COLUMBUS — I squeezed it in as the last question for Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia on Thursday.

Do you think you could play more guys this year?

“Yeah, it’s probably a good way to look at it,” Patricia said. “I think we have a lot of really good depth players this year. I really do. I want to make sure they’re in the right spots. I want to do the best I can to make sure that I’m putting them in the position to make plays.”

Read more

COLUMBUS — Qua Russaw left his visit to Ohio State back in January unsure if it was the place for him. Recounting his feelings on Thursday, Russaw made it sound like coaches on his subsequent visits to Tennessee and Notre Dame had a real chance of landing him. He was open to anything.

But something surprising happened. Those visits actually clarified for Russaw that Ohio State was the right fit after all. After concluding his visits and taking everything he heard into account, he believed in the Buckeyes’ plan the most. More specifically, he believed in the vision defensive coordinator Matt Patricia had for him.

“It was definitely Coach Patricia, him coming from the NFL and having a multiple defense, having a lot of guys on the field who can earn a job,” Russaw said Thursday after OSU’s seventh practice of preseason camp.

Read more

COLUMBUS — Ohio State held its sixth practice of preseason camp on Wednesday morning. We were able to watch three practices last week. You had some questions about what’s happened so far. Let’s get into the mailbag.

Sulley Clem: How much confidence do you have in the kicking game? Didn’t look great on Saturday. Plus, what are the odds the Notre Dame transfer kicker is the kickoff specialist this year? His leg was insane but wasn’t very accurate.

I’ve seen Jayden Fielding make too many kicks in practice only to miss nearly every high-leverage, in-game attempt. So, I’ll try not to put too much stock into what we saw at one practice. But, yeah, it would’ve been nice to see a higher percentage of the kicks go through the uprights on Saturday. It would be concerning to me if we get to Ball State week and Ryan Day seems unsure about who the field goal kicker is. Connor Hawkins was paid to come here and make clutch kicks. We’ll see what happens when he gets the chance. Notre Dame transfer Marcello Diomede attempted one field goal in three seasons with the Irish, a 54-yarder against Virginia in 2024 that he missed. I’d be pretty worried if it was determined he was the better field goal option over Hawkins.

Diomede handled 16 kickoff attempts last year at Notre Dame, and Hawkins didn’t handle any last year at Baylor (he had two in 2024). I’d expect Diomede to be the kickoff guy, and he has the leg to boot most of his kicks through the end zone.

Matt Gifford: Based on what you have observed so far and talking to players and coaches, how do you expect the Arthur Smith offense to differ from previous versions of the Buckeye offense?

Read more

This episode features the Buckeyes you believe in the most for 2026 — and the name that we landed on for that. Thanks to a suggestion from Jessica, which was backed by many others, this is our first official preseason BADwagon on The Bill and Doug Show.

You named a player you were all aboard the Badwagon for this year.

More than 30 Ohio State players were put forth, and we broke them all down with many of your comments. Doug did so in the first half of the show with a numb face. You’ll see.

After that football talk, it was on to Whatcha on donuts, frozen cheesecake on a stick, the state fair, electricity mishaps at the barbershop and AI slop wars.

Read more

COLUMBUS — In the Big Ten Championship Game against Indiana last year, six Ohio State defenders played all 59 snaps. Another four played at least 51 snaps. The only real change in the defensive look was a rotation at defensive tackle between Eddrick Houston and Tywone Malone.

Those 12 players were the only Buckeye defenders to play even 11 percent of the snaps against the Hoosiers. Only one defender who didn’t start really mattered.

Two years earlier in the Big Ten Championship Game, 19 different Michigan defenders played at least 32 percent of the game. With rotations and sub-packages, there were eight Wolverine defenders that didn’t start that still mattered.

Now, 19 is a lot of defenders to meaningfully work in. The Wolverines had a comfortable lead in that game, while the Buckeyes were down to the wire against Indiana.

