Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Dan Hope and Andy Anders of Eleven Warriors bring you inside the Ohio State beat every Wednesday with a podcast covering everything you need to know about the Buckeyes.
Note: This transcript was AI-generated and has not been edited for errors.
[Dan Hope]
Welcome into Real Pod Wednesdays. I'm Dan Hope joined by Andy Anders, as we prepare for another college football playoff game for the Ohio state football team as the Buckeyes with a fantastic performance last week out at the Rose bowl, earning a 41 to 21 win over the number one seed Oregon ducks, punching it's tickets into the college football playoff semifinals, where the Buckeyes will play Texas on Friday night, 7 30 PM ESPN at AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas. By the time you're listening to this, we will already be in Dallas getting ready to cover that game, but, uh, recorded, uh, before making the trip down there, uh, from our home bases in Columbus and Andy. And I think we went into that game last week, really not knowing, you know, what we would be talking about this week.
If we'd be talking about another game or if we'd be talking about a loss, because we knew Oregon was a really good team. Ohio state had already lost to Oregon once this year, and we thought that was going to be a really close game, but instead Ohio state took a 34, nothing lead in the first half, and it was a completely one-sided affair.
[Andy Anders]
Yeah. A complete performance from the Buckeyes in that game. And I mean, you're, you're going to find like, I guess Ryan Day, maybe you can nitpick, which he did like the middle eight or whatever, but as complete a football game as we've seen from, from this Ohio state team, pretty clearly.
And frankly that, you know, the level of talent they had coming into the year, this is the ceiling you thought they could reach, you know, taking down the number one team in the country like that. Um, both lines, very impressive. The defensive line dominated the game.
Oregon rushes for negative 23 yards, which is an insane stat, fueled in large part by the eight sacks, but you remove those eight sacks, Oregon was still averaging less than two yards of carry. Um, you have that secondary played good because a lot of those sacks that came were coverage sacks. Secondary plays great.
Cody Simon has one of the best games of his career at linebacker and continues emerging as one of the best linebackers in the country. Offense, they came out with the aggressive game plan again, lots of passing to start the game, open things up, horizontal, vertical, uh, and Jeremiah Smith, you know, has the ability to take things over. The offensive line stepped up again against a pretty good Oregon front.
I think they might get a better one this week in Texas. I think Texas might have a more complete defensive front six than Oregon does, but, um, I, I would, the offensive line has continued to step up and you saw Quenshawn Judkins and Travion Henderson kind of match that energy, uh, as Travion keeps breaking off big plays. And I think Quenshawn had his best game in a while.
Will Howard, deadly accurate. I mean, there's really no, there's no major criticism to have of Ohio State off of this performance. And so, um, you, I think the, the main, I've said it after the game when they are, you know, that team is capable of that.
The only team that can stop Ohio State is Ohio State. Um, as good as Texas is, and we'll break that down, uh, coming off that Oregon game, if that's how they're going to play the rest of the playoffs, I think they'll win the national championship.
[Dan Hope]
I agree. I mean, we said it before that Ohio State versus Oregon game. We felt like those were the two best teams left in the CFP and whoever won that game we thought was going to be the national championship favorite.
And then for Ohio State to go in and dominate the game, I think that just strengthens that belief in my mind that the Buckeyes are the best team in this field, that if the Buckeyes play like that, they are going to win the national championship. Now that's a lot easier said than done to just because Ohio State has played two great games so far in the CFP doesn't guarantee that they will play another great game in the CFP, uh, against Texas on Friday. But I think, like you said, there's really not much to nitpick from that Ohio State Oregon game, because I think all three phases played well.
I mean, sure. I mean, we say that from our perspective. I think from a coach's perspective, there's probably plenty of little things to nitpick, but I think from our perspective, when you, when you beat a team like Oregon that decisively, uh, there's really not a whole lot to do other than other than praise it because it was a fantastic showing by the Buckeyes.
Now, with that being said, this is not going to be an easy game for Ohio State coming up here in the Cotton Bowl, because while I do think Oregon is a better team than Texas, this, this is the Texas team that's in the college ball playoff semifinals for a reason, right? I mean, this is a really good team, a team that, uh, went 11 and one during a regular season. It's only losses coming into the CFP where a pair of losses to Georgia.
Uh, they of course have won their first two games of the CFP. Now they haven't had to face a team like Oregon. I think you'd probably argue that Ohio state, at least I would probably argue that Ohio state has beaten two better teams than either team.
Texas has played so far. I'm a CFP, those being Clemson and Arizona state and Texas needed double overtime to beat Arizona state. And so I think that's one reason why, you know, Ohio state feels like the significant favorite here.
While why Steve Sarkeesian is coming out and saying we're a massive underdog. Nobody's going to give us a shot, but I'll give them a shot. Like I'm, I'm giving Texas a shot here because I think this Texas team, uh, you know, has a lot of talent.
