Ohio State Buckeyes LIVE 371

Ohio State Buckeyes LIVE #371 Hosts: Mark Rogers (Voice of College Football), Steve Helwagen (Bucknuts 247 Senior Editor), Tony Gerdeman (Buckeye Huddle) Format: Weekly Ohio State football discussion show (presented by FanDuel) Key Topics & Highlights Personal Banter & Life Updates Steve shares life changes, his daughter completing her first year at Ohio State Moritz College of Law (wearing the law school polo). Golf outing at Scioto Country Club (host of upcoming U.S. Senior Open). Steve shot 44 on the back nine. Recruiting: Wyatt Smith Commitment (Big Get for 2027 Class) Wyatt Smith (6'6", 235 lbs, St. Thomas Aquinas, FL) commits to Ohio State. Legacy: Son of Justin Smith (former Missouri DE, 1st-round NFL pick, 2x All-Pro, 5x Pro Bowl, 87 sacks in 14 seasons). 2025 HS stats: 155 tackles, 24 TFL, 13 sacks, 2 FR, 2 FF in 15 games. MaxPreps Junior All-American. Rankings (247Sports): #91 nationally, #13 edge, #9 in Florida. Andrew Ivins scouting: Throwback DE with elite size/testing; best football ahead of him. Other notable 2027 commits mentioned: DJ Jacobs (#1 overall prospect, DE), Jameer Brown (athlete, #20 overall), Kellen Weimer (OT). Class currently ranked ~#9 nationally with 12 commits; hosts feel it's undervalued. Larry Johnson stacking talent on the DL. 2026 Season Outlook & Brutal Schedule FanDuel win total: 9.5 (over = 10+ wins). Consensus preseason ranking: Likely #1 or #2 (with Texas). Toughest parts of schedule: Road games at Texas (Sept 12), Iowa, USC, Nebraska; home vs. Oregon (Nov 7), Illinois, Michigan. Defending champ Indiana also on the road. Potential trap/loss games discussed: Oregon, USC, Texas, Iowa (hostile environments + history). Historical context: Reminiscent of 2016 (tough schedule post-championship roster turnover). OSU has been remarkably consistent (avg. ~11-1 in regular season over 21 years under Tressel/Meyer/Day, excluding the Fickle asterisk year). Strength of schedule will be elite; could support a 9-3 team making the expanded playoff if losses are competitive + quality wins. TV/Scheduling Notes Ohio State @ Iowa projected as a big noon or afternoon game (Fox/CBS interest). Oregon home game (Nov 7) shaping up huge but not NBC primetime (Notre Dame-Miami conflict). Overall 2026 Big Ten/Ohio State schedule praised as entertaining and challenging (no sleepwalking stretches like 2025). Other Notes Archie Griffin to be honored as Agonis Club Person of the Year (mid-August banquet). Offseason vibes: June camps approaching, recruiting heating up. Show hiatus: No episode next week (Mark cruising); back in two weeks. Overall Tone & Takeaways Positive, excited vibe about recruiting momentum and the gauntlet 2026 schedule. Hosts acknowledge the win total is low due to difficulty, not talent concerns. Strong emphasis on OSU’s sustained excellence and the entertainment value of the upcoming season. Great episode for fans wanting early 2026 season talk + fresh recruiting details on Wyatt Smith and the 2027 class. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.