In the 2023 Ohio State-Michigan game, 16 Michigan defenders played meaningful roles. Still a lot. And for the 2023 season, it was 19 Wolverines that played at least 25 percent of the defensive snaps.

That Michigan defense, in stats and team success, was the best in the country. That national title team featured 11 defenders that have reached the NFL, but only two that were first-round picks. There were many very good players. There was no elite trio like Caleb Downs-Arvell Reese-Sonny Styles, but the whole group was deep and productive.

I wonder if Ohio State could go 19-deep on defense this year.

I’ve set that vaguely arbitrary ratio of 25 percent of the total defensive snaps as a guide. That, to me, indicates more than just some playing time in blowouts. Get on the field a quarter of the time over the season, and you matter to that defense.

While Michigan in 2023 was 19, here’s how many defenders have reached that 25 percent threshold for the Buckeyes recently:

2021: 19

2022: 17

2023: 14

2024: 14

2025: 16

Last year, Beau Atkinson’s roles vanished in the second half of the season, and Will Smith Jr. player very little in the last three games, which were the three biggest games. So I take that 16 with a grain of salt. It was closer to 14 — the 10 main starters, the defensive tackle rotation to make it 12, Payton Pierce as a third linebacker, and Devin Sanchez as a third corner.

As the Buckeyes’ defense returned to elite status after 2021 — it was a Top-10 group in 2022 and a Top-3 defense the last three years — the rotation consolidated. The last time the Buckeyes played 19 defenders, in 2021, it came from weakness, not strength. Of those 19 defenders, only two (J.T. Tuimoloau and Zach Harrison) were drafted in the first three rounds.

Five years ago, the Buckeyes went deep on a mediocre defense because they didn’t have stars.

This season, could they go as deep more from strength?

The Buckeyes had five 2025 defenders drafted in the first two rounds. The star quotient is down. The number of guys you don’t want to take off the field is lower.

But I’m not sure going deeper into the roster would be weakness. It might be a necessity but also smart strategy. It also would be a bet on youth. Six of the potential 19 players I’m suggesting could play are first- or second-year players.

The best chance to replace the lost superstar snaps is with depth — putting players in roles to succeed and keeping them fresh.

Sure, you’d take the stars first. But I think it’s possible the Buckeyes could go 19 deep on defense as part of a plan they actually like.

Based off what we saw and heard from the first three practices, here’s a player ranking of each position group, and a guess on who could play 25 percent of the snaps this season, and why.

Read more

COLUMBUS — Who is your guy?

That’s the callout for this Wednesday’s subscriber show.

Give us the Buckeye that you believe in for 2026 more than the average fan.

If people think this guy is an All-American, then you think he’ll be the greatest college football player ever.

If people think this guy is a solid starter and All-Big Ten candidate, then you think he’s going to become a superstar.

If people think this guy might contribute in some way, you think he’s going to be on the field a ton making plays.

If people think this guy doesn’t really have a role, you think he’s going to be a real part of the Buckeyes winning in 2026.

This is the Buckeye you love for this season. Give us your ONE guy, and the reason why, in a comment at the bottom of this post. Or drop it in the specific chat for this topic.

This concept formed when I was on Buckeye Talk in 2020 and we understand it still exists on that show as Driving the Bus. We haven’t defined the nomenclature for The Bill and Doug Show, though we have received suggestions. And we could keep Driving the Bus, too.

When we discuss this, what should we call it?

Read more

COLUMBUS — Julian Sayin threw a ball over Jeremiah Smith’s head at practice on Friday. Smith was running an in-breaking route probably 8-10 yards down the field. Sayin fired over his head, and a little behind. Then the three most important people to Ohio State football’s success this season held a meeting on the indoor field of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Sayin, Smith and Ryan Day stood together for a few minutes while another group of players went through a split-team period. Day did most of the talking, but Sayin and Smith had input. It wasn’t contentious. Just three minds working together early in camp to make sure misses like what happened on the play preceding the conversation don’t happen often, or at all, once the games start.