And I, and I think particularly you look at the defensive side of a ball. This is a Texas team that ranks in the top four nationally and both points and yards allowed per game. It's passing defense in particular has been one of, if not the best in the country, they, they lead the nation with only 5.5 passing yards allowed per attempt. And so we know for Ohio state it's bread and butter so far. Has been its high-flying passing attack with Will Howard throwing the ball with Jeremiah Smith, Emeka, Buka, all of its other weapons making plays down the field. But this is going to be a ramp up in that regard for the Buckeyes in terms of throwing the ball against a secondary that I think rivals Ohio state for being the best in the country, as well as a really good pass rush.
[Andy Anders]
Yeah. Position to position. Um, as far as the most talented rosters in college football go, I'd probably put Ohio state at the top, but Texas is right there in that discussion and Oregon too, um, maybe Georgia with Carson Beck, maybe not, but this is one of the most talented rosters in the sport.
Um, the way it's been constructed, Steve Sarkeesian has helped really bolster that program back to a state of national relevance where it wasn't for a very long time. Right. Um, and the matchup of that Texas secondary against that Ohio state passing offense that you mentioned to me is the number one matchup I look at going into this game as like, that's, that's where my eyes are going to go.
Um, I frankly don't know if anyone is capable of stopping Jeremiah Smith. I think he's, he's a cut above what I've seen from any receiver, certainly at Ohio state ever as a freshman, but I think he's already emerging as the best receiver in college football, um, in this playoff run, what he's done these first two games, but especially against Oregon breaking Chris Carter's single game freshman receiving record at Ohio state, you go out, you have 187 yards against a pretty good Oregon secondary. Um, but I just don't like Tennessee or Tennessee, Texas, uh, wrong T-team. Texas has an all American quarter, Jadae Barron, um, and he is a fantastic player, five interceptions, 11 pass breakups, all this stuff.
Um, two things I, I, again, I just don't think Jeremiah Smith is getting slowed down by anybody right now, consistently, and maybe they'll double him, but there were plays where Oregon doubled Jeremiah and they still, like, he's still just high points of football in Moss's two defenders. And it is what it is. But also you look at that matchup and Jeremiah is going to have a significant height advantage over Barron who's 5'11".
Most of this Texas secondary that is vaunted is in that 5'10 to 6' range. Um, so maybe there's some height mismatches there that Ohio state can exploit, but regardless, not only are they number one in passing yards per attempt, they're number two in the country in interceptions with 21 picks. And we've seen Will Howard make some questionable decisions, lead to some interceptions this season.
Uh, hasn't been as big of an issue late in these last two games. Um, he did throw a pick against Tennessee on what probably should have been P.I. But, um, either way, that is something to watch for in this game is not only can Texas, is Texas's secondary, this elite secondary enough to slow down Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Ibuka, who's been playing great, Carnell Tate, you know, they even got G. Scott involved against Oregon a little bit there.
Um, can they stop that whole arsenal of weapons, that Texas secondary? Can they slow it down? And then also you've got to watch out.
Can they force a turnover to through the air, whether it's from Barron or Andrew Makuba, who also has five interceptions for the Longhorns this year, there's a lot of really good pieces in that secondary, uh, but there's a lot of really good pieces for Ohio state's passing attack as well. And obviously it's, it's been red hot coming into this game.
[Dan Hope]
You would think if any secondary can slow down Jeremiah Smith, it would be this one. But I don't know. I don't, I don't know if this, I don't know if anybody can, like you said, the way Jeremiah Smith is playing right now.
It just feels like, uh, he he's going to make plays no matter who you throw against him. So, you know, I do think this will be a bigger test for Jeremiah Smith, a bigger test for misreceiving core, you know, Jadae Barron, you would think is going to be matched up with Jeremiah the whole game, but considering he's the gym four board winner, uh, their safeties, Michael Taff and Andrew Makuba are really good. And so, you know, they're going to be able to, you know, give Baron or whoever's covering Jeremiah help.
And you know, I'm sure that Texas is going to have a good plan in place to try to slow down, uh, this Ohio state passing attack, but I still go in with a good level of confidence in Ohio state passing offense, even though this Texas passing defense has been excellent because of just how well Jeremiah Smith is playing how well this entire Ohio state passing game has been playing the last couple of games.
And it is interesting too, if you look at Texas's stats, they've allowed more passing yards in each of these two CFP games so far than they did in any of their regular season games. And so Texas is going to need to get back to playing the way it did in a regular season in past defense, rather than the way it's played in its first two CFP games, if it's going to be able to slow down this Ohio state offense. And granted, some of that is, you know, it's for CFP, like you're, you're playing better teams, teams are passing the ball more, both of their opponents have thrown the ball a lot, but, uh, they, they have given up more big plays through the air, uh, in these last couple of games than they had during a regular season.
And that's certainly something that you can't afford to do against this Ohio state offense right now, you know, flipping it over to the other side of that equation, it's, it's been kind of funny being on some of these media availabilities leading up to the cotton bowl, because you hear a lot of Texas reporters asking questions like they're jumping on these Ohio state media availabilities and they're asking, Oh, this is a Texas team that can't run the ball. Do you guys feel like you have a more physical team that you're going to have a toughness advantage? And it's funny hearing that from our perspective, because how often has that narrative been used against Ohio state the last few years, particularly when talking about that Ohio state, Michigan rivalry.
