Ohio State Football DGG out, who is next? Horseshoe Hangover Live 7

Horseshoe Hangover Live Episode 7 Notes Presented by FanDuel Sportsbook | Hosts: Brad Thomas, Denzel Jones, Garrison Gaddy (OhioStateVOCFB) Episode Overview The crew dives into Big Ten Media Days expectations, the preseason media poll, the new college football landscape (Big Ten title vs. playoff priority), the fallout from high-profile running back recruit DDG’s commitment to Tennessee on a reported massive NIL package, Ohio State’s next steps in the backfield, and Brady Edmonds shutting down his recruitment to become a Buckeye. Garrison departs early; discussion stays high-energy and Buckeye-focused. Big Ten Media Days Expectations Denzel: Most interested in Julian Sayin (and Ryan Day’s comments on him). Wants confirmation Sayin will use his legs for easy yards (3–5 yards when available, especially short-yardage). Notes Sayin’s low turnover-worthy plays last year (only six) and how defenses will disrespect his mobility. Garrison: Wants to hear from Larry Johnson on the defensive line room overall and ends specifically. Curious about John Walker III (projected best tackle), Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Zion Grady, Eppie, Bo Atkinson’s progress, and who is playing best right now. Host notes personal interest in Sayin’s handling of growing spotlight (new relationship “hard launch,” draft chatter, pivotal year). Emphasizes that adding consistent short-yardage runs would make the offense far more dynamic. Preseason Media Poll & Big Ten Landscape Projected order discussed: Ohio State 1, Oregon 2, Indiana 3, USC 4, Michigan 5, Penn State 6, Washington 7. Garrison: Shocked OSU is No. 1 over Oregon; would rank Oregon first. High on UCLA and Minnesota (would place them ahead of Illinois/Iowa and with Washington/Penn State). Top five mostly fine. Denzel: Fine with the list overall but would drop Penn State (new coach, massive roster turnover, unproven, soft schedule still requires execution). Prefers Iowa in that range for consistent defensive success. Personally prefers OSU ranked 2–3 to avoid the No. 1 target and potential overconfidence. Consensus: Extremely competitive Big Ten; hard to see an undefeated conference team. OSU’s brutal schedule makes a one-loss (or better) finish challenging; Oregon and Indiana remain the biggest conference obstacles. Big Ten Championship vs. Playoff priority: In the expanded playoff era, a strong regular season and healthy playoff berth matter more than the conference title game. Ryan Day still wants the Big Ten trophy, but national title > Big Ten title > individual game results. Some prefer missing the conference title game to avoid rust from a bye (recent playoff history cited). Day has two Big Ten titles; he handles public pressure well. DDG to Tennessee – “Buckeyes Dodge a Bullet?” Biggest story of the week: Running back recruit DDG commits to Tennessee on a rumored ~$6 million package over three years plus significant perks (travel, etc.). Adidas deal also mentioned. Host view: OSU dodged a potential locker-room issue. A freshman RB commanding ~$2M Year 1 without a snap creates tension with current contributors. Running backs generally shouldn’t command that money; Bo Jackson was a different (injured, Ohio) case. Denzel: Recruitment became annoying and over-covered. Kid handled it as well as possible; uncle may have driven the process. Tennessee offered what OSU wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) match. Criticizes putting almost all eggs in one basket for two years while other backs waited or went elsewhere (including Michigan landing a target). Consensus: OSU was never going to hit the reported number and shouldn’t have. Quote that football at Ohio State felt “like a chore” was a major turn-off (contrasted with Day’s “fun is kicking ass”). Going to Tennessee = money + volume + lower pressure; national title window for the Vols is not viewed as realistic in the near term. Feels like the easier path. What now for the running back room / recruiting? Current room is young and talented: Bo Jackson, Isaiah West (big, physical, preferred by some as the clear complementary piece), “Turbo,” Jackson (Florida product who looked solid in spring), plus later additions like Elijah Newman Hall (top 2028 prospect). Plenty of unproven but high-upside bodies with low wear. Acceptable to “punt” or de-emphasize this class’s top-end RB spend and redirect resources to the trenches (already a strength). Possible targets mentioned: Nigel Newkirk (would need to flip from Alabama—liked for vision, tackle-breaking, feet, speed) and Jaden/J.M. Miles (big 6-2/205 back; OSU was late; slower but physical). Strong support for Carlos Locklin: blunt, developmental coach who maximizes players (Bo Jackson example).