November 21, 2025 • 9 mins
Mark Kunz of BCSN joined Todd to talk about tomorrow's game versus Rutgers and "The Game" next Saturday.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Buck Eyes and the Rutgers Scarlett Knights tomorrow at the Horseshoe,
final home game of the season for Ohio State, and
it will be a noon kickoff, and we'll of course
have it for you right here and here to talk
Ohio State football with us again as Mark Coons from
BCSN and Toledo and formerly here in Lima with TV
forty four and WOSN. Last week, No Carneal Tate, no
(00:23):
Jeremiah Smith, no problem. Buckeyes rolled anyway, And I guess
that's where we start. How concerned are you with those
two absences? And do you think they're any kind of
real concern going forward? Will either both of them, neither
of them play tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
That is the number one question on everybody's minds. And
earlier this week Ryan Day really didn't do anything to
dissuade or encourage or do anything, standing firm on his
long standing principle and practice of not discussing injuries to
individual players, because if you talk about your star wide
receiver injury, then you got to talk about your third
(01:03):
string left tackles injury. And he doesn't want to do
that to either of those positions. So he really couldn't
give much of an update earlier this week, and other
than saying that both Carnell and Jeremiah and good spirits,
they're working hard with the medical staff and we'll put
out a pregame availability on Saturday morning and we'll kind
of go from there. Now, clearly they shouldn't need Carnell
(01:23):
Tate and Jeremiah Smith to beat Rutgers. But at the
same time, you saw, particularly in the second half against
the UCLA, the offense wasn't quite the same without those
two guys. Now, maybe Julian Sands got a little more
time to work with the Mayan Grahams and the Bryson
Rodgers and get that type of rhythm and comfortability with them,
and they'll start hitting on some of those passes. But
(01:45):
it's been so automatic the first ten weeks of the
season that they would hit Cornell Taate, they would hit
Jeremiah Smith anywhere in the eight foot radius. Jeremi Smith's
going to come down with and just he's an incredible
freak of an athlete. We know that, and so what
he's able to do every saturad, it cannot be replicated.
They shouldn't need that to beat Rutgers. They probably shouldn't
need that to beat Michigan, but they one them have
(02:07):
that to beat Michigan. They're definitely gonna need it to
make a deep playoff run. So it's a very interesting situation.
You know, we all saw Jeremiah Smith notice me limping
off the field at halftime against the UCLA. Now ryand
did say he did not believe that Jeremiah Smith aggravated
the injury by playing in the first quarter against the Bruins.
But we'll see how it plays out in the coming
(02:29):
days and weeks ahead.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Yeah, clearly everybody's mind is looking ahead to next week,
and that can be dangerous though. Even though the Buckeye
is clearly outclass Rutgers, they've got to compartmentalize here and
get ready for the Scarlet Knights. Even though we're all
looking ahead the next week. Is there any chance Rutgers
could at least make them sweat a little maybe.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
In the first quarter. I mean, you got to remember
Rutgers Greg Ciano, former o High State defensive coordinator, very
well respected coach. His team's play hard or in a
Ryan day, They're going to stress you in all three
phases of the game. Rutgers is fantastic at blocking punts.
We know Ohio State has had their issues on special
teams the last couple of seasons, not so much of
this year, not so much with punt blocks. But there's
(03:13):
always that fear of a gaff on special teams, and
that can swing the momentum of a game. Certainly, we
saw against UCLA how the Bruin punter basically whisked on
a punt in right the cap Curry's belly, and that
kind of blew the game open. It wasn't in doubt
at that point, but it certainly blew it open and
late in that second quarter. So kN Rutgers upset Ohio State. Sure,
(03:34):
anything could happen. Will Rutgers play Ohio States up? Absolutely?
But come on, Rutgers has never beaten Ohio State. The
closest they've ever come is that, I want to say,
like a sixteen point loss the last time they played.
