October 15, 2026 • 10 mins
Dave Biddle from Bucknuts joined us to discuss Saturday's Ohio State/Indiana battle.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
And YouTube: youtube.com/@TheMoEggerShow
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, so massive game on Saturday at noon, Ohio
State at Indiana in Bloomington. Who would have thought just
a few years ago that OSU and IU meeting in
mid-October would have national championship or at least college football
playoff implications, certainly Big Ten title implications.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yet here we are.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Dave Biddle from Bucknuts.com is with us. We'll talk about
this game individually, but let's start with Jeremiah Smith, best
player in college football, probably has my Heisman vote. As
somebody who knows and has a deep understanding of this
program's history, where does he rank in the pantheon of
all-time Buckeyes?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Yeah, he's right, if not at the top of the list,
near the top of the list. I'll just go with
the guys that I've seen play myself. It's either Jeremiah Smith,
Or it's Orlando Pace, in my opinion, though, because both guys,
generational talents. I don't think you can think maybe other
than Anthony Boone. It's hard to imagine a left tackle
more accomplished than Orlando Pace. But same thing with Jeremiah Smith.
(00:58):
And we were talking about a program like Ohio State
and going like all time. I mean, there's guys like
Chick Harley back in the 20s, really the late teens.
And they call Ohio State in the house that Harley built.
You have Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner,
on and on and on. But for me, it's either
Jeremiah Smith or Orlando Pace.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
What I love about Jeremiah Smith is, and you could
say this going back to the national title game two
years ago, there are instances where everybody in the stadium
knows the ball is coming his way. And number one,
that doesn't keep them from throwing it to him. Number two,
it doesn't keep him from making the play.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yeah they like to say you know if he's if
he's single covered he's definitely open if he's double covered
he's still open but you know that's easy to say
in certain games games like this against indiana and not
having d'angelo pons this year i mean he was so
good uh they're still a tremendous team overall i just
coaching is so important in football as we know like
i love indiana's head coach obviously signetti i think both
(01:57):
of his coordinators are really good i think ohio state's
both their coordinators are really good with matt patricia on
defense arthur smith on offense but uh Yeah, this is
one of those games where, like, you know, if they
just try to force-feed Jeremiah Smith, that's not going to
get it done. Other guys like Devin McEwen, Brandon Ennis
are going to have to step up. And they're banged up, Mo.
As I'm sure you know, Ohio State's going to this game.
(02:17):
Equal parts banged up, and there's an illness going around
on the team. We've heard rumors it could be mono.
I'm like, I haven't heard of that. Are we in
junior high here? Don't kiss the girls in the hallway
if you get mono. But no, Austin Sarabelle's out with
an illness. It might be mono. In my opinion, he's
their best offensive lineman. Jacoby Jackson's kind of 1A, 1B
with Bo Jackson at running back. Jacoby Jackson is out
(02:38):
with a foot injury. So, our guys are entering this
game banged up. Meanwhile, Indiana is extremely healthy. So, that's
definitely one to keep an eye on.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Arthur Smith, specifically when he was with Atlanta, I know
he had success with Tennessee, but when he was with
Atlanta as the head coach and then in Pittsburgh, I
hated his offenses. It feels like his offense at Ohio
State is working. Where has he had the biggest impact?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
They're like right on track. I think the first couple
of weeks was a little disappointing compared to what people expected,
but they've really got it going and You know, it's
nothing like exotic that he's doing, but he's made his
biggest impact on mixing up the tempo on offense. They
were one of the most methodical teams in the country
last year, Mo. They were near the bottom of FBS.
I think they were 115th in the nation in offensive
(03:21):
plays per game. And that was by design. But they
were just they were like the baseball pitcher that was
just throwing his fastball every time or in their case,
last year, throwing their change up every pitch and not
mixing it up. Arthur Smith done a good job. They're
not going at a frenetic pace or anything, but they're
now in the 30s in the nation as far as
offensive plays for every game. So they've made a big
jump there. And just little stuff like actually using Julian
(03:44):
Sane as a runner at times. Four-thirty inches, get up there,
do fast tempo, get that quarterback sneak. It's basic football.
It's stuff that they were not doing at all last year.