So it's funny to see how the tables have turned here. And now you've got another team coming into a CFP semifinal game to play Ohio state. And the narrative is they're of a team that can't run the ball.
They're, they're of a team that's not as physical as the other team, which, uh, you know, speaks to how well Ohio state's defense is playing right now. It speaks to, uh, how Ohio state has gotten its running game back on track, uh, in the CFP. But it also speaks to the fact that Texas has been really struggling to run the ball.
They've, they've run for less than two yards per carry in each of our, excuse me, two of their last three games. They ran the ball very well, actually, in their first CFP game against Clemson, but in two of their last three games, they've been held under a hundred rushing yards. And you think back to what Ohio state just did against Oregon, holding the ducks to net, uh, loss of 23 rushing yards.
When you factor in sacks, uh, this is an Ohio state run defense that's been dominant. And if they can continue to be dominant in this game, then Texas's chances of winning are going to come down to a name that's certainly very familiar to Ohio state fans. That of course being Quinn Ewers, who, uh, is now a senior quarterback for the Longhorn and he's had a good season.
Uh, he's completed 66 and a half percent of his passes for 3,189 yards, 29 touchdowns, but he has thrown 11 interceptions. I think he's been up and down at times. He's been mistake prone at times.
Uh, he's dealt with some injuries this year. And so you think about what Quinn Ewers was expected to be going into his career when he started Ohio state, the number one overall prospect in the country. He's been good, but he hasn't quite lived up to that level of expectation.
And so I think if you, if we were going into the season and we were thinking about a shootout between Will Howard and Quinn Ewers, I don't know how good we would have felt about that, but I think we probably feel better about it now based on the way Will Howard's been playing from a Buckeyes and some of the ups and downs that Quinn Ewers is at.
[Andy Anders]
I do think that's the key for the Ohio state defense is shutting down this Texas running game, the way Georgia was able to, the way Arizona state was able to, again, holding them under two yards per carry both times they played Georgia and Arizona state, obviously in the last round of the playoff, anytime you could make an offense one-dimensional and you know, hey, it's going to be pass heavy, that's a good thing, but it's even better when you have a pass coverage and a pass rush that are playing to the level Ohio states are playing at right now. I mean, seven and a half sacks the last two games for Jack Sawyer and JT Tuivolo out there. That's a pretty ridiculous number.
And to see that production finally match some of the efforts they were putting out on the field, and the thing you realize going back and watching that Oregon game is that Ohio state was sending a lot of four man rushes. Like it wasn't a lot of the creative blitzes and pressures we've seen in the second half of the season from Ohio state. They were playing pretty safe, I'm guessing because Oregon burnt them with explosive plays in the first matchup and the defensive line was just able to take control of the game, sending four.
They did a creative thing here or there with it. Cody Simon made a couple of really nice sacks as a quarterback spy, but I thought it was even funny because I asked Jim Knowles after the game, like, it seems like you dialed up the pressure later on because I felt like it was blitzes where Simon got the sacks. No, he was just spying, came downhill, made a great play.
And really, Ohio state was dropping seven a lot in that game. And when you have a defensive line that can take control and get pressure, if you stop the run game first, it then allows you to pin your ears back like that. Go attack the quarterback.
You know, it's likely a passing down, get after Quinn. And I don't think Quinn Ewers is as escapable as Dylan Gabriel is either. He's as elusive in the pocket.
He's a little more mobile than people give him credit for, and a couple of Ohio state players have already referenced that. But I don't, if Ohio state gets the same level of pass rush and coverage it got, where you can confuse the looks, they're either going to get a big sack number again, or they're going to rush Quinn into a situation where he throws a pick or two. And I mean, he's thrown an interception in each of his last four games, two against Georgia in the SEC championship game.
And as complete as this Ohio state defense is, I think given those opportunities, especially because there were a few opportunities for interceptions that they missed against Oregon, and that might be something that they're kind of eager to, you know, get some picks in this game, I think that is another trend to watch in this one is if Ohio state can make Texas one-dimensional, is Quinn Ewers able to beat them through the air if you force him to, and then you get your pass rush going, maybe make some mistakes.
So that's kind of how I see that game. And I think that's where Ohio state can take control of this one, because as good as Texas' defense is, I'm not expecting, though I wouldn't, I certainly wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility that Ohio state goes out and has another 40-something point outing, but you score in the 30s, and I think your defense can really handle this game. And it'll come down to the trenches as usual.
Texas is pretty good there. But that is where I think Ohio state can gain some separation in this matchup is stop the Texas running game, force Quinn Ewers into a couple mistakes or sack him a couple times.
[Dan Hope]
Sounds like Arch Manning should be getting some snaps for Texas. What do you think, Andy?