It's not gonna be a close game, but it's about
staying healthy and about getting the mindset right for a
game that has huge implications psychologically and in terms of
getting to Indianapolis. We're talking about what's going to happen
(03:57):
in eight days when they play.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Mission Marcoons, as well as talking Buckeye football as they
entertained Rutgers tomorrow when they knew and kick off. And
clearly you want to be ascending this time of year
if you're Ohio State. The injuries to Jeremiah Smith and
Carnell Tait maybe truncating that climb toward a peak here.
But what do you like about this team right now
(04:22):
as far as the improvement or things that have really excelled.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I think and you take those with a grant of
salt based on the competition last couple of weeks. But
the way they're able to establish a run game in
the second half against Purdue, throughout the game against UCLA,
I mean, over Tonier Gjard's rushing against the Bruins, we
saw Bo Jackson continue to run hard. James People's a
very good game as well, Isaiah West showing the flashes.
And all those guys are our younger backs that did
(04:47):
not get a whole lot of reps even in high
school their senior years because of injuries and other various reasons.
So we're seeing that run game really start to establish themselves.
Four out of the five spots on the offensive line
are really good right now. It goes back to that
guard spot where Tegri Shabola just hasn't been up to snuff.
Gave Van Sickle actually played more snaps than Tegri Shabola
(05:09):
against UCLA. Shabola got the start at Van Sickle was
in there quite a bit, and you had Phillip Daniels
a strong game at tackle. Luke Montgomery for the second
time this season, Luke Montgomery was the Ohio State offensive
player of the game. So the finly Native is coming
on strong. And one of the interesting things Ryan they
talked about earlier this week, we know High State really
hasn't been tested this season outside of maybe Week one
(05:31):
against Texas. I know State it's constantly talking about, well,
it's a nameless, faceless opponent. We're competing against ourselves. We're
holding ourselves up to a higher standard than what our
opponents are. One of the ways they are doing that.
A big deal in the program has been greaded out
as a champion. You want to be a champion. Sunday.
If you're great out of champion, you get a nice dinner.
It's a good deal in the past to be great
(05:52):
out of champion, you have to have an eighty percent grade.
This season, they've raised it up to eighty three percent
to make it that much more tougher to get themselves suffered,
to hold themselves to that higher standard. And he said
quite a few of the offensive linemen hit that eighty
three percent great this past week against the UCLA and
that you know, it's easy to be exposed on the
offensive line, and they're not being exposed on the offensive
(06:12):
line right now. So he's pleased with the way four
fifths of that offensive line has improved this season.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
All right, Mark, we won't be here next week for
the show, obviously, so we're going to officially look ahead
at You prefaced it a little bit by saying you
don't think they even need Tate and Jeremiah Smith to
beat Michigan. Clearly, the Wolverines are underwhelming at Wrigley Field
and that win against Northwestern, but it does seem of
late they've developed this find a way to win mentality.
(06:41):
I mean, they had five turnovers against Northwestern and still
one and a missed field goal on top of it,
So field goals? Was it too? All right? Son?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Too?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Clearly, Bryce Underwood is is a next level talent, although
he's raw true freshman. So what are your areas of
concern that might make it prop them up in Ann Arbor.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Well, the number one area concerned if you're an Ohio
State fan. It's just this psychological barrier that Ohio State
has had against Michigan the last couple of years. Part
of the Buckeye lore of twenty twenty four the National
Championship season was after that lost of Michigan, a lengthy
team meeting where it's just Ryan Day and the players,
and they challenged. Ryan Day basically said, why are we
trying to beat Michigan by running? Involve the interior part
(07:24):
of their defensive line, the strongest part of their game.
We can beat them using the pass. Let's play to
our strength, not try to show our strength by playing
to their strength. And that was a lesson Ryan Day
certainly embraced the following weeks against Tennessee, against the Oregon
and the Rose will show them that you can use
the pass to set up the run. And it was
kind of alluded to this week a little bit that
(07:45):
Ohio State has learned some lessons and Ryan Day continues
to have a look in his eye that Brandon Inmis
talked about this after the win over UCLA that he's
had the same look ever since that player's only meeting
with Ryan Day following the lost of Michigan last season,
that that attitude has carried over. We're going to find
out in eight days in an arbor if that attitude
does carry over. That why is why Jeremiah Smith and
(08:07):
cainal Tate's health is so important playing up in an
arbor so that they can pass the ball, because Michigan's
defense is pretty good at stopping the run, but you
can pick them apart in the secondary to believe. The
other thing you have to really wonder about Michigan is
that their rushing attack. Justice Haines has been ruled up
for the rest of the regular season. He might be
back for a bullgain or a playoff run. Jordan Marshall
(08:28):
day to day going into their game at Maryland after
he fell awkwardly on the shoulder and the win at Wrigley.
That's been their offense has been those two running backs.
Bryce Underwood has started to progress there. You saw a
great week out of their freshman wide receiver Andrew marsh
against Northwestern, set the career highs was the Big Ten
Freshman of the week, and they did open up the
offense a little bit against Northwestern, throwing the ball a
(08:50):
price Underwood season high career highs and both completions attempts
as well as yardage in the win over Northwestern. Up
part that's because you have a rushing attack that has
been as solid in the last couple of weeks. So
while Bryce Underwood has been developing, he's also thrown more
interceptions and touchdowns the last two weeks, so there are
questions there. There's been more film put out on Bryce
(09:11):
Underwood that you're able to defend them a little bit better,
and they have opened up the offense a little bit
more as well. So that's going to be an interesting
dynamic in an arbor that Matt Patriciay defense, which has
been so good all season long, going up against a
first year quarterback that has been a little bit interception
for in the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah, I figures the buck guy should win, but we've
said that a couple of times recently and it didn't
turn out that way. So we'll see how it goes
the next week. Certainly they will win tomorrow when they
take on Rutgers. Mark koons here with us talking buck
at football.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Mark.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
We'll check in again soon.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
All right, sounds good, Tod, Thank you very much, have
a great weekend and a happy Thanksgiving to everybody
Buck Eyes and the Rutgers Scarlett Knights tomorrow at the Horseshoe,
final home game of the season for Ohio State, and
it will be a noon kickoff, and we'll of course
have it for you right here and here to talk
Ohio State football with us again as Mark Coons from
BCSN and Toledo and formerly here in Lima with TV
forty four and WOSN. Last week, No Carneal Tate, no
(00:23):
Jeremiah Smith, no problem. Buckeyes rolled anyway, And I guess
that's where we start. How concerned are you with those
two absences? And do you think they're any kind of
real concern going forward? Will either both of them, neither
of them play tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
That is the number one question on everybody's minds. And
earlier this week Ryan Day really didn't do anything to
dissuade or encourage or do anything, standing firm on his
long standing principle and practice of not discussing injuries to
individual players, because if you talk about your star wide
receiver injury, then you got to talk about your third
(01:03):
string left tackles injury. And he doesn't want to do
that to either of those positions. So he really couldn't
give much of an update earlier this week, and other
than saying that both Carnell and Jeremiah and good spirits,
they're working hard with the medical staff and we'll put
out a pregame availability on Saturday morning and we'll kind
of go from there. Now, clearly they shouldn't need Carnell
(01:23):
Tate and Jeremiah Smith to beat Rutgers. But at the
same time, you saw, particularly in the second half against
the UCLA, the offense wasn't quite the same without those
two guys. Now, maybe Julian Sands got a little more
time to work with the Mayan Grahams and the Bryson
Rodgers and get that type of rhythm and comfortability with them,
and they'll start hitting on some of those passes. But
(01:45):
it's been so automatic the first ten weeks of the
season that they would hit Cornell Taate, they would hit
Jeremiah Smith anywhere in the eight foot radius. Jeremi Smith's
going to come down with and just he's an incredible
freak of an athlete. We know that, and so what
he's able to do every saturad, it cannot be replicated.
They shouldn't need that to beat Rutgers. They probably shouldn't
need that to beat Michigan, but they one them have
(02:07):
that to beat Michigan. They're definitely gonna need it to
make a deep playoff run. So it's a very interesting situation.
You know, we all saw Jeremiah Smith notice me limping
off the field at halftime against the UCLA. Now ryand
did say he did not believe that Jeremiah Smith aggravated
the injury by playing in the first quarter against the Bruins.
But we'll see how it plays out in the coming
(02:29):
days and weeks ahead.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Yeah, clearly everybody's mind is looking ahead to next week,
and that can be dangerous though. Even though the Buckeye
is clearly outclass Rutgers, they've got to compartmentalize here and
get ready for the Scarlet Knights. Even though we're all
looking ahead the next week. Is there any chance Rutgers
could at least make them sweat a little maybe.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
In the first quarter. I mean, you got to remember
Rutgers Greg Ciano, former o High State defensive coordinator, very
well respected coach. His team's play hard or in a
Ryan day, They're going to stress you in all three
phases of the game. Rutgers is fantastic at blocking punts.
We know Ohio State has had their issues on special
teams the last couple of seasons, not so much of
this year, not so much with punt blocks. But there's
(03:13):
always that fear of a gaff on special teams, and
that can swing the momentum of a game. Certainly, we
saw against UCLA how the Bruin punter basically whisked on
a punt in right the cap Curry's belly, and that
kind of blew the game open. It wasn't in doubt
at that point, but it certainly blew it open and
late in that second quarter. So kN Rutgers upset Ohio State. Sure,
(03:34):
anything could happen. Will Rutgers play Ohio States up? Absolutely?
But come on, Rutgers has never beaten Ohio State. The
closest they've ever come is that, I want to say,
like a sixteen point loss the last time they played.
It's not gonna be a close game, but it's about
staying healthy and about getting the mindset right for a
game that has huge implications psychologically and in terms of
getting to Indianapolis. We're talking about what's going to happen
(03:57):
in eight days when they play.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Mission Marcoons, as well as talking Buckeye football as they
entertained Rutgers tomorrow when they knew and kick off. And
clearly you want to be ascending this time of year
if you're Ohio State. The injuries to Jeremiah Smith and
Carnell Tait maybe truncating that climb toward a peak here.
But what do you like about this team right now
(04:22):
as far as the improvement or things that have really excelled.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
I think and you take those with a grant of
salt based on the competition last couple of weeks. But
the way they're able to establish a run game in
the second half against Purdue, throughout the game against UCLA,
I mean, over Tonier Gjard's rushing against the Bruins, we
saw Bo Jackson continue to run hard. James People's a
very good game as well, Isaiah West showing the flashes.
And all those guys are our younger backs that did
(04:47):
not get a whole lot of reps even in high
school their senior years because of injuries and other various reasons.
So we're seeing that run game really start to establish themselves.
Four out of the five spots on the offensive line
are really good right now. It goes back to that
guard spot where Tegri Shabola just hasn't been up to snuff.
Gave Van Sickle actually played more snaps than Tegri Shabola
(05:09):
against UCLA. Shabola got the start at Van Sickle was
in there quite a bit, and you had Phillip Daniels
a strong game at tackle. Luke Montgomery for the second
time this season, Luke Montgomery was the Ohio State offensive
player of the game. So the finly Native is coming
on strong. And one of the interesting things Ryan they
talked about earlier this week, we know High State really
hasn't been tested this season outside of maybe Week one
(05:31):
against Texas. I know State it's constantly talking about, well,
it's a nameless, faceless opponent. We're competing against ourselves. We're
holding ourselves up to a higher standard than what our
opponents are. One of the ways they are doing that.
A big deal in the program has been greaded out
as a champion. You want to be a champion. Sunday.
If you're great out of champion, you get a nice dinner.
It's a good deal in the past to be great
(05:52):
out of champion, you have to have an eighty percent grade.
This season, they've raised it up to eighty three percent
to make it that much more tougher to get themselves suffered,
to hold themselves to that higher standard. And he said
quite a few of the offensive linemen hit that eighty
three percent great this past week against the UCLA and
that you know, it's easy to be exposed on the
offensive line, and they're not being exposed on the offensive
(06:12):
line right now. So he's pleased with the way four
fifths of that offensive line has improved this season.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
All right, Mark, we won't be here next week for
the show, obviously, so we're going to officially look ahead
at You prefaced it a little bit by saying you
don't think they even need Tate and Jeremiah Smith to
beat Michigan. Clearly, the Wolverines are underwhelming at Wrigley Field
and that win against Northwestern, but it does seem of
late they've developed this find a way to win mentality.
(06:41):
I mean, they had five turnovers against Northwestern and still
one and a missed field goal on top of it,
So field goals? Was it too? All right? Son?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Too?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Clearly, Bryce Underwood is is a next level talent, although
he's raw true freshman. So what are your areas of
concern that might make it prop them up in Ann Arbor.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Well, the number one area concerned if you're an Ohio
State fan. It's just this psychological barrier that Ohio State
has had against Michigan the last couple of years. Part
of the Buckeye lore of twenty twenty four the National
Championship season was after that lost of Michigan, a lengthy
team meeting where it's just Ryan Day and the players,
and they challenged. Ryan Day basically said, why are we
trying to beat Michigan by running? Involve the interior part
(07:24):
of their defensive line, the strongest part of their game.
We can beat them using the pass. Let's play to
our strength, not try to show our strength by playing
to their strength. And that was a lesson Ryan Day
certainly embraced the following weeks against Tennessee, against the Oregon
and the Rose will show them that you can use
the pass to set up the run. And it was
kind of alluded to this week a little bit that
(07:45):
Ohio State has learned some lessons and Ryan Day continues
to have a look in his eye that Brandon Inmis
talked about this after the win over UCLA that he's
had the same look ever since that player's only meeting
with Ryan Day following the lost of Michigan last season,
that that attitude has carried over. We're going to find
out in eight days in an arbor if that attitude
does carry over. That why is why Jeremiah Smith and
(08:07):
cainal Tate's health is so important playing up in an
arbor so that they can pass the ball, because Michigan's
defense is pretty good at stopping the run, but you
can pick them apart in the secondary to believe. The
other thing you have to really wonder about Michigan is
that their rushing attack. Justice Haines has been ruled up
for the rest of the regular season. He might be
back for a bullgain or a playoff run. Jordan Marshall
(08:28):
day to day going into their game at Maryland after
he fell awkwardly on the shoulder and the win at Wrigley.
That's been their offense has been those two running backs.
Bryce Underwood has started to progress there. You saw a
great week out of their freshman wide receiver Andrew marsh
against Northwestern, set the career highs was the Big Ten
Freshman of the week, and they did open up the
offense a little bit against Northwestern, throwing the ball a
(08:50):
price Underwood season high career highs and both completions attempts
as well as yardage in the win over Northwestern. Up
part that's because you have a rushing attack that has
been as solid in the last couple of weeks. So
while Bryce Underwood has been developing, he's also thrown more
interceptions and touchdowns the last two weeks, so there are
questions there. There's been more film put out on Bryce
(09:11):
Underwood that you're able to defend them a little bit better,
and they have opened up the offense a little bit
more as well. So that's going to be an interesting
dynamic in an arbor that Matt Patriciay defense, which has
been so good all season long, going up against a
first year quarterback that has been a little bit interception
for in the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah, I figures the buck guy should win, but we've
said that a couple of times recently and it didn't
turn out that way. So we'll see how it goes
the next week. Certainly they will win tomorrow when they
take on Rutgers. Mark koons here with us talking buck
at football.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Mark.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
We'll check in again soon.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
All right, sounds good, Tod, Thank you very much, have
a great weekend and a happy Thanksgiving to everybody
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