. A five-star rating and review on the podcast side is always appreciated.

Ohio State is almost through fall camp, but a handful of Buckeyes still have important work to do before the season opener.

In this episode of The Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr identify the players who still have the most to prove over the final practices before game week.

The discussion starts with the battle for the backup quarterback job between Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey, where St. Clair may need to reestablish himself after Fahey’s strong push during camp. The guys also talk about Kyle Parker’s place in a crowded wide receiver rotation, what role Terry Moore can still carve out in the secondary, whether young defensive ends Zion Grady and Epi Sitanilei can force their way into a larger role, and why Eddrick Houston still has something to prove as Ohio State looks for more production up front.

0:01 — Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast
1:01 — Which Buckeyes still have the most to prove?
1:31 — Tavien St. Clair and the backup quarterback battle
2:33 — Why Luke Fahey’s push appears to be very real
3:34 — Why the QB2 job needs to be settled before game week
5:15 — How quickly a backup quarterback role can become crucial
5:43 — Kyle Parker has ground to make up at wide receiver
7:28 — A crowded receiver room is making Parker’s situation tougher
8:16 — Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd and Des Jones moving up the pecking order
9:31 — Why missed camp time can be difficult to overcome
10:03 — Terry Moore’s uncertain role in the secondary
11:11 — How Jay Timmons changed Ohio State’s safety picture
12:16 — Has Moore’s window for a major role already closed?
13:05 — Zion Grady and Epi Sitanilei need to emerge at defensive end
14:25 — Why the lack of buzz around the young defensive ends stands out
15:18 — Beau Atkinson’s rise has changed the DE rotation
16:13 — Eddrick Houston still has something to prove
17:00 — Why Ohio State needs more production from Houston
18:08 — Can Houston finally become an All-Big Ten-level player?
19:45 — Final thoughts and BuckeyeInsiders.com

Which Buckeye do you think has the most to prove before the season opener? Let us know in the comments.

For more Ohio State football coverage, practice intel, depth-chart discussion and more, visit BuckeyeInsiders.com and join us on The Insiders Board.

If you enjoy the show, make sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment.
A five-star rating and review on the podcast side is always appreciated.

With the start of the 2026 Ohio State football season now a little over a week away, we're cramming a few extra bonus shows into your feed to help you fill the time between now and kickoff. 

In this special bonus episode, you'll get a chance to hear directly from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, and his thoughts on the defensive side of the ball. How are the various pieces of the secondary going to fit together this season? Are they happy with the depth they have on the interior of the defensive line? And what makes Payton Pierce such a respected member of the program?

If you enjoy this show, you'll love BuckeyeInsiders.com. That's where Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr are your Team Insiders, Juck Miletti is your Recruiting Insider, Ross Fulton and Michael Pettit are your Scheme Insiders, and Marcus Hartman is your Basketball Insider. 

Check out BuckeyeInsiders.com today, and join us on the Insiders Board: https://buckeyeinsiders.com/community/forums/the-insiders-board.5/

With the kickoff of the Ball State game now less than two weeks away, the Ohio State Buckeyes are in the home stretch of their preseason camp. 

In this special bonus episode, you'll get updates on some of the biggest remaining questions on the offensive side of the ball directly from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. He discusses the latest in the race for the five starting offensive line positions and the backup quarterback job, along with which tight ends and wide receivers are in line for playing time this fall. 

If you enjoy this show, you'll love BuckeyeInsiders.com. That's where Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr are your Team Insiders, Juck Miletti is your Recruiting Insider, Ross Fulton and Michael Pettit are your Scheme Insiders, and Marcus Hartman is your Basketball Insider. 

Check out BuckeyeInsiders.com today, and join us on the Insiders Board: https://buckeyeinsiders.com/community/forums/the-insiders-board.5/

Ohio State is getting closer to game week, which means several position battles are running out of time to be settled.

In this episode of The Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr break down the latest developments from Ryan Day’s Monday availability, including the battle for the backup quarterback job, the wide receiver rotation, the offensive line, the secondary, and the defensive tackle depth chart.

The guys discuss why Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair are still battling for the No. 2 quarterback spot, why the offensive line continues to point toward Ian Moore at left tackle and Austin Siereveld at right guard, how deep Ohio State may go at receiver and tight end, and what roles could be available for Terry Moore, Leroy Roker and Simeon Caldwell in the secondary.

There’s also discussion about a possible six-man defensive tackle rotation and why true freshman Damari Simeon is a name worth remembering.

0:01 — Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast
0:27 — The latest from Ryan Day
0:56 — Backup quarterback battle: Luke Fahey vs. Tavien St. Clair
1:28 — Why first-team reps make this a real competition
2:40 — Why the backup QB job needs to be settled soon
3:26 — Ryan Day expects six receivers to play
3:49 — Kyle Parker’s status and the rise of Dez Jones and Phillip Bell
4:33 — Ohio State’s top three tight ends
4:57 — Offensive line battle: is it really still a battle?
5:13 — Why Ian Moore and Austin Siereveld still look like the answer
6:15 — Ryan Day likes the interior offensive line
6:26 — Secondary roles for Terry Moore and Leroy Roker
7:19 — How many snaps could the backup safeties actually play?
8:12 — Personnel management vs. true position battles
9:36 — Where Simeon Caldwell fits into the secondary
10:00 — Ohio State could play six defensive tackles
10:28 — True freshman Damari Simeon enters the conversation
10:52 — Why defensive tackle depth matters against Texas
11:38 — What Ryan Day mentioning Simeon may tell us
12:13 — Final thoughts and BuckeyeInsiders.com

Which position battle do you think is the most important for Ohio State to settle before game week? Let us know in the comments.

For more Ohio State football coverage, practice intel, depth-chart updates and discussion, visit BuckeyeInsiders.com and join us on The Insiders Board.

If you enjoy the show, make sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment. A five-star rating and review on the podcast side is always appreciated.