[Andy Anders]
It's a funny situation there and there. I think if it's 34-0 again, I think it probably would be time to put Arch Manning in at that stage. But otherwise, we'll see how it is riding with the veteran hand.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah, I'm being mostly sarcastic there. I think Quinn Ewers is the guy for Texas going into this game, but it's of course been a big narrative that's been around that Texas program all year. And no doubt, if Ohio state takes an early lead and Texas's offense struggles early or Quinn throws a bad pick, I think you're going to see plenty of tweets out there from Texas fans and talking heads alike calling for Arch Manning to get into the game.
So we'll see if we end up seeing any Arch Manning, but certainly the expectation is it's going to be a Quinn Ewers revenge game, as the kids say, with Quinn Ewers going up against the school that he spent about four months at back in 2021 before he transferred to the Longhorns. I teased it before, but I'll pose the question to you, Andy, because I'm curious on your stance. Given the choice, who would you take at quarterback right now?
Quinn Ewers or Will Howard?
[Andy Anders]
As they stand right now, I take Will Howard. And this Texas offense is still designed for quarterbacks to succeed. Steve Sarkeesian's a great mind.
You compare the numbers side by side, Will is better across the board, better in yards per attempt, better in total yards if you just want to count them, better in touchdowns, better at interceptions and rates of those things. He has been, if you want to go from a skill perspective, Quinn's always had that gorgeous release where he seems to get effortless zip on the ball. And maybe inherently Quinn is more talented, but give me Will Howard's savvy, the decision making, you know, he makes one boneheaded turnover every so often.
But other than that, he is fantastic at distributing the ball where it needs to go in this offense. Lately, that's been a lot of going to Jeremiah Smith, but he knows where to go with the football he's experienced in these situations. And he has been deadly accurate these playoffs, deadly accurate.
I mean, an accuracy that I didn't even know he was capable of, especially down the field. You look at that throw he had to Emeka Ibuka last game on the 42 yard touchdown, Ohio State's second touchdown of the game. One of the best throws I've seen this season from a college quarterback.
And he is truly, I think Will Howard's one of the best quarterbacks in the country. I'd put Quinn in the same conversation, but I would take Will Howard over Quinn Ewers as things stand this season.
[Dan Hope]
I'm with you. I mean, I don't think it's a huge gap, but I'm with you. I think I think Will Howard has played better than Quinn Ewers has this season.
And yes, Will Howard is Jeremiah Smith, but Quinn Ewers has good receivers too. I mean, Texas has plenty of playmakers in that offense. And so I'm with you.
I would take Will Howard. I wouldn't have thought I would say that going into the season, but I think the way they're playing right now, if I could choose between the two guys, I'd ride with Will because I think that he's playing at a really high level right now. I think he's been overall, the better decision maker, the less mistake prone quarterback.
Again, as we talked about, this is going to be a big challenge for Will. This is going to be a really good pass defense. So he needs to keep playing at the same level he has the last couple of games.
This is certainly a defense that's capable of forcing him into making mistakes, not just because of its secondary, but also because of its pass rush, because this is a Texas defense that's racked up 44 sacks, which that'll bring me to my next question, Andy, who would you take if given this choice, Jeremiah Smith or Colin Simmons?
[Andy Anders]
Um, well, if you ask the Sean Alexander people, I guess they're taking Colin Simmons. Um, no, uh, the Sean Alexander freshman of the year, obviously going to Colin Simmons over Jeremiah Smith. Been a bit of a laughing point, less of a talking point.
I think among Ohio state beat members, just you see this alien who is the best receiver prospect maybe ever, you know, he's in that Julio Megatron category of like physical specimen, but also just super polished coming out of high school, like as technically advanced as a high school or can possibly be fantastic work ethic. Like not to say Colin Simmons isn't a really good player. I mean, he leads Texas and sacks nine of them this year, but like the things Jeremiah Smith has done as a freshman are things that you hardly ever see.
And I think even the eye test, you just watch him and you go, oh, that's what, maybe one of the best players in college football already. Um, quite a, quite a confusion. Why, um, Colin Simmons won that award over Jeremiah Smith, but Hey, I'm not making those decisions.
Uh, I, I think, uh, given the choice though, I'd take Jeremiah for building my, uh, roster. Yeah.
[Dan Hope]
I mean, Colin Simmons has had a great year, uh, for Texas and he's certainly a player to watch for the Longhorns of this game in terms of someone who can challenge Ohio state on the edge and pass protection. But I'm taking Jeremiah Smith. Uh, it was, it was definitely more of a joking question once again, there, because I think Colin Simmons is a really good player.
I think Jeremiah Smith is a transcendent player. I think he, he, he's a, I mean, I think, frankly, I think if you pulled people across college football and they could take one player to build their roster around next year, I think most of them would take Jeremiah Smith. He, he, he's that good.
So, uh, I, I would take Jeremiah Smith if given the choice, but, uh, that that's no shade toward Colin Simmons because he's a really good player and they got a lot of really good players on their defensive front. Anthony Hill is one of the best linebackers in the country. He has 107 tackles, 16 and a half tackles for lost seven and a half sacks.