That scene — Sayin, Smith and Day convening after a play — played out two or three times over the first three days of practice. I asked Sayin on Saturday what those chats are like, and what he, Smith and Day are trying to get accomplished.

“How can we improve our timing and get on the same page on everything?” Sayin said. “A lot of that work was done in the offseason. Communication is the best thing for our offense. How can we get to the point where we know what each other is thinking? Being able to take the points from Coach Day, who’s an elite developer of quarterbacks and somebody who knows the passing game really well, so Jeremiah and I always come together with him to talk about a certain route or certain coverage; what can we do to beat this?”

Sayin is carrying himself differently this offseason. I could envision the same scenario playing out last year, and Sayin just nodding along without saying anything. He wasn’t the confirmed starter at this time a year ago. It’s taken him some time to find his voice.

Read more

COLUMBUS — A running diary of everything I saw and thought on the third day of Ohio State preseason camp.

8:44 a.m.: Practice hasn’t really started yet, but specialists are on the field kicking and punting. A few other media members and I are standing behind the uprights on the north end of the outdoor practice area, but Lettermen Row’s Spencer Holbrook and I are the only ones brave (stupid?) enough to try catching a ball off the foot of one of the kickers.

I attempt to snag one off the foot of Connor Hawkins (it went through the uprights first), but the ball smacks off my hands and hits the ground. Turns out that catching end-over-end kicks isn’t easy. I have a newfound respect for kick returners.

8:53 a.m.: The first position group to trickle out onto the field after the specialists is the offensive line. They’re in full pads. There will be some thumping today, but the Buckeyes still don’t tackle to the ground.

9:01 a.m.: Running backs coach Carlos Locklyn walks onto the outdoor field, and my eyes follow him all the way to his position group on the far end of the nearest grass field. There, going through early warmups with the backs, is freshman Legend Bey. Bey has missed the first two practices for what head coach Ryan Day said was a violation of team rules. He’s in full pads today. He’ll be a full participant. There won’t be any hesitation about mixing him in with the first-team offense.

9:08 a.m.: Every practice starts with a formations period, which is basically just a walk-through, but it’s a chance to get a look at potential starting lineups. That’s meant clocking what’s happening on the offensive line these last three days. This morning, it was Austin Siereveld at left tackle, Luke Montgomery at left guard, Carson Hinzman at center, Josh Padilla at right guard and Phillip Daniels at right tackle … but the Buckeyes will continue to mix things up today.

Defensively, things start out in a 4-3 look with Payton Pierce, Christian Alliegro and Riley Pettijohn at linebacker. After a couple reps, Pettijohn runs off the field and is replaced by freshman defensive back Jay Timmons, who puts the defense into a 4-2-5 nickel look. Everything we’ve seen so far suggests that Timmons will play with the starters in the 4-2-5, but we also might see an uptick in 4-3 snaps this year. There are at least four guys who seem like they’re going to play with Pierce: Alliegro, Pettijohn, and TJ Alford (who also gets looks with the ones throughout the day).

9:26 a.m.: Punter Joe McGuire still isn’t practicing. He’s around and always with the specialists; he’s just not kicking and not running. Not sure what’s up with him. We won’t speak to Day again until next weekend.

Quarterbacks and centers are going through snap exchanges. The centers are Carson Hinzman, Max Riley, Simon Lorentz, Mason Wilhelm and Josh Padilla.

Read more

On this live show with subscribers, brought to you now after the fact Bill and Doug broke down basically every position fueled by live subscriber questions.

From Bey to Jay Timmons to the pieces on the defense to the receivers to the offensive line to quarterback Julian Sayin, The Bill and Doug Show dove in for more than 80 minutes.

Read more

COLUMBUS — Ryan Day was busy during Ohio State’s 7-on-7 recruiting camp in mid-June.

