Five Things We Might Have Wrong

Ohio State is the preseason No. 1 team in the country, optimism is high, and there are plenty of reasons to believe the Buckeyes can have another huge season.

But what if we're wrong?

In this episode of The Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr take a look at five areas where their preseason expectations for Ohio State could miss the mark. The discussion starts with the pass rush, where much of the optimism is still based on projection, and moves into tackling, short-yardage offense, expectations for Matt Patricia's defense, and just how much of an impact Arthur Smith can realistically have on the Buckeye offense.

Could Ohio State's defensive front struggle to generate enough pressure? Will the Buckeyes miss the elite tackling of Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs more than expected? Can they finally become dependable in short-yardage situations? And are expectations for both Patricia and Smith getting a little too high?

0:00 — Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast
0:43 — Five things we might be wrong about
1:09 — No. 1: Are we overestimating Ohio State's pass rush?
1:58 — So much of the defensive end production is still projection
3:37 — Could someone make an unexpected leap at defensive end?
4:10 — No. 2: Will Ohio State's tackling take a step backward?
5:19 — Replacing Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs as tacklers
6:50 — How Ohio State's difficult schedule magnifies mistakes
7:12 — No. 3: Can the Buckeyes actually convert in short yardage?
8:12 — Why “better” doesn't necessarily mean “good enough”
9:47 — Ohio State's long-running short-yardage challenge
10:16 — No. 4: Are expectations too high for Matt Patricia's defense?
11:04 — Why last year's defense is an unrealistic standard
12:43 — What would qualify as a disappointing defensive step back?
13:26 — Could there be games where the defense simply has no answers?
13:51 — No. 5: Are expectations too high for Arthur Smith's offense?
14:51 — Why college football no longer requires 40 points every week
15:43 — What Smith can realistically improve in Year One
16:49 — Final thoughts: Where are we wrong?
17:02 — BuckeyeInsiders.com and closing

Which Ohio State expectation do you think we're most likely to be wrong about this season? Let us know in the comments.

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