Uh, they've got a lot of talent on their defensive line. Alfred Collins is a really good defensive tackle. And so, you know, this is maybe.
The biggest challenge yet in Mississippi, we talked about it every round of a CFP, but Ohio state offensive line is going to be in for a big challenge because Tennessee's defensive line was one of the best of a country and Oregon's was one of the best of a country, but Texas is in that same category. So this is going to be yet another test for Ohio state upfront. So far, we've seen them answer of a bell twice in the CFP.
Andy, what's your level of confidence that this offensive line will get the job done again?
[Andy Anders]
It's, it's a new challenge past as Ryan day and his staff are constantly pointing out there, even the players, uh, past success does not guarantee any future success. It's good to have those games under your belt. It's good to have that confidence.
I would probably put myself at about a seven, uh, right now in terms of Ohio state's offensive line doing, um, doing what needs done to make the offense explosive again, like it was against, uh, Oregon and Tennessee. I think if you're just, they do enough to win the game kind of a thing, it probably goes up to an eight. Um, I, I, and that's just cause I like Ohio state in the game overall, but this offensive line has gelled, um, the last few games, I think the guard rotation, it's an interesting situation that they've employed there.
Um, and that it's worked clearly. Um, I think maybe there is something to keeping each of those guys fresher. So you're getting the best performance out of three players who are kind of on the fringes of being with starter, uh, starting caliber otherwise.
Um, but each of those three guys has risen their level of play to Austin, Syrabel, Tegra, Shibula, and Luke Montgomery. They're at the guard rotation. Donovan Jackson, since that first Penn state game, I think has become a really good offensive tackle.
Like he's played great, um, at that position. The last two, certainly in the playoffs. Um, but even before that, like just since the Penn state game, he gave up two sacks, Abdul Carter, but he smoked him on the ground and, um, really hasn't had any problems handling Ed Rusher since, uh, Josh Fryer gave me a couple, like there were a couple of times he got beat in that Oregon game, a couple, uh, but responded well.
And he's been really solid this year, easily had the best year of his Ohio state career. Uh, I think this offensive line is in a good place right now. Um, and has shown they can handle elite defensive fronts.
Now, Texas is, might be the best they've seen all year. And we've said that on several occasions about defensive lines Ohio state has played, but it's just been the situation they're in. Texas has one of the best in the country.
Um, I think Oregon's, while an elite pass rushing unit and Ohio state did a fantastic job and pass protection in that game, um, doesn't have, they weren't the same caliber of a run defense run defensive front that Texas will be, I think. Um, so it might be a little tougher to get games on the ground in this one for Ohio state. But I think the offensive line right now is playing to a caliber jelly well enough to where you can at least feel confident.
They're going to do what it takes to get the win in the end for Ohio state, which is ultimately all that matters at this stage. And one last note, um, there is just, I, you got to give Justin Fry huge props. Like this is the guy who's been the most criticized coach on staff for the last two years.
Um, and outside of maybe Ryan Day himself after the Michigan losses, of course, but year round criticism, Justin Fry the last two years. And in some ways for the recruiting lapses it's deserved, but my goodness, that guy has shown he can develop, he can develop players over the course of the season. Most offensive line rooms are not this good.
Uh, getting down to, you know, losing their two best starters and then being in the situations Ohio state is in right now, the way he's had that group gelled and ready to go these playoffs after a pretty bad outing against Michigan. Um, it speaks a lot to why he's still employed by Ohio state and why I think he has coached his way into definitely returning, uh, in 2025 because, uh, he's shown a lot as a developer this year. And I think it, it, it needs to be, um, recognized.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah. Andy, we've talked a lot about Jeremiah Smith. We've talked a lot about Will Howard, certainly Jack Sawyer, JT to a mola.
Wow. I've got a lot of love, but you know, I, you, you, you, you really think about it. Like if you, you're thinking about like, who's the MVP of this playoff run so far, you could make a strong case for Donovan Jackson with, with, with how well he has made that move going up against guys like James Pierce and Matteo young LA and Jordan Burch.
And these first two rounds of the CFP and dominating them. I think there's been quite a few guys who have, who've made themselves some money in terms of NFL draft stock so far in this CFP, Jack Sawyer, JT to a mola. Wow.
Certainly on that list, Cody Simon. I mean, he he's been doing that all year. He's certainly on that list.
Denzel Burke with the bounce back performance. He had against Oregon is certainly on that list, but I don't know if anybody's higher on that list than Donovan Jackson right now, just as well, as he's played in this move to offensive tackle, he deserves a ton of props.
[Andy Anders]
Yeah. And just the selflessness, you know, because there's a risk when you slide from guard to tackle as a guy who's played guard, all of your career had a certain NFL draft stock already. I imagine he was, you know, there's a good chance.
You're probably in that day two range, right. And you can take it. If you have a bad performance out of position in the back half of the year, because you have to slide out to do that for your team.