He was watching one team quarterbacked by his son, RJ. He was watching another quarterbacked by Ohio State’s 2027 quarterback commitment from California, Brady Edmunds. And he was watching another quarterbacked by Christopher Vargas, the Buckeyes’ top quarterback target in the Class of 2028.

Vargas’ team won that event. Saturday, Vargas announced his intention to be a Buckeye.

The 6-foot-5 quarterback from Massachusetts picked the Buckeyes at noon Saturday in a social media announcement, to no one’s surprise. His visit to Ohio State this summer was his fourth trip to Columbus. He also visited USC and UCLA in June, and his other finalists included Oregon, Miami, Washington, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Alabama.

Vargas is ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in his class by Rivals and ESPN and the No. 2 quarterback by 247sports. Assuming he maintains his ranking, he’ll be the fourth 5-star quarterback recruit the Buckeyes have landed out of high school in the Day era, joining Kyle McCord, Quinn Ewers and Tavien St. Clair.

By the On3 Industry ratings, St. Clair’s recruiting score was at 99.16, Julian Sayin (who went to Alabama briefly before transferring to Ohio State) was at 98.61, and Vargas is 95.98.

(Christopher Vargas completes a deep ball at an OSU camp this summer as Ryan Day and Brady Edmunds look on.)

After not landing a top quarterback in the last two classes, the Buckeyes re-focused their quarterback future with Vargas. Current freshman Luke Fahey was the No. 37 quarterback in the Class of 2026. Edmunds, who reaffirmed his pledge to the Buckeyes this summer after much wondering about his future, is the No. 18 quarterback in 2027.

Vargas more fits the recruiting profile of Sayin and St. Clair, and he could follow them as an OSU starter.

Read more

COLUMBUS — A running diary of everything I saw and thought on the second day of Ohio State preseason camp.

8:57 a.m.: Practice is being held indoors today because of morning thunderstorms moving through the area. Good call. It starts pouring right as practice starts, and doesn’t relent until practice is over. Ohio State is fortunate to have a full-size indoor field. Not every team has one. But when you pack a full football team and staff, the gigantic OSU media horde, and the couple hundred fans who purchased tickets to watch practice into the facility, it gets cramped pretty quickly.

What’s unique, though, is that it gives everyone a much closer vantage point than they would have had for an outdoor practice. I think it’s a worthy trade-off. Little uncomfortable, but a cool experience. When the quarterbacks jog out from the locker room to do their pre-practice throwing routine, there are fans standing no more than 10 feet away.

Julian Sayin spends some time chatting with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler about the day’s script. Then Sayin runs his fingers through his hair a few times before shoving his helmet on and running out for the second practice of camp.

9:05 a.m.: Forget everything we told you about the offensive line on Thursday. Not really. But Ryan Day promised they would shake some things up, and he’s delivered on that promise as the team splits up and walks through formations.

Read more

COLUMBUS — Ten thoughts on the Buckeyes and more as college football is back.

1. The transformation of Devin Sanchez is complete. The cornerback played a lot as a freshman, with moments both good and bad. We asked him during bowl practice if he’d be ready for more as a sophomore. We asked him during spring practice if he’d be ready for more this season. And we asked him again after the first day of preseason practice on Thursday. Maybe we’re not that good at asking original questions. Or maybe the progress of Sanchez is among the most crucial aspects of Ohio State’s 2026 season. Or both.

Sanchez, who said again that he wants to win the Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in the games, was pushed by cornerbacks coach Tim Walton to get to this point.

“He’s been on me hard,” Sanchez said. “Really hard, to where sometimes it’s uncomfortable. Coach Walt is being a hard coach on me. He’s not being afraid, he’s being that coach that I need. I respect it, I know where it’s coming from. I just gotta go out there and compete, and if I make a mistake he’s gonna get on me and I gotta go out there and fix it.

“He makes it very uncomfortable. That’s what I like. Because if I’m comfortable, then this is not the place for me.”

