Welcome to the second edition of the renewed Eleven Warriors mailbag.
The offseason rolls along, which brought a mix of questions about the future and the past for Ohio State. In this mailbag, I tackle some of college football's new revenue sharing and NIL model, call a dream 4th-and-goal play from the 5-yard line and make my dark horse selection for Big Ten contention.
You are the new HC at TOSU. Put together your All-Star coaching staff for each position group, coordinator and since you are new, an assistant HC. – KiddBuckeye
Since this is going to be a long list, I will not be elaborating on my choices. I'm also going to be sticking to coaches from 2001 onward, because I don't have a ton of knowledge of any assistants (outside some famous ones) pre-Jim Tressel.
Here we go, rapid fire, and I'm sure there will be some dissent in the ranks. But I'm taking each guy for his peak at Ohio State and not really considering any outside career shenanigans or, of course, scheme fit.
Assistant head coach: Urban Meyer
Offensive coordinator: Ryan Day
Defensive coordinator: Jim Heacock
Quarterbacks: Tom Herman (Ryan Day is already my OC)
Wide receivers: Brian Hartline
Offensive line: Ed Warinner (kind of starved for post-2000 options here, and note that I'm picking him for his 2014 performance mainly, and he will not touch offensive playcalling)
Tight ends: Keenan Bailey
Running backs: Stan Drayton, though it could be Carlos Locklyn soon
Defensive line: Larry Johnson (remember we're talking primes here)
Linebackers: Mike Vrabel
Cornerbacks: Tim Walton
Safeties: Chris Ash
Why do so many kickers come from Australia? I read the article today about Nick McLarty and Joe McGuire and it got me musing on how many Aussies come here to play the position. Is it a case of Australia being a powerhouse for kickers or is it just that us Yanks just don't strive to play the position? It seems like the majority of kickers in college and the NFL are from Australia. – Bubbag1234
My friend, do you know what the most popular sport in Australia is? It's Australian rules football. Do you know what that involves a lot of? Free kicking and punting. Like, a lot more than American football.
You're a lot more likely to find an Australian child punting footballs as they play in their backyard than Americans. Rugby is also more popular down under than stateside, so between those two sports, you get a lot of kids who grow up punting a ball shaped a lot like an American football.
Then you get all sorts of academies specifically for kicking and punting, which also have plenty of connections to American football because Aussies know how prolific their punters can be. McLarty came from Caulfield Grammar & Punt Factory, McGuire from Prokick Australia. So, the Aussie rules to American football pipeline isn't drying up anytime soon.
Last year, the media ranked Indiana 17th in the B1G preseason rankings. The Hoosiers benefitted from a perfect storm: a new coaching staff that came in virtually intact from a 19-4 run at JMU, good returning core, solid group of transfers, and an easy schedule. What team do you think is going to be this year’s IU, i.e., fly way, way, way under the radar and then grossly overachieve by losing only 2-3 games? – Iowabuckeyes
Illinois is my answer. There's a lot of momentum with that program right now entering year five under Bret Bielema, fresh off a 10-3 season and a memorable win in the Citrus Bowl over South Carolina. It was the Fighting Illini's first 10-win campaign in 23 years.
Not only is wind in their sails, but the Illlini also return starting quarterback Luke Altmyer, their best pass rusher in Gabe Jacas and leading tackler in Matthew Bailey. And talk about one of the easiest schedules in the Big Ten, Illinois doesn't play Penn State, Oregon or Michigan in 2025. Outside of a home game with Ohio State, the Illini's toughest matchup is probably at Indiana on Sept. 20 or at Washington on Oct. 25.
If Illinois beats the Hoosiers in September, it could well set the table for a run to the College Football Playoff.
It's the last play of the game with the Buckeyes on offense needing a touchdown to win. The ball is on the 5. Who gets the ball? (Current or past players) – BornAndBredABuckeye
I love these types of hypotheticals. The 5-yard line adds some intrigue to this one, as it's hard to hand the ball off that far from the goal line.
It's as much about the play call, I'm dialing up a Justin Fields rollout to the right and having Chris Olave run a comeback to the front-right pylon in the end zone. Those two on that route were more in sync than Justin Timberlake and Joey Fatone. If it's not there, Fields can scramble or look backside to Marvin Harrison Jr. on a drag route.