But again, he's played fantastic at that spot, probably helped his draft stock. But to make that leap in the first place shows a level of selflessness and dedication to achieving the goals that your team set out to achieve. So we've talked about a lot already.
Offense, defense, the matchups of this one. Dan, what is the thing that gives you the most confidence entering this game for Ohio State? And what is the thing that maybe has you the most concern?
[Dan Hope]
Yeah. I mean, I think I got to just start with this defense, just the way this defense is playing right now, because I think even the Oregon game, I don't think the final score really even reflects how well Ohio State's defense played in that game. They were up 34, nothing.
And then they really got to a point of playing a lot of soft zone coverage, not wanting to allow quick chunk plays, really kind of allowing longer, more methodical drives. And I think that allowed Oregon to put up some points, put up some yards. But I think if I remember correctly, when it was 34, nothing, they had allowed like 64 yards or something like that.
I mean, they were really dominant early in the game. And that paired with how well the offense was playing, allowed Ohio State to really pull away in that game in the first half. And so I just think the way this Ohio State defense is playing, it's clicking at all three levels.
I mean, the pass rush is the past two games that that pass rush has been what we thought it was going to be all year, where it's, you know, Jack and JT have become that elite defensive end tandem that's playing the best of anybody in the country right now. And just that whole unit, I mean, even guys like Kenyatta Jackson coming in off the bench and contributing to that group, they've just been dominant up front. I mean, Cody Simon's been phenomenal middle linebacker.
I mean, I think, you know, that secondary has really been, you know, living up to that BIA moniker. I think, you know, certainly like Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom have played great all year, but I think Denzel Burke has gotten his swagger back. I mean, Davison Igbenosin, I mean, he's a guy we ribbed on him a lot during the regular season for his penalties, but I think he's gone three games without a penalty now.
So he's been playing at a high level. Jordan Hancock's been playing at a high level. So I just think everything on this defense is really clicking right now.
And I think that gives you a lot of confidence, especially with a Texas team that seems to be having an issue with one half of its offense, that being its rushing offense, it gives you a lot of confidence that, you know, this Ohio State defense can lead the Buckeyes to victory. I think if there's a concern for me right now, I think it's just the fact that if this is a long playoff and it's hard to sustain this level of play for four games. And just the thing that I wonder about is I think there was such a clear revenge angle going into those first two games, Tennessee.
It's, you know, we, we got to prove we're not the team that, that just lost to Michigan. So they were really motivated, something to prove a new, you know, they, they had to be so much better than they were in that mission game. And I think that really drove them to play their best game of a season to that point.
And then I think going into that Oregon game, they had that first game in the back of their minds. They knew they had to prove something after losing that first game to Oregon and it fueled again, their best game of the season. Now, I'm not saying that they're lacking for motivation at all.
I just wonder a little bit, you know, could, can overconfidence start to start to creep in with how well you played these first two games? You know, nobody's doubting you anymore. Everybody's picking you, not everybody, but a lot of people are picking you to win the national championship.
Most people are picking you to win this game. And so, you know, does, does that creep in at all? I'm not saying that I think it will, but it's just, it's, it's so hard.
This is the first time we've ever, I mean, Ohio state and Texas, you know, I mean, I, all four, actually, I was going to say they'll be the first, but they'll actually be the third and fourth because all four of these teams played in the first round. This group of four teams is going to be the first teams ever to play three straight college football playoff games. It's never been done before.
So we don't really know like, like how realistic it is, how challenging it is for these teams to sustain the same level of play for three to four college football playoff games in a row. So that's just really, I don't even know if it's really a concern. It's just kind of a, it's more of a question going into this game of, you know, I think so much of our confidence in Ohio state going into this game is built on the idea of they figured things out and they're going to keep that going.
But I do know that that's a lot easier said than done. So it's just a matter of, can they sustain this momentum that they've had through two games?
[Andy Anders]
The defense, the way they've been playing, and especially the way they shut down the running game against Oregon, I think again, gives you confidence that it can be one dimensional. I think the thing I'm most confident in though, is still Jeremiah Smith. In any matchup, any big time matchup in sports, you need something that can neutralize or slow down what the other team does best.
I think the strongest element of Texas' team is its pass defense. And Ohio State has a weapon that can make just about any pass defense null right now. And his name is Jeremiah Smith and he wears number four.
You know, if all push comes to shove, we've seen it several times this year, saw it in the Oregon game, F at four down there somewhere, you know, just, you throw that ball in that guy's direction, if it's catchable, he's going to make a play on it. It's just the feeling it is right now where you can bracket him, you can slide a coverage that way, you can do whatever. He's going to go make a play on the football.
Ohio State has done a great job scheming ways up to get him space to use his elite after the catchability too. Saw that on their first touchdown when he took a nice play action slide route, 45 yards from behind the line of scrimmage to a touchdown. Um, this Ohio State is doing what needs done to highlight four in the game plan.
