We are easily still 7-0, what game could Joe Burrow not score enough to win? is it as impressive/scary? I don't think so. The running ability is not close although Burrow can move a bit. You couldn't really ask for a better passer than Fields. Any given day Fields throwing ability can look like the best in the country. Fields is WAY better for the program, especially because of the 2 years from Fields. The real question is how many D'Eriq King threads do you guys think would be on here by now? A million?

This is factually correct in a lot of ways statistically and the best way to describe it is simply explaining that there are PLENTY of guys that run a 4.4 to 4.7 40, are 5'8-6'1, and weigh between 185-225. There are simply a TON of people in the world that can play RB comp. to almost any other position on the field. The other thing is that there is so much about running back play that is team-oriented. Does this mean that their talent doesn't matter? No. More times than not, the better offense produces the better running stats, not the better running back produces the better running stats. There are plenty of people out there that would argue that Cam Akers is actually the most talented back in CFB, but he will never get stats to back that up in a lesser offense. Basically, I would take the 20th most talented back in Ohio State's offense over the best back in the country if you put them behind a horrible o-line like FSU or Miami statistically and I would do it without hesitancy. Do you guys really think that if Teague and Dobbins both got suspended tomorrow that the running game would go down the drain? Could you see more fumbles, a less polished pass protector and pass catcher, a few more missed holes? Sure, maybe. Would you see 3 yards per carry? HELL NO

I agree, but anyone that watched Fields' QB1 segments and understands overall hometown recruiting. It's not easy to be the star of the community that eats, sleeps, and breathes Georgia football and then turn around and say no to them. Whether it's the right decision or not, it's not easy.

Did anyone watch both of these games? Has anyone watched Michigan State all season? Michigan State looks like garbage one week and good the next. That Michigan State team that Ohio State played, to me, from a execution and playcalling standpoint was pretty good. The offense looked much better than last year. The defense was relatively sound. I thought Michigan State would give Wiscy a run for their money if they played like that. They didn't AT ALL. Michigan State looked like they did vs. Arizona State. Lewerke couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. The whole offense looked like it lacked "juice." They played with no energy and no execution. Not even referring to the teams on the field with them.

If Elias Ricks had NEVER heard of Ohio State as of today, I still think that an 18-year old changing his mind completely randomly is more likely than winning the lottery, nevermind the fact that he is literally taking an official visit. 

Just different situations. Ohio State recruited Cam Martinez as an elite athlete that was underrecruited, from the reports we hear out of the Ohio State side, and he was likely a take as a receiver and a safety, especially when he committed. At this point, OSU has 4 WR recruits in the 2020 class and they look like they could get like 6 top 100 WRs if that was their goal. They need more receivers, especially with losing 3 and knowing that basically every commit coming in has legit 3 and done potential. However, I doubt they want more than 4 in this class and you simply have to be smart when taking really early commitments. I think there are at least 5 guys above Styles and probably more on the WR list and they are in the lead or very close to the lead with all 5. They also think Styles would be a great CB recruit and they'd take him as a CB right now. They're gonna try to get him to be a corner because he'd be a take at corner rn and they think he will be a better corner than WR. The story has always been that maybe he'll give in to that but he WANTS to be a receiver. Everything that we have heard is the ND wants him as a receiver and that's why he went there. Styles WAS a take as a corner and definitely could be a take at WR at the end of the cycle, but as of right now taking Styles as the second receiver when you have guys higher just doesn't make sense IMO

Birm's tweet was NOT about recruiting. He was tweeting about UGA game, clearly in real time. The person asking him about if its recruiting is a Letterman Row employee trolling because everything he tweets gets that question in response. 

I believe that this question is pretty straightforward. If Ohio State beats Wisconsin in the first meeting, you simply want to play the best team possible in the B1G Champ game. I assume this will be Wisconsin, but someone like Iowa or Nebraska can somehow get in over Wisconsin, I think that they will be considered the best at that time. You want the Champ. game opponent to have the best ranking possible. At this point, I think it's likely best that we hope for Wisconsin to be 11-2 with two losses to Ohio State. I think that a road loss in Columbus won't bump Wisconsin much and if they run the table from there and get to Indy, I have a hard time seeing how they are not a top 10 team, surely not much outside of there if they somehow are. If Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, ect. DO somehow get in, that will likely mean multiple big wins and likely running the table from here on unless Wisconsin drops multiple games in the regular season. At that point, I assume that any of those teams would be top 15ish teams if they can do that anyways. I think we just want the most respected team possible, which is clearly Wisconsin. 

