Good morning bucknoters, welcome to the

Bucknotts morning five here on Monday, August 23rd, 2021. I am Dave Biddle flying solo on this edition. We are just 10 days away from the buck guys kicking off their season against Minnesota on Thursday.

September 2nd feels great to say that a lot to get into on the show today. Let's start right at the top. The big news over the weekend, CJ Stroud was named starting quarter back by head coach Ryan Day, coach day called somewhat of an impromptu press conference.

You know, we got news like Friday evening. It was going down. We're wondering what's this about and the respect. Maybe he's going to name a starting quarterback and he did CJ Stroud being named the starter. No surprise to any of us. I mean, we've anybody who's been listening to the show. I mean, you know, we've been saying that we've been hearing from sources that Stroud's the guy and it's not even like tremendously close, although Comma court did push him to a degree. But I think Ryan Day's known this for a long time. I also like how he handled it. Why not just, you know, make it a competition.

Don't tell CJ Stroud entering camp. You're the guy. Make him go in there and earn it. And it sounds like he's had a really good camp played really well in their scrimmage on Saturday. So CJ Stroud is the starting quarter back for the buck guys. Now let's talk about expectations for CJ Stroud this year. First, your quarterback, first, your starter, second year in the program. But first, your starter. So expectations should be tempered a little bit, right? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. The expectation for CJ Stroud and I bet we're going to meet with Ryan

Day later today. I bet Ryan Day would either say this on the record or if he wouldn't say it on the record would tell you behind closed doors. Absolutely. Ryan Day's expectation. This year's the first year starter for CJ Stroud is to be first team all big 10 first team all big 10 quarterback. And you look at that. Like, well, that's man, that's a lot to ask. Well, you look around the big 10. I mean, what's your competition? Michael Pentix is the main competition. Can CJ Stroud be better than him this year? Now maybe CJ Stroud will have a great year of Pentix puts up a better year would be fine with that. But I think CJ Stroud, that is the expectation.

He is going to be the best quarterback in the big 10. And there's not a lot of good quarterbacks in the big 10. Pentix is one of the few. I like Tanner Morgan at Minnesota. You know, we'll see about Graham Merz at Wisconsin. You know, he started off strong last year. Then it was kind of so, so, but he was a true freshman last year. So there's not a lot of great quarterbacks in the big 10. But I expect a lot of CJ Stroud this year. And let's forget about postseason accolades for a second. The bottom line is how well is he going to play and how well is he going to move the ball? And is he going to

be the guy to kind of get Ohio State over the top this year where even though he's replacing Justin Fields, you know, can he be good enough where Ohio State with all of these weapons that they have. And with this Ryan Day offense, you know, can they get over the hump this year? Not, I'm not saying CJ Stroud is going to be better than Justin Fields don't get me wrong. In fact, he's not going to be better than Justin Fields this year. Maybe he will be down the line. My point is, I think this offensive line is going to be better. I think the wide receiving core is better than it was last year. I think the running back core is better than it was last year, although Tracerman was tremendous by the end of the year.

But look at the depth they have this year with Travion Henderson and Mayan Williams, Master Tee, Marcus Crowley, Evan Pryor's the fifth tail back. And I think the top three are going to play a lot with Travion Henderson and whatever order. Mayan Williams and Master Tee, those three are going to play a lot. And I think they're going to sprinkle Crowley in there as well. I think probably Pryor is going to be mostly a garbage time guy, but I know they like him. So this offensive line is going to be probably the best that we've seen in a long time at Ohio State. This is the best wide receiving core that I can remember.

We've got the two first round picks with Chris Alavane, Garrett Wilson. You've got the number three in Jackson Smith and Jigba. And then from there, either Marvin Harrison or Mecheg Buker, I think it's going to be the fourth. And whoever's not the fourth is going to be the fifth out of those two true freshmen. I think Julian Fleming, who is the number one wide receiver in the country in the 2020 class will be the number six wide receiver. I think Jaden Ballard, who is a very high four star in the 2021 class. I think he's going to be the seventh wide receiver that shows you how talented and deep they are. So you look at, oh,

and let's, let's not forget Jeremy Rucker, the best tied end to come through here in a long time. So it could not set up better for CJ Stroud. And again, CJ Stroud is not a true freshman. He is a, even though last year was weird, he's still been in Columbus now for over a year and a half. He enrolled in January of 2020. So him getting here early last year, even though it was a weird year and getting just even a sprinkling of playing time going through all the practices, even though he didn't throw pass in a game through plenty of practices and practice got a little bit of game experience. That was big for him. He's not coming in as a true friend.

He's a freshman that just got here. He's a second year guy. Another reason I think expectations should be very high. So you look at CJ Stroud. I think, and again, I think Ryan Dayby, the first one to say this expectations are very high for him. Another reason why expectations are high. This is a Ryan Day offense, say Ryan Day offense. It's very quarterback friendly. I think that this. So you got the weapons around him. You got a great offense to play in with a brilliant offensive mind, leading the charge with Ryan Day. I think CJ Stroud is going to have a big, big year. I don't think he's going to win.

He's not going to win the highs or anything. Don't get me wrong. But as far as I think he's going to be first team all big to him. I think he's going to be better than Michael Pentax. Certainly we'll put up better numbers. And again, let's look back on this. This reminds me a little bit. Now Braxton Miller as a true freshman in 2011. Obviously played more than CJ Stroud played as a true freshman last year.

I mean, Joe Bozerman, not to bring up bad memories, Bozerman actually opened the season as the starting quarterback that year.

By the way, I've never seen a game like go for after Braxton won the job. Then got hurt against Nebraska. They hurt below and out Nebraska. They put Bozerman in and completely goes the other way.

So it's not a perfect parallel with Braxton. But I see some similarities. And then Braxton, you know, I mean, they won a game at Illinois where they completed what two passes the entire game in 2011.

One was a touchdown though for Braxton. And then he enters, you know, didn't, you know, actually played really well at Michigan. That year's a true freshman Braxton did played his butt off going into 2012.

You're wondering urban takes over how good is Braxton going to be about big 10 player the year silver football award winner. I mean, you know, so that was really his first. Well, that was his first full season starting. And he was the best player in the big 10.

Two years later, JT Barrett, registered freshman takes over for Braxton gets hurt. What happens? JT Barrett, big 10 player of the year quarterback of the year.

Everything as a registered freshman. All right. Next time the buck has had a first year starting quarterback was 2018 Dwayne Haskins. Now he was in his third year, not his second year, like, like Stroud is, but Dwayne entering his third year. How's he going to do?

High has been finalists player of the year in the big 10 best quarterback in the big 10. All right, Justin Fields comes in in 2019, you know, played a little bit at Georgia. How's he going to do in his first year? Big 10 player of the year.

I guess chase young was the big 10 player of the year, but Justin Fields, big 10 offensive player of the year, big 10 quarterback of the year, first year starter.

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