Good BAD Afternoon: YAC for Jeremiah Smith, the Buckeyes' depth, and April Fools' Day
Get ready for Bill and Doug to go live on Substack after practice tomorrow.
Hey Buckeye fans, it’s Nick the intern again, bringing you the newsletter recapping every article Bill and Doug wrote and every podcast they recorded this week.
Tomorrow (Saturday) is the Buckeyes’ Student Appreciation Day practice. Bill and Doug will be at practice watching everything that happens on and off the field. They will be going live on Substack after practice, in the late afternoon, to discuss key takeaways and observations. Join the live show tomorrow to ask questions and participate in the show. We will upload the live show to Substack afterward for any subscribers who couldn’t join live.
Reminder: You can still get 18 percent off an annual subscription through Ohio State’s spring game on April 18.
Student Appreciation Day is not only a great day to get eyes on the players and how they look on the field, but also to see how they interact with fans. Last year, Jeremiah Smith chose to stick around to sign autographs and talk with students long after practice ended. I love seeing Buckeyes give back to the students and fans who support them.
Next week, practices will shift to a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday schedule. Bill and Doug will be there to talk with coaches and players following each practice. Ryan Day will talk on Monday.
My article pick this week
What's improvement look like for Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State's receivers? Start with YAC
COLUMBUS — There’s a play from Jeremiah Smith’s freshman season that gets to the heart of what we’re about to discuss.
After speaking with Jeremiah Smith, Bill discusses how he can be more explosive next season. Jeremiah himself pointed out the lack of yards after the catch from Ohio State’s receiver room last season. So, what changes can the Buckeyes and Corez Hankton make to improve YAC and explosive plays?
My podcast pick this week
How deep is Ohio State’s roster? Going through every position group, plus Whatcha (Subscriber only)
Bill and Doug take a deep dive into the roster and discuss the level of depth the Buckeyes have at each position group. The guys discuss the ideal number of players that a program like Ohio State should feel comfortable putting on the field in September, per position group. Then Bill and Doug discuss where the Buckeyes currently are compared to that standard. They end the show with Whatcha, discussing April Fools’ Day and how it has changed over the years.
Other podcasts this week
Ohio State’s No. 6 spring football practice: Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd & the future of the WR room. Bill and Doug do a deep dive on the WR room. Other than Jeremiah Smith, where will the Buckeyes find production this season? They also look ahead to 2027 and analyze who will be ready to step up.
Ohio State spring practice No. 7: Inside LB room depth on Payton Pierce, Riley Pettitjohn and more. Bill and Doug talk about Christian Alliegro and the potential for him to be used similarly to how Arvell Reese was used last year. With his size, he may be the Buckeyes’ best linebacker option to play more on the line and come off the edge. They also get back into the recurring fullback discussion.
Ohio State Around the Shoe: All Jeremiah Smith talk on his stats explosion, Heisman chances & legacy. Andrew Gillis and Stephen Means of cleveland.com are back for a special Jeremiah Smith episode of Around the Shoe. Bill shares stats on how many times Jeremiah has run slant or drag routes compared to curl or hitch routes over the past two years. Hopefully, Arthur Smith and Cortez Hankton will figure out how to get him open in space this season.
Other articles this week
Ryan Day Debrief: Ohio State freshmen flashing, running back long game. After spring practice No. 6, Ryan Day spoke to the media. He spoke highly of the potential he sees in Brock Boyd, the freshman wide receiver who lost his black stripe after Tuesday’s practice. He also talked about the running back room. Without Bo Jackson and Isaiah West participating, Day has expressed concern about what he has seen from the running backs this spring.
Ohio State’s new spring players tripled in 4 years -- that’s why Ryan Day is talking dinosaurs. You may have seen the clip of Ryan Day comparing college football programs to dinosaurs in response to Doug’s question on Tuesday. That was all part of a larger discussion about the 51 new players on Ohio State’s roster this season. In this article, Doug breaks down where those 51 guys came from and what that means for this team and program.
Will Ohio State’s LB rotation go two-deep or six-deep? James Laurinaitis on Buckeye linebackers. Doug highlights the key takeaways from James Laurinaitis’ press conference. Laurinaitis talked about Christian Alliegro, Riley Pettijohn, TJ Alford, and Payton Pierce. He discussed where each of those guys is at right now and what they can bring to the table.
Ohio State’s Nate Roberts, no longer a fullback, eyeing jump to TE1 this spring. Bill explains the current state of the tight end position and why Roberts believes he can be a difference-maker in this offense.
What will Jeremiah Smith do this season? Story, poll and video. Doug writes about where Jeremiah Smith stands relative to several school records. Will he be able to reach any of those milestones with only one season left as a Buckeye?