The Buckeyes will hold their annual Student Appreciation Day spring practice on Saturday. Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman will be on hand to watch all of the action. In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, the fellas preview what they’ll be watching. How will the quarterbacks look? Are any other freshmen standing out? Who is repping where?

Tony and Tom also discuss defensive line interviews from Thursday, spending time talking about redshirt freshman defensive tackle Jason Moore, and defensive ends Kenyatta Jackson and Caden Curry. This is also a huge recruiting weekend, so the fellas give a bit of a preview there as well. All of this and much more.

Rundown

College football announcers and their impact. 0:01
- Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss college football, including the upcoming student appreciation practice and their preferences for commentators Brent Musburger and Keith Jackson.
- Tom and Tony discuss the decline of legendary college football announcers like Keith Jackson and Brent Musburger, with a lack of a clear successor in the current landscape of multiple networks broadcasting games.
- They also lament the absence of a single, iconic voice for big moments in college football, with games now split across various networks and the lack of a clear heir to Jackson and Musburger.
- Orr feels that the new generation of announcers cannot replace the old ones, citing Joe Buck as an example.
Ohio State football defensive line updates. 7:01
- Kenyatta Jackson experienced ups and downs in his redshirt freshman season, but chose not to transfer despite limited playing time.
- Jack Sawyer returning for another year could inspire younger players to do the same, challenging the assumption that everyone must go pro after three years.
- Caden Curry and other defensive linemen trust Larry Johnson to help them reach greatness, with Curry citing Johnson as a reason for returning for another year.
Ohio State football recruiting and coaching staff. 11:55
- Why are some young players thrilled when seniors return to help them win? Because it provides an opportunity to learn from them and contribute to the team’s success.
- Tom: Players have individual goals to improve and get better, but also want to win and be coached by Larry Johnson.
- Tom and Tony discuss Larry Johnson’s coaching career at Ohio State, with Orr suggesting that Johnson’s reputation and the expandable coaching staff proposal could lead to an extension of his tenure.
- Top 100 linebacker TJ Alford is committing somewhere this weekend. Tony cites his good relationship with James Laurinaitis as a factor in his interest in Ohio State.
- Both agree that landing Alford would be a significant boost to the Buckeyes’ linebacker unit, which is facing turnover and depth concerns.
Ohio State football spring practice and recruits. 22:36
- Tony and Tom discuss the upcoming spring practice and the potential for depth chart changes, particularly for the true freshmen.
- Tony and Tom discuss the black stripe draft, with Tony expressing disappointment that he cannot find the results.
Naming buildings after Ohio State University staff members. 27:46
- Tony suggests naming a portion of campus after Gene Smith, who retires this spring, rather than building a new structure in his honor.
- Tom mentions the possibility of naming a new athletic facility after Gene Smith.
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith’s potential impact in 2023. 31:51
- A listener asks what Jeremiah Smith’s numbers would be this year as a true freshman if he was targeted as much as Marvin Harrison, Jr. last year.
- Marvin Harrison’s 18 yards per catch average is impressive, but Jeremiah Smith may not reach that mark with the same number of targets.
- Tom Orr highlights the limitations of a hypothetical scenario where a freshman wide receiver is targeted as frequently as Marvin Harrison was last season.
- Orr emphasizes that the team’s offensive strategy may not prioritize throwing the ball as much as some fans might expect, given the talent of the freshman receiver.