We sort of blacked out for a while after The Game and, well, we just now started to come out of our funk. So, we thought, “why not do a show?”
Chip Minnich and I start this episode of the Silver Bullets Podcast with a quick run through the highlights of the early signing period and discuss whether signing recruits even means much anymore now that the transfer portal has changed recruiting from a pre-college thing to an always thing. Speaking of the transfer portal, we touch on the comings and goings since our last show. The quarterback room got less crowded, with one expected departure and one that doesn’t make quite as much sense, even if it also isn’t a huge shock.
There’s a new coach coming to Ohio State in just a few days and we talk a little about the addition of Jim Knowles and how he made a Big XII team look competent on the defensive side of the football — a feat that many have tried and few have succeeded in doing. What does Knowles’ arrival mean for the current coaches on the staff and how much is that weighing on their minds as they try to prepare their players to face a good Utah team? Everyone always says the right things to the press, but human nature suggests some of their attention might be divided during a crucial time of preparation.
We also touched on the players who opted out of participation in the Rose Bowl. Some of these decisions make more sense than others. Regardless, we respect the decisions of players who have chosen not to play. Still, it’s difficult to lose both Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave on offense, given what they meant to Ohio State’s success the last two years. That leads us into our preview of Ohio State vs. Utah.
I outlined a number of items that should add up to Utah being favored in this match-up. It’s easy to simply say “next man up” and point to the raw talent, but experience matters and the Buckeyes may very well struggle against a physical Utah defense that can stack the box to stop TreVeyon Henderson and double-team Jaxon Smith-Njigba and dare Ryan Day to beat them in some other (read: unproven) way. Utah will also be missing a key offensive weapon, but it’ll be imperative for Ohio State’s defense to get a handle on the Utes’ running game.
Finally, we look into our crystal ball and select our picks to click for the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl and we give our score predictions. Maybe it’s the last game still weighing on our minds, or the opt-outs, but neither Chip nor myself are feeling very optimistic about this match-up.
If you’ve got something you’d like to ask us in our mailbag section, hit us up on Twitter at @Mike36fan and @ChipMinnich and answers will be provided on the next episode.
Enjoy this week’s show. Thanks for listening.