Now that we know which key players will and won't be back, it's time to start looking ahead to Ohio State's 2021 season.
The Buckeyes' 2021 roster took shape over the last few days as Justin Fields, Tommy Togiai, Josh Myers, Wyatt Davis and Shaun Wade all announced they'd be leaving early for the NFL draft, but Ohio State also got some great news as Chris Olave, Thayer Munford, Jeremy Ruckert and Haskell Garrett – among others – all announced they'd be back for another season in Columbus.
We spend the first 26 minutes of this week's show discussing those developments, including just how loaded Ohio State's receiver room will be with Olave's return, why Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere could be college football's best offensive tackle pairing and how the Buckeyes can survive the somewhat surprising departure of Togiai. (Note: This podcast was recorded before Garrett announced his decision to return on Tuesday evening.)
Then, we dive into the three-way competition Ohio State will have between C.J. Stroud, Jack Miller and Kyle McCord to replace Justin Fields at quarterback, including why we believe Stroud is a slight frontrunner to win the job and why we're certainly not ruling out McCord as a true freshman.
Beginning at 35:40, we discuss our other big questions for 2021 as the offseason begins, including what the running back rotation could look like next season, why we are concerned Ohio State's defensive struggles could continue next year (41:00) and why we still believe the Buckeyes will be back in the national championship hunt next season (50:00).
Finally, we answer a handful of listener-submitted questions (54:25) including your questions about which freshman could make the biggest immediate impact, which returning player has the most to prove in 2021, what the Buckeyes could look to accomplish through the transfer portal this offseason and reasons to be encouraged about Ohio State's returning defensive backs.
Listen to this week's episode of Real Pod Wednesdays in the audio player above or click subscribe to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or another platform of your choice.