If they lose, it HAS to be an undefeated Wisconsin. Here is what the narrative will be. Winner take all, the Big Ten championship has two playoff caliber teams that meet on a neutral field. The winner is IN. Hell, that will likely be the narrative if OSU beats Wisconsin and they play again if Wiscy can run the table after OSU. The "avenge your loss" narrative is strong especially in a championship game on a neutral site and I think will remain the case this year.

I think they are different and both are skilled. I think that Miller is more upside arm-talent. Stroud has continued to be really good and that's why he moves up rankings. Miller has had multiple concerns but he was at the top long ago because of his clear talent. I think that Miller will eventually be better because the receivers at Ohio State will make someone with "upside" look great but I think that either will be more than competent to lead an offense with these weapons. Two QBs of their skill level basically never happens. 

I think that the situation is very important. I think going back and forth at a neutral site game is fun for both fanbases, but its definitely better with there being pretty clear regions of the stadium that are one team or the other. If you are the overwhelming majority at a home game, I wouldn't go at anyone personally (I mean like yell at a toward a person from the other team instead of at the field, I think yelling "Michigan sucks!" or whatever else you would like to say towards someone unantagonized is pretty unnecessary.) I am good with just yelling in general, but if a massively underrepresented person isn't saying anything, I don't think its warranted. If the isolated fan is going at the larger group, then they are asking for it. I don't like singling out but general chants and attacks on the other team are fine in general IMO.

Can we get over the Bijan and Jaylan stuff please. This was one of the strangest happenings of two things that I'd heard of in recruiting. They BOTH told Ohio State they were coming. How would you like any insider to react to this? Not report until the kid signs his NLI. The best thing we can get is the coaching staff hearing from the kids that they are in, which was the case with both of these guys within a week of each other. A silent commit is as much as you are gonna get unless a kid goes back on their word, which as far as I'm concerned isn't normal at all from silent to announcement. It's the same as an announced verbal that then decommits. Weird stuff happens but a silent to the coaching staff is as good as you are gonna get to a sure thing.

I could be off here, but wouldn't Gill only leave if he saw writing on the wall that Mookie (or someone else) plays over him? No way you are about to get a prominent role in this offense and you dip. NOOOOO WAY.

Recruiting is cyclical. We are recruiting like crazy at WR because we are losing 6 to the NFL last year and this year (along with Hartline of course). Positions of need are easier to recruit than others and that is the main reason of running back concern IMO. RB is the only position where everyone thinks there is clear opportunity and we don't have a ton of options. At most other positions, we just don't have the need and it's naturally going to be less enticing. I put a post up over a month ago talking about how Clemson lacks a ton of elite talent and that is likely the biggest reason for their crazy success in recruiting this cycle. Any 5-star in the country could feel VERY confident about being in Clemson's 2 deep as a true freshman, if not starting. Why has Alabama's WR recruiting not great the last 2 years compared to previous? Its harder to recruit when you only really play 4 guys at receiver and you have 4 clear top end receivers on the roster that are going to be there at least another year. The vast majority of kids want to see the depth chart when they decide where they are going and there are very few teams in the country that have less room on the depth chart than Ohio State. This isn't a bad problem to have, but its just tough to lock in 5 stars these days that know they won't play in years 1 and maybe 2 if they can go to another elite program and play earlier. There will always be some, but I think there are less now than there were 10 years ago. This is kinda why even some elite programs have depth issues at certain positions. Ohio State really does not have that besides at QB (Name an elite program without a major drop at QB. Oklahoma is the closest but they have relied on tranfers for a QB1).