Compared to seven months ago at bowl prep, Sanchez (bigger, stronger, swaggier) looks like his own older brother. Watching guys grow into their game is one of the most fascinating parts of covering college sports, but it feels like Sanchez hit fast forward. We talked a bit after his interview session, and he repeatedly said the elevation in his game is all about confidence. That brings us to a new freshman in the secondary.

2. Ohio State didn’t run a nickel defense, which was their primary defense a year ago, on Thursday. Three linebackers were the typical look on Day 1. But when the Buckeyes do show nickel, and they will, freshman Jay Timmons should be part of it.

Read more

COLUMBUS — A running diary of everything I saw and thought on the first day of Ohio State preseason camp.

8:57 a.m.: Ryan Day is the last person onto the field. He stops to chat with Dom Tiberi from 10TV and briefly interacts with some fans. Players have been on the field stretching and warming up for a few minutes. Day looks energized on day one.

9:05 a.m.: Time to get down to brass tacks. Our first look at a first-team offensive line features Ian Moore at left tackle, Luke Montgomery at left guard, Carson Hinzman at center, Austin Siereveld at right guard and Phillip Daniels at right tackle. That fivesome worked together in those spots for the entirety of practice.

Day said after practice that they’ll look at some different permutations in the search for the best five, and that the staff wanted Siereveld at guard early, mostly because he hadn’t played there in a while. That’s all great. But normally the starters are broken up onto different fields this early in camp, and that wasn’t the case on day one. This feels like the starting offensive line.

Could things change? Sure. Josh Padilla, who played center on Thursday, will have a say about potentially shuffling things up. Moore and Daniels need to show they deserve to be locked in at tackle. But my bet is that the starting five on Thursday will be the starting five against Ball State.

The team isn’t in pads yet, so I wouldn’t say this was the right day to gauge exactly how that group functioned together, but I’ll also say that Julian Sayin wasn’t under duress playing behind them, and there were creases for the running backs. Not a lot of play behind the line of scrimmage. So that’s all good.

Read more

COLUMBUS — We watched Ohio State’s entire first practice of preseason camp Thursday moring, which actually ended earlier than planned. The Buckeyes started around 9 AM and ended around 10:40 AM.

The Buckeyes worked on two practice fields simultaneously, as they have for several years. It wasn’t entirely obvious at all times, but we got a pretty good feel for the depth chart, at least for the moment.

Read more

COLUMBUS — Ohio State starts camp today. Here are 90 thoughts, predictions, musings, etc., on 91 Buckeyes as things ramp up.

Quarterback

Luke Fahey (first year): Enjoy the ride as QB4 this fall, kid. Soak it in and get ready in the background, because you could be much higher on the depth chart this time next year.

Justyn Martin (fifth year): The more I’ve thought about it, the more I can get behind the idea of using the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Maryland transfer as a low red zone/short-yardage running option in lieu of the current starting quarterback and the quarterback of the future.

Julian Sayin (third year): We’ll only get to watch so much practice in August, but in those windows I hope we see a more aggressive, risk-taking, play-making quarterback who’s ready to be handed full control of the offense. Much of what we want to see from Sayin won’t be revealed until games start, but he can lay the groundwork in camp.

Tavien St. Clair (second year): Played fearlessly, for better and for worse, in the spring game. I like that demeanor. This camp should be about striving for more consistency and giving the staff confidence that he can play now if needed. Hopefully, he gets some run with the ones in camp and more opportunity in the fall than backups typically get around here. Not to push Sayin, but to leave no doubt that he’s ready to take over when his time comes.

Running Back

Favour Akih (first year): I was impressed with his vision in the moments we got to see him carry the ball this spring. There could be something here in the future, but he’s at the bottom of the pecking order for now.

Legend Bey (first year): One of the great letdowns of the spring was that we didn’t get to see how Bey can function in the offense. But whether it’s as a backfield option or an occasional receiving threat, I expect him to be a part of the plan this year. He’s just too explosive not to be.