And four is playing like we knew four might be capable of playing, um, really since he arrived on campus, but certainly as we've seen him break all these freshmen records at Ohio State. And anytime that Texas secondary gets a little bit of momentum, gets some footing in this game, the Texas defense makes some plays. You always have that trump card up your sleeve.
For those who play Euchre, you know, you've always got that right bar hidden away. You can just say, Jeremiah Smith, what are you going to do to stop him? Um, and that's, that's not a luxury many teams have.
So, uh, I think that is what gives me the most confidence. Entering this is just the presence of Jeremiah Smith in this offense. Biggest concern is still running the football, um, for the confidence I have for what the offensive line has shown, uh, since that Michigan game in these two playoff games, I still think it's the biggest area of concern, um, mainly because I look at the rest of it for Ohio State and say, I know that this is the baseline.
Like I know Cody Simon is a great player. I know Jeremiah Smith is a great player. I know Ohio State's defensive line is all really talented.
They're secondary. They're all really talented all over the place. These are proven guys, veterans, um, and if not veterans, then superstars who have, you know, had amazing careers despite being so young.
Uh, there's just the offensive line. It's still a collection of guys who are, I think my confidence in Donovan Jackson is mostly there, um, for sure. Just, we talked about that earlier, but that the interior of the offensive line specifically is what I'm saying still has had lumps.
Hasn't been perfect, um, certainly in the playoffs and also a bunch of guys who are, you know, this is their first round of experience with this under their belts, getting, uh, seeing stuff they haven't seen, you know, and guys who have been inconsistent at times. Does that pop back up if Texas, the same thing with Ohio State's defense, try to make Texas as often as one-dimensional Ohio State, I expect to come out throwing the ball again, but if they can't run the ball at all, all game, it's going to be an issue. You cannot be a one-dimensional offense.
Even if you throw to run, um, Texas has a good enough front to contain you anyway, if you spread them out. So that's my biggest area of concern. I would say specifically Ohio State's interior offensive line and the ability to impose their will on the ground.
Uh, I imagine a lot of counter schemes will be incorporated, still a lot of gap stuff, but, um, for those guys, I think it's just the most unproven, inconsistent asset of this Ohio State team. Some of that being the depth you have and some of that being, you know, unlucky injuries, but hey, um, you know, no team is perfect.
[Dan Hope]
You know, Jeremiah Smith's good when he's a freshman and he's already getting referred to by his number, uh, Andy calling him for several times, which, uh, speaks to how good Jeremiah Smith already is. I think we both agree. Uh, the ultimate X factor in this game from a Buckeyes is Jeremiah Smith.
We've talked about a bunch of other players, but is there anyone else we haven't talked about an under the radar player who you look at as somebody who could be a big difference maker from a Buckeyes in this game?
[Andy Anders]
Um, he was under the weather for, um, according to Ohio State's media people, and we were supposed to interview him earlier in the week, but we didn't get to. Latham Ransom, I think the way Texas' offense is designed, a lot of RPOs, a lot of underneath short stuff for Quinn, uh, and they'll attack you down the field too, but I just look at the way Latham Ransom set the tone in that Oregon game, coming up and just hit sticking Jordan James right in the hole. It's like, oh, even your safeties are coming up and doing that.
And I think that ability to play in space, and I'll throw Jordan Hancock into the same kind of boat with this of like the ability to play kind of in the gaps between the hashes and the sidelines, like that area of the field, kind of a thing for the hashes and numbers, I guess, um, where you're strong safety, um, and you know, Caleb Downs is obviously going to have a huge impact, always does, but I think Latham Ransom against a lot of the things that Texas does is going to be in a position to make a lot of tackles, make a lot of plays in this game, and maybe the same for Jordan Hancock, but all just, just picking one player. I think Latham Ransom has been sneakily, like he gets forgotten about sometimes with Caleb Downs there, but he's also been one of the best strong safeties in college football this year.
Um, and he, he sets a tone for the defense and I think he could be in for an even bigger game than just, you know, the couple of, uh, highlight reel hits he had against Oregon in that Rose Bowl.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah. Another guy I'd throw in there is Tyleek Williams. I think Tyleek maybe had his best game of the season, uh, against Oregon.
And, you know, he admitted when, when he was of the media on Sunday that, you know, he's had a lot of nagging injuries all year long. I don't think he's been quite the same player this year that he was a year ago when he won, when he earned second team, all American honors. I don't think he's made quite the same, at least, you know, visible impact box score kind of impact.
But I think we saw some of that in that Oregon game. Again, I don't even think the box score really reflected how good Tyleek was in that game, but he was highly disruptive. And so I think he's much like a lot of players on this team.
One of those guys, if it's playing his best football at the right time, a huge reason why Oregon did nothing in the ground game against the Buckeyes. And I think as you look at another game where the, you know, Ohio state's goal is going to be to shut down the run game and make Texas one dimensional. Tyleek's going to be a huge part of that, both in terms of his ability to shut down the run up the middle.
And then if Texas does get in a situation where they have to pass a lot as somebody who can bring a lot of pressure, collapse the pocket up the middle. And so Tyleek's a player I'll have an eye on to potentially make a substantial impact in this game with his ability on the interior defensive line.
[Andy Anders]
Kind of getting into score predictions here. Ohio state, I think not a huge surprise that they're favored by six points coming off that Oregon performance. 53 and a half as an over under feels like it makes sense for the defenses that are playing in this game.
But I think with the playoff stakes, the explosive nature of how Ohio state's offense is going to be, I don't know. I guess, Dan, where is your head at for a score prediction? How do you see this one playing out?
And do you think they reach that 53 and a half number?
[Dan Hope]
I have kind of bounced back and forth on this one because part of me wants to pick a sizable Ohio state win because I've gone, you know, very conservative with the score predictions of the first two games, picking both of them to finish within three points. And so I feel like maybe I should go a little bit bigger. So, you know, initially I was thinking I might pick Ohio state to win this game by three plus scores.
But, you know, as I've dug into the game more and really kind of digging into, you know, how good Texas's defense has been this year, I don't know that I see it being a, you know, another Ohio state blowout. I do think Ohio state wins by multiple scores again, though. So I'm going to go with Ohio state 31, Texas 20.
How about you?
[Andy Anders]
It's a good score. Kind of hovering in the same range for me. You know, I bounced back and forth on this because, yes, Texas's defense is awesome.
But also Ohio state has had a couple in these playoffs and against Indiana too, what I've referred to, and I think, you know, other people refer to as boiling point games where, yes, you've played really good football all year. You have this element of your team that's really good statistically, but, oh, the other team is just more talented and they run over you anyway. However, I'm not, I don't, I just don't think that's the case with this Texas defense as much.
And I think also it can't be, I just, I just don't feel like it can be this easy game. Like there's gotta be at least one game where they're in the mud a little bit, you know, they're grinding through the trenches a little bit to get one of these playoff victories. I'm not going to throw the upset totally out the window with Texas either.
But in the end, I think there's going to be some slow stretches for Ohio state. Offensively with how good Texas's defense is, whether that's at the beginning of the game, whether that's in the middle eight. But I think Ohio state's defense is going to do enough to control this game.
I'm going Ohio state 31, Texas 24, a one score win where Ohio state does like there's some uneasiness of the second half, but by the end, it's clear who's the better team. And you move on to the national title. That's how I see it playing out.
Because I do think there's got to be at least one close one in here. There's got to be at least one.
[Dan Hope]
Pretty similar score predictions from both of us, both of us picking the Buckeyes to cover, but not by a wide margin. Andy, just barely going with the over me, just barely going with the under. One other college football playoff semifinal game, of course, on Thursday as Penn state and Notre Dame play in the orange bowl for the other spot in the national championship game.
I had picked Notre Dame to make the national championship game from the beginning. I am sticking with that pick because I just think Notre Dame is playing really good football right now. But this is a Penn state team that's playing really well.
Also, how do you see it playing out, Andy?
[Andy Anders]
Yeah, I think Notre Dame is overall in the trenches a little better than Penn state. And I think that's going to help dictate the game for them. They've been playing a really physical brand of football, running the ball a lot, good defense since that Northern Illinois loss at the start of the year.
Neither of these teams have really a super impressive win on their resume outside the playoffs. Like Georgia's a great win. Penn state, obviously, I think we'd agree have had the easiest road to the semifinals of anybody when you get to play SMU at home out of their element in cold weather.
Boise state, who is a fun team. Ashton G&T is awesome. But there was a talent disparity in that game.
And I think that was clear as it played out. You can never write off the impact of big game, James, either. Although he's got a chance to erase that moniker now.
I mean, imagine if Penn state, like winning this game would be big for that. But also then you're in the national title game all of a sudden is James Franklin. So kind of crazy what this year has come to in that regard.
But I am taking Notre Dame in this one with their physical brand of football, with what Marcus Freeman has done there. And I think they're the better team overall. One of the hotter, maybe the second hottest team in college football after Ohio State as it stands.
So I'm riding with Notre Dame and I think by multiple scores in that one.
[Dan Hope]
Yeah, you've got to think that's going to be a lower scoring kind of game. I think Notre Dame beat Georgia with less than 300 yards of offense. This is these are these are two teams that are both really good defensively, not the most high flying passing attacks.
But Drew hour is playing really good football, but two teams that are really good at running the ball, really good at playing the deep, really good at playing defense. That's going to be a fun game to watch for sure on Thursday night before we go to AT&T Stadium on Friday night to cover the Buckeyes versus the Longhorns with a national championship spot on the line. 730 p.m. ESPN full coverage of that game coming before, during and after on 11warriors.com.
Lots more to come this week on 11 Warriors YouTube channel as well. So we hope you'll continue to stay tuned to far coverage of Ohio State's college football playoff run at the Cotton Bowl. And we will be back next week to talk about everything that happened in Dallas.
So thanks for joining us again this week. Enjoy the Cotton Bowl and we'll catch you next time.