Way back in the first week of April, Buckeye Talk's Nathan Baird and Stephen Means drafted starting lineups for a hypothetical Ohio State football spring game. We asked our text subscribers to vote on who came out on top, and by a 105-12 margin, they gave the edge to Team Baird. Stephen vowed that day to find rosters and play out the game on Xbox 360 to determine once and for all who had assembled the better collection of talent. For a brief respite from the roller coaster that is the extended Big Ten offseason, Baird Bunch and Means Machine finally faced off in a living room in Dublin on Wednesday. The final score, like with any spring game or scrimmage, is not especially important. We tried to use the simulation to imagine what we might have learned about the Buckeyes during a normal season without the coronavirus pandemic. What would CJ Stroud and Jack Miller have displayed in their race to back up Justin Fields? Who would step up defensively and make a mark? Which of the freshmen receivers might have emerged the soonest? We know Thursday is supposed to be opening day of Ohio State. We know this fake game cannot take the place of a real season opener. Watching this awkward graphical simulation only reminded both of us how much we missed football and how much we look forward to its eventual return. You'll hear our commentary between quarters, but based on the trash talk and exclamations during the simulation, Stephen's neighbors might have assumed a real game was being played. Let's hope that happens soon enough. Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices