The Eleven Warriors Web Report comes to you weekly from the Spectrum Sports studios in downtown Columbus, featuring our own Beau Bishop, Dan Hope and James Grega.
It's been a busy span of days in Ohio State sports, as the football team began spring practice on Tuesday, the men's basketball team traveled to New York for the Big Ten Tournament and former football Buckeyes participated in the NFL Scouting Combine (not to mention the women's basketball team and wrestling team winning Big Ten championships), so this week's show took time to discuss a variety of topics.
The guys started by talking about the start of spring football, which has already been revealing in just one day, as the panel discussed the news that Isaiah Prince is in line to start at left tackle, Thayer Munford is penciled in to start at right tackle, Demario McCall is in position to be the kickoff and punt returner and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day taking on a more direct role in working with wide receivers, the latter of which Grega said was his biggest takeaway from the first day of practice in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
"The fact that Ryan Day is going to have to help out with that group just speaks to how urgent Urban thinks it is for that group to have a big year, especially with the new quarterback, whoever that might be," Grega said.
As for the quarterback competition, there was no big revelation on Tuesday as to who will be the starter, though Ohio State coach Urban Meyer did acknowledge that he might owe an answer to Joe Burrow – who could consider leaving as a graduate transfer if he does not win the starting job – by the end of the spring.
"I really think you're going to see this competition go into fall. I think that's what Urban Meyer wants, is to see that quarterback competition go into fall," Grega said. "Whether Joey Burrow is there come fall, however, I think remains to be seen."
Another position battle to watch, Hope said, will be the competition at weakside linebacker, where Keandre Jones worked with the first-team defense on Tuesday but Baron Browning, who was the second-team weakside linebacker on Tuesday, could make a serious push for the starting job as the spring progresses.
The basketball Buckeyes, meanwhile, are coming off a loss to Penn State in their only game of the Big Ten Tournament. Grega, who covered the Buckeyes' trip to New York, said he now believes Ohio State will be a No. 5 or 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, likely in the South or West regional with its first-round game in Dallas, San Diego or Boise, Idaho.
Hope, who traveled to Indianapolis to report on the 11 Buckeyes participating in the NFL Scouting Combine, said he believes both Denzel Ward and Sam Hubbard helped solidify their stocks as first-round draft picks with their performances at Lucas Oil Stadium.
You can hear more of what Grega, Hope and Bishop had to say about spring football, Ohio State basketball and the Buckeyes' NFL draft hopefuls both by watching the video above and by tuning into the Eleven Warriors Report on Spectrum Sports Mid-Ohio, which airs at 7 p.m. Tuesday and throughout the week.