Read more

Sorry. Not sorry.

From offense to defense, from special teams to coaching, from the schedule to transfers, we discussed everything on your mind about the 2026 season.

Will these questions be answered in August? Most of them probably not. But they all matter.

Then we got into Whatcha on Bluey, kettle chips, birria, the best pizza in Columbus, parking lot fights and more.

Read more

COLUMBUS — Greatness and sadness.

Those were the two themes that stood out from everything Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith said in Chicago last week. It was the best player in college football committing to his future without ignoring his present.

As we discussed from Big Ten Media Days, Smith was locked in during Ohio State’s day with reporters. I thought he was great in our interview with him. A national reporter was telling me how interesting their interview with Smith was and encouraging me to watch it, and I wanted to say that JJ was giving entertaining stuff to everyone. (But I was just polite and nodded.) Smith engaged when people from the Heisman Trophy asked him to pose with the trophy (above.) He filled his 30 minutes at his general interview with interesting answers.

He gave a glimpse of what’s down the road, without dismissing what’s right in front of him.

A media friend had a running joke a few years ago that elite college players already locked into a high draft spot should skip their last college seasons and work out on the beach in California. He’d shout “Malibu” in the press box.

Jeremiah Smith isn’t interested in going to Malibu. He’s interested in chasing greatness.

First, the sad.

Asked what it was like thinking about his last season in Columbus, Smith said “(it’s) kind of sad a little bit, I should say. Kind of sad, but I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.”

At that point, Stephen Means of cleveland.com and I simultaneously pointed out that Smith doesn’t have to leave after this season. (We, as reporters, are here to represent you, as fans, which may include expressing obvious facts to superstars.)

“I know, but I think it’s time,” Smith said with a laugh.

But here’s what he also said — that leaving Ohio State early would have been “stupid.”

As Smith’s media session wound down, a reporter not from the Ohio State beat asked a final quick one.

Was it true that Smith turned down a $10 million NIL offer from another school?

“Yeah, that’s true,” Smith said.

We had covered some of this ground in the spring, when Smith said he was always going to be at Ohio State and never considered leaving.

But after Ohio State’s unsuccessful recruitment of running back David Gabriel Georges, when major money was offered and DGG chose Tennessee over the Buckeyes, consider the meaning of the best player in the country saying a college choice is about more than money. (Although Smith is definitely getting a lot of money in Columbus).

“It would be dumb for me to leave Ohio State and go to another team when I have the best offensive line in the country, the best quarterback in the country, the best coaches in the country,” Smith said. “So that would be a stupid move for me to go somewhere else.”

Read more

COLUMBUS — We outlined what we’ll be watching when Ohio State opens preseason camp Thursday at 9 AM.

Now let’s talk about the major parts of this team that you’re wondering about for the season.

Wednesday’s subscriber show will focus on the biggest questions about the Buckeyes. So send in the single biggest question you have about this team. You can share it at the bottom of this post, or in the chat.

It could be physical, mental or emotional. It could focus on coaching or talent or the schedule. It could be about one player, one position or one side of the ball. We’ll grab the most interesting, relevant questions and talk them out on the show.

We’ll do it knowing the Buckeyes are the betting favorites to win the national title. They hold that slight edge on both Draft Kings and FanDuel, an acknowledgement about the status of the program right now.

The Buckeyes are +600 on Draft Kings, with Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, Indiana and Georgia behind them at +650 to +850.

They are +550 on FanDuel, with Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas, Georgia and Indiana between +650 and +950. That’s a clear Top 6, with the Buckeyes getting the edge maybe because they’re so famous and popular. But it also might be because people believe in what Ohio State is doing overall, beyond the specifics of a single season’s roster.