So that's the biggest thing I've noticed is he's doing
a good job mixing up the tempo and keeping the
defense guessing. After the quarterfinal playoff game last year, Miami's
defensive players were saying, we knew exactly when they were
(04:05):
going to snap the ball. They were going to snap
it with two seconds left on the play clock, and
we were able to tee off. It's the last thing
you want when you're playing a defense like Miami's last year.
Indiana's got a great defense, too. I think that's been
his biggest impact, Mo.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I don't want to discount the win at Iowa in
blowout fashion against a good Hawkeyes team. But when the
Texas loss went down, everybody said, OK, well, the last
three good opponents they've played, they've lost. Going back to
the IU game in the Big Ten title tilt last year,
including that Miami game you referenced, and then Texas. So
(04:38):
obviously this game has large playoff implications, large Big Ten
title implications.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
But how bad does Ryan Day need this one?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Yeah, he definitely wants it bad. He needs it, too,
because if they lose this one, then the margin of
error is gone. They have to run the table. I
guess you could do some, you know, mental gymnastics and
find a way out of nine and three. Ohio State's beginning.
If they only lose by one to Indiana, they lose
only by one. You know, against Oregon or something like that.
Maybe they could get in. But basically, this would be it.
(05:07):
So and Ohio State has a love to Indiana in
consecutive years since 87 and 88. So the last year
of the Earl Bruce era and then the first year
of the John Cooper era. That's the last time. And,
you know, that Indiana game last year, the Big Ten
championship game was really a 50 50. indiana pulled it
out ohio state missed that chip shot field goal and
you know indiana proved they were the best team in
(05:27):
the land so there's a little bit of a revenge
factor ohio state is downplaying that big time but we
know that that's definitely a factor in this game what are.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
The most fair and most unfair criticisms that ryan day gets.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
He He, I think the most fair is when he
gets a big lead or even a sizable lead. I mean,
they're not like blowing out Texas by any means, but
it's 20 to three at halftime. For example, I think
this is the best example. It's 20 to three at halftime,
you know, and who knows what he's telling his players
at half, but at halftime talking to Holly row. And
she's like, what's the key here? He's like, well, we
know it's going to be a four quarter game. We
(06:04):
know it's gonna be a four quarter game. And I
understand what he's saying. We have to mentally prepare. Like
it's a four quarter game. If you're up by 17
at halftime, your message should be, let's go out there
and step on their throat. Put them away. Yeah, put
them away. And they open the second half against Texas.
They drive down to Texas's 38th. They're fourth and fourth
to 38 and they punt the ball. And it was
down like to the 19. It wasn't even like a
(06:25):
good punt. And so it's stuff like that. It's almost
like he speaks it into existence. We're going to make
this a close game. He almost doesn't have that killer instinct. Unfair.
You know, I just think when people say he's not
like one of the top quarterbacks or the top head
coaches in the country. I kind of scoff at that.
I think he's a very good head coach. He definitely
has his faults, like I just said, but very good
(06:46):
offensive mind. One more thing, Mo. It reminds me of
the Rams a little bit. Even though he says special
teams are important, the results speak for themselves. At least
Sean McVay sometimes acts like he doesn't care about special teams.
Ryan Day acts like he cares, but we're in year
eight of the Ryan Day era. They've either been mediocre
in special teams or they've been bad to like below
(07:06):
average and special teams. So that's another thing about Ryan did.
I think it's a fair criticism is that he doesn't
do a good job on special teams overall.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Is that just not paying a kicker? What is that?
Speaker 3 (07:16):
They actually paid a kicker. This guy was supposed to
be the best in the portal. He's fine. I mean,
when you're like, what is he, like six of eight?
It's not like he's terrible. And he was really good
at Baylor last year. His name's Connor Hawkins. He was
just a redshirt freshman last year. He's still better than
what they've had in recent years. But no, it's everything, man.
They don't have a good punter. But it's like a consistency.
They're never... They've gotten better in the recurring game this year.
(07:39):
They had a pretty long punt return last week, but
they're always kind of middle of the pack and kick
returns and punt returns or worse than that. They're decent
on coverage, but they have a punter now in his
fourth year that can never flip the field. If he
gets a 40-yard net, everybody's excited about it. So it's just,
it's one of those things that they say they emphasize,
but they really don't. The proof's in the pudding.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Awesome stuff, man. Uh, game should be a lot of
fun Saturday. Oh, are we like, where are we with
the kickoff time? I feel like every big game there
at noon is that like, we just roll our eyes
and come to expect it.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I know it's not a home game. Where are we
with the kickoff time?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yeah, it's another big noon kickoff. You know, okay, that's fine. Whatever. Like,
I do have a little, like, you know, I've heard
from a source. This is not official yet. I do
have heard the Oregon game for Ohio State, which is
November 7th in Columbus, will be a 3.30 kick. Oh, okay.
That's not official. I'm kind of breaking news on your show, Mo, but, like,
(08:35):
it's not official yet. So at least the Oregon game
is going to be a 3.30, we think. But, yeah,
noon game in Bloomington, I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Awesome, man.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Enjoy.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Thanks so much, Dave.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Thanks, Mo. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
That's our guy, Dave Biddle, Bucknuts.com. He is proof, as
Taryn and I are proof, but Dave and I also
prove that Bearcats fans and Buckeyes fans can coexist and
be friends. OSU and Indiana on Saturday at noon. That's
going to be a really fun game. I thought Indiana's
win at Nebraska last week in that environment with that
(09:07):
fan base just like Dying for a win, a signature
win over a ranked team, the defending national champions. IU
holds them off. Now they host OSU. Rematch of the
Big Ten title game, noon on Saturday, should be a
lot of fun. We are done tomorrow because the Bengals
have a bye this week. There's no Bengals pep rally,
but UC is on the road, so I'll be en
(09:29):
route to Morgantown, which means Chad Brendel will be on
in my place. Three to six tomorrow. Look forward to that.
If you're looking for a place to post up tonight
for Thursday Night Football, for Game 4 of the NLCS,
for both, we'll be in the Sportsbook at Belterra Park,
east side of Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Hope to see you there. Got some awesome prizes to
give away. That's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Don't forget, Tony and Moe Football Show will be at
Twin Peaks in Westchester on Monday from 3 to 6.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Gotta go.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Have a great night. Have a great weekend. Thanks to
Taryn Bland for producing. And of course, thanks to you
for listening. This is ESPN 1530 Cincinnati Sports Station.
All right, so massive game on Saturday at noon, Ohio
State at Indiana in Bloomington. Who would have thought just
a few years ago that OSU and IU meeting in
mid-October would have national championship or at least college football
playoff implications, certainly Big Ten title implications.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yet here we are.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Dave Biddle from Bucknuts.com is with us. We'll talk about
this game individually, but let's start with Jeremiah Smith, best
player in college football, probably has my Heisman vote. As
somebody who knows and has a deep understanding of this
program's history, where does he rank in the pantheon of
all-time Buckeyes?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Yeah, he's right, if not at the top of the list,
near the top of the list. I'll just go with
the guys that I've seen play myself. It's either Jeremiah Smith,
Or it's Orlando Pace, in my opinion, though, because both guys,
generational talents. I don't think you can think maybe other
than Anthony Boone. It's hard to imagine a left tackle
more accomplished than Orlando Pace. But same thing with Jeremiah Smith.
(00:58):
And we were talking about a program like Ohio State
and going like all time. I mean, there's guys like
Chick Harley back in the 20s, really the late teens.
And they call Ohio State in the house that Harley built.
You have Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner,
on and on and on. But for me, it's either
Jeremiah Smith or Orlando Pace.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
What I love about Jeremiah Smith is, and you could
say this going back to the national title game two
years ago, there are instances where everybody in the stadium
knows the ball is coming his way. And number one,
that doesn't keep them from throwing it to him. Number two,
it doesn't keep him from making the play.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yeah they like to say you know if he's if
he's single covered he's definitely open if he's double covered
he's still open but you know that's easy to say
in certain games games like this against indiana and not
having d'angelo pons this year i mean he was so
good uh they're still a tremendous team overall i just
coaching is so important in football as we know like
i love indiana's head coach obviously signetti i think both
(01:57):
of his coordinators are really good i think ohio state's
both their coordinators are really good with matt patricia on
defense arthur smith on offense but uh Yeah, this is
one of those games where, like, you know, if they
just try to force-feed Jeremiah Smith, that's not going to
get it done. Other guys like Devin McEwen, Brandon Ennis
are going to have to step up. And they're banged up, Mo.
As I'm sure you know, Ohio State's going to this game.
(02:17):
Equal parts banged up, and there's an illness going around
on the team. We've heard rumors it could be mono.
I'm like, I haven't heard of that. Are we in
junior high here? Don't kiss the girls in the hallway
if you get mono. But no, Austin Sarabelle's out with
an illness. It might be mono. In my opinion, he's
their best offensive lineman. Jacoby Jackson's kind of 1A, 1B
with Bo Jackson at running back. Jacoby Jackson is out
(02:38):
with a foot injury. So, our guys are entering this
game banged up. Meanwhile, Indiana is extremely healthy. So, that's
definitely one to keep an eye on.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Arthur Smith, specifically when he was with Atlanta, I know
he had success with Tennessee, but when he was with
Atlanta as the head coach and then in Pittsburgh, I
hated his offenses. It feels like his offense at Ohio
State is working. Where has he had the biggest impact?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
They're like right on track. I think the first couple
of weeks was a little disappointing compared to what people expected,
but they've really got it going and You know, it's
nothing like exotic that he's doing, but he's made his
biggest impact on mixing up the tempo on offense. They
were one of the most methodical teams in the country
last year, Mo. They were near the bottom of FBS.
I think they were 115th in the nation in offensive
(03:21):
plays per game. And that was by design. But they
were just they were like the baseball pitcher that was
just throwing his fastball every time or in their case,
last year, throwing their change up every pitch and not
mixing it up. Arthur Smith done a good job. They're
not going at a frenetic pace or anything, but they're
now in the 30s in the nation as far as
offensive plays for every game. So they've made a big
jump there. And just little stuff like actually using Julian
(03:44):
Sane as a runner at times. Four-thirty inches, get up there,
do fast tempo, get that quarterback sneak. It's basic football.
It's stuff that they were not doing at all last year.
So that's the biggest thing I've noticed is he's doing
a good job mixing up the tempo and keeping the
defense guessing. After the quarterfinal playoff game last year, Miami's
defensive players were saying, we knew exactly when they were
(04:05):
going to snap the ball. They were going to snap
it with two seconds left on the play clock, and
we were able to tee off. It's the last thing
you want when you're playing a defense like Miami's last year.
Indiana's got a great defense, too. I think that's been
his biggest impact, Mo.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I don't want to discount the win at Iowa in
blowout fashion against a good Hawkeyes team. But when the
Texas loss went down, everybody said, OK, well, the last
three good opponents they've played, they've lost. Going back to
the IU game in the Big Ten title tilt last year,
including that Miami game you referenced, and then Texas. So
(04:38):
obviously this game has large playoff implications, large Big Ten
title implications.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
But how bad does Ryan Day need this one?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Yeah, he definitely wants it bad. He needs it, too,
because if they lose this one, then the margin of
error is gone. They have to run the table. I
guess you could do some, you know, mental gymnastics and
find a way out of nine and three. Ohio State's beginning.
If they only lose by one to Indiana, they lose
only by one. You know, against Oregon or something like that.
Maybe they could get in. But basically, this would be it.
(05:07):
So and Ohio State has a love to Indiana in
consecutive years since 87 and 88. So the last year
of the Earl Bruce era and then the first year
of the John Cooper era. That's the last time. And,
you know, that Indiana game last year, the Big Ten
championship game was really a 50 50. indiana pulled it
out ohio state missed that chip shot field goal and
you know indiana proved they were the best team in
(05:27):
the land so there's a little bit of a revenge
factor ohio state is downplaying that big time but we
know that that's definitely a factor in this game what are.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
The most fair and most unfair criticisms that ryan day gets.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
He He, I think the most fair is when he
gets a big lead or even a sizable lead. I mean,
they're not like blowing out Texas by any means, but
it's 20 to three at halftime. For example, I think
this is the best example. It's 20 to three at halftime,
you know, and who knows what he's telling his players
at half, but at halftime talking to Holly row. And
she's like, what's the key here? He's like, well, we
know it's going to be a four quarter game. We
(06:04):
know it's gonna be a four quarter game. And I
understand what he's saying. We have to mentally prepare. Like
it's a four quarter game. If you're up by 17
at halftime, your message should be, let's go out there
and step on their throat. Put them away. Yeah, put
them away. And they open the second half against Texas.
They drive down to Texas's 38th. They're fourth and fourth
to 38 and they punt the ball. And it was
down like to the 19. It wasn't even like a
(06:25):
good punt. And so it's stuff like that. It's almost
like he speaks it into existence. We're going to make
this a close game. He almost doesn't have that killer instinct. Unfair.
You know, I just think when people say he's not
like one of the top quarterbacks or the top head
coaches in the country. I kind of scoff at that.
I think he's a very good head coach. He definitely
has his faults, like I just said, but very good
(06:46):
offensive mind. One more thing, Mo. It reminds me of
the Rams a little bit. Even though he says special
teams are important, the results speak for themselves. At least
Sean McVay sometimes acts like he doesn't care about special teams.
Ryan Day acts like he cares, but we're in year
eight of the Ryan Day era. They've either been mediocre
in special teams or they've been bad to like below
(07:06):
average and special teams. So that's another thing about Ryan did.
I think it's a fair criticism is that he doesn't
do a good job on special teams overall.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Is that just not paying a kicker? What is that?
Speaker 3 (07:16):
They actually paid a kicker. This guy was supposed to
be the best in the portal. He's fine. I mean,
when you're like, what is he, like six of eight?
It's not like he's terrible. And he was really good
at Baylor last year. His name's Connor Hawkins. He was
just a redshirt freshman last year. He's still better than
what they've had in recent years. But no, it's everything, man.
They don't have a good punter. But it's like a consistency.
They're never... They've gotten better in the recurring game this year.
(07:39):
They had a pretty long punt return last week, but
they're always kind of middle of the pack and kick
returns and punt returns or worse than that. They're decent
on coverage, but they have a punter now in his
fourth year that can never flip the field. If he
gets a 40-yard net, everybody's excited about it. So it's just,
it's one of those things that they say they emphasize,
but they really don't. The proof's in the pudding.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Awesome stuff, man. Uh, game should be a lot of
fun Saturday. Oh, are we like, where are we with
the kickoff time? I feel like every big game there
at noon is that like, we just roll our eyes
and come to expect it.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I know it's not a home game. Where are we
with the kickoff time?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yeah, it's another big noon kickoff. You know, okay, that's fine. Whatever. Like,
I do have a little, like, you know, I've heard
from a source. This is not official yet. I do
have heard the Oregon game for Ohio State, which is
November 7th in Columbus, will be a 3.30 kick. Oh, okay.
That's not official. I'm kind of breaking news on your show, Mo, but, like,
(08:35):
it's not official yet. So at least the Oregon game
is going to be a 3.30, we think. But, yeah,
noon game in Bloomington, I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Awesome, man.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Enjoy.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Thanks so much, Dave.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Thanks, Mo. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
That's our guy, Dave Biddle, Bucknuts.com. He is proof, as
Taryn and I are proof, but Dave and I also
prove that Bearcats fans and Buckeyes fans can coexist and
be friends. OSU and Indiana on Saturday at noon. That's
going to be a really fun game. I thought Indiana's
win at Nebraska last week in that environment with that
(09:07):
fan base just like Dying for a win, a signature
win over a ranked team, the defending national champions. IU
holds them off. Now they host OSU. Rematch of the
Big Ten title game, noon on Saturday, should be a
lot of fun. We are done tomorrow because the Bengals
have a bye this week. There's no Bengals pep rally,
but UC is on the road, so I'll be en
(09:29):
route to Morgantown, which means Chad Brendel will be on
in my place. Three to six tomorrow. Look forward to that.
If you're looking for a place to post up tonight
for Thursday Night Football, for Game 4 of the NLCS,
for both, we'll be in the Sportsbook at Belterra Park,
east side of Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Hope to see you there. Got some awesome prizes to
give away. That's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Don't forget, Tony and Moe Football Show will be at
Twin Peaks in Westchester on Monday from 3 to 6.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Gotta go.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Have a great night. Have a great weekend. Thanks to
Taryn Bland for producing. And of course, thanks to you
for listening. This is ESPN 1530 Cincinnati Sports Station.
Mo Egger News
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!