There is pretty clearly always things that AE feels he can and cannot say. I think that analyzing the things that he does and does not address/say gives a lot of insight. When someone suggested it was a decision from Bradford's standpoint, AE CHOSE to jump in and dispute that. I'm not saying its a fact, but he does clearly try to hint at things at times without saying them. In other news along the subject, Birm went out of his way in his article today to say how relationships and culture are a big deal and Ohio State and Bradford are still trying to iron those things out. This take isn't quite as strong as AE's was, but Birm did seem to at least allude to the concepts of relationships and culture, which makes me think there is something more there.

Based on piecing things together from AE's posts, if I am connecting everything correctly, it seems as though the Ohio State side didn't like the official? From everything we have seen and heard in recent memory with Day, the atmosphere and culture in the locker room/team is a huge deal to who they want. It's very possible he did not fit from a culture standpoint with the other guys, as there were a lot there or he was really dumb and said/did stuff that made the staff upset. 

I've seen JT, Tunmise, Jackson, and Payne all top 50 D-Linemen in 2021 that seem to have Ohio State on their list at this point

"oHiO sTaTe DoEsN't PlAy AnYoNe"

I'm pretty sure we are on girlfriend #4 for Fleming that goes to Penn State

3.5 is legit insane. Watts could pop but he has no reason to. I think Stroud knows hes their guy and isnt in a rush. I think baron isnt done looking. Bradford could pop but I mean I don't think its more likely that he is a buckeye this time next week than he isnt. Ohio State can have a great week and get 1 or 2 guys and be the clear cut leader for all of the guys I mentioned without any of them actually announcing. Do you remember how last June went down?

What is the commitment over under by tuesday or wednesday? 1.5-2? Cowan looks like itll be done friday and then I think there are 4 guys that could but none seem like they MUST be imminent, right? Watts is most likely I think but hes not on campus so it doesnt have to be now. Baron and Bradford are trending our way and this is almost definitely their last visit but I dont expect either to pull the trigger. I assume Stroud gets an offer this weekend and then plans a official for the Penn state game if he has the ability in his schedule and commits then but it's possible any one of these guys jumps the gun and commits with the atmosphere and how many current recruits will be with them. Think 1.5 is the number but if someone with info said 2 I'd buy it

Assume you are talking about the recruits? There seemed to be a lot of drama between the OSU commits and Knighton when that happened and they did not have a similar reaction to Bijan. Seemed as though there was some beef between Knighton and the rest of the guys before he even decommitted. Maybe that's off, but that's my read on the situation.

I'd love a short story on Grinch's time at Ohio State. Almost seems like he walked into a situation with Schiano that he didn't like what was going on an had no power so he just didn't try. You basically never heard anything about him doing literally anything.

Hafley is making basically $1,000,000 a year as a Co-DC, without having to pay virtually any attention to half of the players, really doesn't do a lot with D-Line from what we know. Runs one specific thing. Way less stress than a HC in terms of overall responsibility and fault in any shortcomings. Fickell has had to grind like crazy for 2+ years to become a really good football team FOR HIS PROGRAM, but at the end of the day there is virtually no elite upside for Cincinnati as a program. Fickell makes something like 2.2 million a year. Its not to say 1 million isn't different than 2.2, but I personally would not accept that job if I were Hafley. My list would be teams with elite talent upside (Florida State, USC, Tennessee???, Miami, ect.) Basically if you are an elite coach, you could prove that and recruit with the big boys within a few years.

Think Hafley would be an elite HC, although I have mentioned how I think having a young OC as HC is pretty clearly more beneficial because I think losing an OC is a constant in good teams underperforming. Think Hafley has seen enough and is smart enough to understand that he should only jump ship for an elite job. Once you go to HC and fail, you can struggle to get back to a job like being Ohio State's DC. If you are happy and making something like a million dollars, I would only jump ship for a shortlist of jobs. Clemson has done this very well and I think that coaching staff continuity has helped them a TON. Clemson isn't the same program as the teams that it competes with from a talent/tradition perspective and coaching has helped a lot. I think we will see less movement from some of these major programs with constant salary increases for these teams. Being a HC requires WAY more than being a coordinator, especially at an elite program and I would not leave for anything besides a program that I think I could turn into a national contender within 5 years or less at a high rate.