We also want to keep you aware of the preseason plan as Ohio State shares it with us. We’ve been told of what the Buckeyes will be doing for this first two weeks of preseason. What Ohio State lets the media see and hear affects when we bring fresh updates here. So here’s the plan at the moment, which includes watching practice only during the first three days:

Read more

COLUMBUS — Ohio State opens preseason practice Thursday morning, as the first three practices on Thursday, Friday and Saturday are open to fans (for $48 a ticket). Some of you might be out there. Many of you will be eager to read and hear reports of the Buckeyes in action.

As a quick catch-up, here’s a positional breakdown of who’s on the roster and what we expect. We broke each position into locked-in starter; probable starter (when applicable); in the mix; and also there. (There might be more probable starters than spots at some positions if guys are likely looking at solid playing time.)

We’ll be out there for all three practices and the interviews afterward, and then writing and recording as quickly as we can to get the info to you. So we also included what we’re most curious to watch at each position.

Roster grid

Offense

Quarterback

Locked-in starter: Julian Sayin

Backup: Tavien St. Clair

Also there: Justyn Martin, Luke Fahey

Bill will be watching: The types of throws Sayin is making. Are OSU receivers getting the ball on the run more, and is Sayin putting the ball in a place to catch and run?

Doug will be watching: How smooth and comfortable St. Clair looks, while also checking if the ball is jumping out of his hand when he throws. Sue me for wanting to watch the 5-star backup.

Running back

Locked-in starter: Bo Jackson

In the mix: Isaiah West, Ja’Kobi Jackson, Legend Bey

Also there: Turbo Rogers, Favour Akih

Bill will be watching: How Bey is used in the offense. Does the staff see him as a possible single back? Will he be there in two-back sets? Does he line up at receiver? What type of touches is he getting?

Doug will be watching: How hard, decisive and confident Jackson runs, even though no one gets tackled early in camp. After a big freshman season, does he look like a veteran?

Receiver

Locked-in starter: Jeremiah Smith

In the mix: Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, Kyle Parker, Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd

Also there: David Adolph, Jerquaden Guilford, Phillip Bell, De’Zie Jones, Jaden Ricketts

Bill will be watching: Is Inniss on a second tier by himself as the only other returning starter, or is he more lumped in with everyone else in the room as the offense sorts out options two through five or six behind Smith?

Doug will be watching: Are the coaches treating Henry and Boyd like veterans, or can you still tell they are young guys learning their way? The goal is getting hints at their expected playing time.

Tight end

Locked-in starter: Nate Roberts

In the mix: Bennett Christian, Mason Williams, Hunter Welcing

Also there: Max LeBlanc, Brody Lennon, Nick Lautar

Bill will be watching: Roberts only ran 21 routes last season and was targeted only five times. If he’s TE1, and I think he is, what will it look like when the ball starts coming his way more? Does he look like a viable pass-catching option?

Doug will be watching: I’ll be ready, and eager, for any surprises. Is anyone behind Roberts going to establish himself as the clear No. 2 tight end?

Offensive line

Locked-in starters: Austin Siereveld, Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman

Probable starter: Phillip Daniels

In the mix: Ian Moore, Josh Padilla, Gabe VanSickle

Also there: Jake Cook, Deontae Armstrong, Vasean Washington, Carter Lowe, Sam Greer, Max Riley, Landry Brede, Mason Wilhelm, Tucker Smith

Bill will be watching: Positional flexibility. We know Siereveld can play tackle or guard. Can Moore and Daniels move around, too? That will help us get a handle on all of the possible permutations as Ohio State seeks out the best five starters.

Doug will be watching: Is it Moore time? Any indication that Moore, in Year 3, has entered ‘Oh yeah, that guy has to start’ territory changes the O-line conversation.

Subscribe now

Defense

Defensive tackle

Locked-in starter: Eddrick Houston

Probable starters: Will Smith Jr., James Smith, John Walker

In the mix: Jamir Perez

Also there: Jason Moore, Damari Simeon, Emmanuel Ruffin

Bill will be watching: It’s time for Eddrick Houston to be a star. Does he start camp looking like a potential game-changer on the defensive line? Otherwise, I think the room is full of guys with high floors, but limited on star potential.

Doug will be watching: The top four listed should be the primary rotation at a position that always plays at least four guys, which is why there are so many probable starters. But can Perez, a 360-pound freshman, show enough to maybe find a role as a fifth guy in short yardage?

Defensive end

Locked-in starter: Kenyatta Jackson

In the mix: Beau Atkinson, Qua Russaw, Zion Grady, Epi Sitanilei, Khary Wilder

Also there: Dre Quinn, Darryus McKinley

Bill will be watching: Sitanilei is a strong contender for my camp crush after seeing how he changed his body over the summer. Walking around the Woody in flip-flops is one thing. I want to see how that added mass translates onto the field, and if he’s playing with noticeably more power.

Doug will be watching: Does Atkinson look like a dude? He played 214 snaps for the Buckeyes last season, and far fewer in the second half of the season than in the first. After a strong spring, does he really have a chance to take the second starting job and possibly be an above-average Big Ten edge rusher?

Linebacker

Locked-in starter: Payton Pierce

Probable starters: Christian Alliegro, Riley Pettijohn

In the mix: TJ Alford, Garrett Stover, Cincere Johnson

Also there: Eli Lee, CJ Sanna, Braxton Rembert

Bill will be watching: How much does Alliegro line up as a box linebacker in the base defense? It felt like he was mostly lining up as five technique on the line of scrimmage by the end of spring.

Doug will be watching: Pettijohn, Pettijohn, Pettijohn. He missed spring with an injury, so does the 5-star, second-year player now look like a star in the making who is ready to start right now? Or is that too much?

Cornerback

Locked-in starters: Devin Sanchez, Jermaine Mathews

In the mix: Dominick Kelly, Jay Timmons, Cam Calhoun, Jordan Thomas

Also there: Miles Lockhart, Jordyn Woods

Bill will be watching: Do freshmen Timmons and Thomas look like they’re pushing to rotate into the defense, or do they look more like flashy young guys biding their time?

Doug will be watching: How much is Mathews playing inside in the slot, and what does that mean for Kelly getting major reps at outside corner?

Safety

Locked-in starter: Jaylen McClain

Probable starters: Earl Little Jr., Terry Moore, Leroy Roker

In the mix: Blaine Bradford

Also there: Deshawn Stewart, Simeon Caldwell, Khmari Bing, Kaden Gephardt

Bill will be watching: Are the safety roles as clearly defined as they were last year, or in a Caleb Downs-less world, are the Buckeyes leaning into the versatility of the room and moving guys around?

Doug will be watching: Does Roker have a chance to start or not? Both Little and Moore are veteran transfers, but it seems like the coaches like Roker. Also, does Little look healthy after missing the end of spring?

Subscribe now

COLUMBUS — New Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham listed his three biggest coaching mentors last week at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. They were LaVell Edwards, the legendary BYU coach for whom Whittingham played; Ron McBride, the long-time Utah head coach who gave Whittingham his first big coaching break when he was hired as the Utes' defensive line coach in 1994; and Urban Meyer, who succeeded McBride as Utah’s head coach, retained Whittingham as defensive coordinator and then handed the program off to him when Meyer left for the Florida job after two years.

Whittingham’s worldview as a college football coach was formed partly by some or all of those three men. Consider that, then, when Whittingham talks about rivalries.

Whittingham stirred up the college football world on Thursday when he sort of shrugged off a question about whether or not he’s learned to hate Ohio State, and later when I asked him if there’s room for personal animosity between head coaches in a rivalry, he said he doesn’t hate Ohio State coach Ryan Day. It was good fodder for articles and podcasts about whether Whittingham “gets it.” Like most conversations generated from soundbites, nobody bothered to stop to think about the context.

Read more