Best playoff format. You are the lord high commissioner of college football and can change anything you want. – Darksungm
Eight teams was always the right number to me. I think college football was unique in the fact that the regular season mattered more than any other American sport. You get one or two mistakes, but otherwise, out of title contention. I don't like the 16-team direction we're heading in, which will practically guarantee three-loss teams in the CFP every year.
I've yet to see a year with more than six teams deserving of a shot at a national championship. The power of a bye in a six-team field is too strong, which is why I settle on eight, because I do enjoy the added drama of a field expanded from four.
So eight teams, play the first round on the campus of the higher seed, the national championship at the Rose Bowl and the semifinals rotating at two of the other five former New Year's Six bowl locations. This is my decree as lord high commissioner.
Should there be a cap on the amount that a college can spend for NIL? – Keze
I included this question primarily to clear up some of the confusion surrounding NIL and revenue-sharing in this new model that took over on July 1. The very short answer is no, but there are very good reasons for that, in theory.
Revenue sharing is what schools are paying directly to their athletes, and it is capped at $20.5 million for all sports. After $2.5 million is allocated to additional scholarship costs at Ohio State, the remaining $18 million will be shared among a selection of men's basketball, women's basketball, women's volleyball, and – I imagine primarily – football. The cap will move up over the years.
Where does NIL come into play? Extra money athletes can make through brand partnerships, endorsements, video game likenesses and other means. The key difference – again, in theory – is that now any deals of $600 or more now have to be approved by NIL Go, a clearinghouse built by Deloitte and overseen by the College Sports Commission, a new administrative entity created to oversee and enforce rules around revenue sharing and NIL.
Everyone's called for guardrails, and now for the first time since NIL hit the scene, there's an attempt to install them. Deals are getting rejected from collectives across the country because they aren't coming from businesses; they're coming direct from the collectives.
Collectives are not companies or businesses with goods or services that need promotion, so it makes sense that NIL Go is denying deals from collectives. pic.twitter.com/LxuUjSHfxL
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 10, 2025
That's why Ohio State disbanded its collectives and brought its NIL management in-house with Buckeye Sports Group. The Buckeyes aren't paying a cent in NIL themselves, but they are facilitating those deals for their players and making sure they are up to the standards of the clearinghouse.
Otherwise, it's just a person getting paid the worth of their brand by businesses – I'll say it one last time, in theory. And to me, there should be no cap on that. Many of these kids come from difficult circumstances and can change the course of their lives and their families' lives through NIL, and then also a capped amount from Ohio State through revenue sharing.
What's your opinion regarding Ohio State's decision to move the band to the north end zone in order to accomodate the new field-level suites? – Weave77
I'll reserve thoughts on changes in stadium atmosphere for when I cover a game with the suites installed. As for the band, it's not the first time they've been on the North end, it is what it is.
Which TOSU head football coach was the sharpest dresser? – Ohiostate1957
Few men have ever looked sharper in a fedora than Earle Bruce. Especially when dotting the 'i' at 85 years old.
Greg Bartram-Imagn Images.
Keep 4, Cut 4: Wide Receiver Edition
Cris Carter
Joey Galloway
Ted Ginn, Jr.
Chris Olave
Garrett Wilson
Marvin Harrison, Jr.
Jeremiah Smith
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
– GINNandjuice
Cutting this list to four is a brutal endeavor. But here goes.
Jeremiah Smith is the greatest receiver prospect and greatest freshman I've ever seen, and therefore a must-take. Jaxon Smith-Njigba set Ohio State's single-season receptions and receiving yards and it wasn't even supposed to be his peak year, I can only imagine the numbers he would have put up in his third and final year if healthy. He will be my second selection.
Third off the board is Marvin Harrison Jr., who rightfully is known as the best in team history, though probably only for one more season, given Smith's progression. And I'm going to round out my picks with Cris Carter. He's a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and in this modern Buckeye offense? He would put on a show.
Tank, what's your favorite chicken place in Columbus? KFC, Canes, etc. Be prepared to defend your choice if the answer is not Cane's. – Daniel
When it comes to chicken, my favorite form is chicken wings. My favorite wing place in Columbus used to be Wings Over, but their recipe (and I think ownership) has changed over the years. So my answer is Rooster's. The meat is always good, I love their blue cheese and they have great menu options outside the chicken too with their appetizers, pizza and so on.
