Lettermen Live: Ohio State Football Podcast

Buckeyes turn full focus to Texas as CFP semifinal quickly approaches

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Duration:: 19m
Broadcast on:: 05 Jan 2025
Audio Format:: other

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to Letterman Road. That is Tim May, the 41 year vet. I'm Spencer Holbrook. You probably are wondering why when I do this in person, I'm feeling a little under the weather. So I stayed away from the Woody A's at the Public Center on Sunday while the Buckeyes had all of their interviews. Eight different Buckeyes, seven different Buckeyes took the podium. Apparently, Nathan Ransom feeling a little under the weather right now as well. But- Suspicious. Well, suspicious there, you and him. Yeah, that's why I'm staying away Tim. I don't want to get the team sick. I don't want to be, I don't want any conspiracy theories about Letterman Road out there. So I stayed at home. You and Mick Walker were both boots on the ground there at the Woody A's at the Public Center. And for people who know me best, it is really hard for me to stay away. So, you know, I'm not feeling well but I wanted to make sure that we still got some conversation in because we did talk to seven Buckeyes, Tim, and there's a lot to learn about this team heading into the Cotton Bowl. Yeah, well, there's a lot of stuff we've already learned. Obviously, this team was built for the postseason. This team was motivated for the postseason. This team probably needed that slap in the face. This team and coaching staff probably needed that slap in the face. They got back on November 30th. The team who did that escapes me now, the name of the team, because really it could be a very footnote in history. I know it's hard for people to understand that. But with the new way of doing things in college football, Ohio State's already played two games since the end of the regular season and looks like it's a prime to possibly play two more, definitely playing one more against Texas. And of all places, the Cotton Bowl, where when we all left there last year, we're all right, writing derogatory comments about the offensive line and how it couldn't block anybody that night. It was crazy. Everybody wanted to blame the game on first on Devin Brown, then on Lincoln Keynote's, I go, anybody who says that was not watching at all. So bottom line is what's really, truly gotten him there more than anything else. Yeah, we're talking about Jeremiah Smith till we're all blue in the face. But what's really gotten him there is the resilience of an offensive line room that just continues. And to me, amaze me. By the way, they keep taking a punch and then stepping back into the ring. And led by Donovan Jackson, but, you know, I was talking to Will Howard about that again today, just this offensive line group. I'm, you know, everybody gets credit. But the way these guys have been able to deal with all the adverse they've done, they've dealt with and Luke Montgomery, there he is. Luke Montgomery, an afterthought through the middle late part of the season. And all of a sudden, now he's part and parcel to what they do on the offense, playing that left guard, spelling Austin Servell, who moves over to right guard. Techer Chibola comes out and then they do the exercise again. It's crazy because you got to start with the heart of it all. And that is the heart of it all for this team. The offensive line and the defensive line play. Yeah, for sure, for sure. And, you know, Luke Montgomery talking about that a little bit as well. I thought his conversation was pretty insightful. He's always been an insightful guy from back in his recruiting days. And, you know, he got up there at the podium as well and talked about the transformation of this offensive line, especially the last, I would say four or five weeks now, since that Michigan game, just the ability to get comfortable the last two games, the way that they've played, it's been pretty remarkable. The biggest thing that I took away to him, and I already wrote about this letterman.com, is I'm not sure if Will Howard is the quarterback that Ohio State necessarily needed for the Michigan game, but he's certainly the quarterback it needs right now. He finds these little pockets of motivation better than maybe any quarterback I've seen. And these guys are all D1 athletes. They're all great players to find motivation in the little ways that Will Howard has in these certain matchups. It's been really, you know, interesting to see, you know, he talked that before that Penn State game, this is the program that didn't offer me. And, you know, my home state, I grew up loving them. They didn't offer me. I want to go beat them. We goes into Happy Valley and beats Penn State. Hey, he may have to recirculate that one. Go ahead now. Yeah, no kidding. You know, then he goes to the Oregon game here this past couple weeks, and he's like, yeah, this is, I really want this one back after how that thing ended. You know, it's not just that it's the Rose Bowl and everything, but it, you know, how that ended. And then today we're talking to him and it's like, hey, you know, you didn't beat Texas in four tries. Oh, I know. I know I haven't beat them in four tries. I want to finally beat these guys. I'm getting another crack at these guys and the little motivations that he can find, the ways that he kind of channels that for himself, but also, you know, you shouldn't need extra motivation to go win a college ball playoff. And to go win a college ball playoff. So my final against the team in its own backyard, but Will's got that little bit of extra motivation with not having beaten Texas in those four tries. I think he had a five point loss. He had a seven point loss. And last year, he had another a three point loss in overtime. Like this is really eating at him. He really wants this game badly. And I thought that was pretty interesting that he kind of opened up it that way ahead of, you know, traveling down to Texas for the Cotton Bowl. I'm telling you, man, this team, the term, this team's on on its Retribution Tour. And it's just uncanny way this thing is unfolding in all kinds of ways from a motivational standpoint. I mean, just think about it. If they, if they get past Texas on Friday, Friday night, they're going back to the scene of the Oh my goodness. Are you kidding me? They were that close to playing for and probably winning a national championship three years ago. In the Mercedes-Benz Dome in downtown Atlanta. They're going. I mean, they just every time you look, they've got another, they've got another motivational factor. Just think if it's Notre Dame that wins that that game this coming week and they're playing Notre Dame. Just look at that. I mean, you know, the Ryan Day explosion after that game against Lou Holtz. The critics, especially Lou Holtz. And I mean, but, you know, I think this team is as I was asking, gee Scott, I mean, I'm going to write about this. There's like a hum almost about this team right now from the standpoint of just the work that they're putting in. It's almost like when you step into the woods, he has like certain you almost hear a hum in the background that there's work going on, you know. And you can feel it also. These guys understand their second chance at life at glory at the brass ring. And they're all struggling. That's not being mushy and gushy. That is fact the way they're putting in the work. And like you said, in Will Howard who had a little cadre of buddies who transferred in all about the same time. This time of year ago, you know, after the Bulls and everything, including Caleb Downs and Julian saying from Alabama, you know, Seth McLaughlin was already here, but those three guys from Alabama. And then you throw in Quinn Sean Judkins, and who am I leaving out. I believe somebody else out but the bottom line is they all kind of came in together. It was just a little group of them in the corner almost right now. They've all in one form or fashion become leaders on this team that just shows you what kind of stuff they're made out of. But Will Howard is the unquestioned leader of this team now and a lot of people talked about it. I'm writing about it later this week from the standpoint of what that means, not just for him, but for the team. It's a grown man, or as Urban Mario said, a grown ass man who's at the helm here and you can tell the way the team is playing. G. Scott Jr. I'm looking at him. I've had his dad on the Tim May show several times, but I'm looking at G. Scott Jr. and I'm going, this guy, we have watched him go for whatever he was when he first showed up. He was part of that great recruiting class, a highly touted receiver who switched over to tie it in. Had the head-butting incident against Michigan right on down the line. But, man, you sitting there listening to him talk and watching him talk. He's a grown dude, man. He is an adult and playing a kid's game, so to speak. You look around the team and there's those guys everywhere, Donovan Jackson. You know, Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimolo now, and Cody Simon. Is there any more grown man than that one on this team? Late than Ransom, I mean, it's just remarkable. The way these guys have grown up before us and become, you know, sort of almost a lower level N.F.L.S. team. The transfer that you left out to him, of course, was well, cosmetic. The only guy who's been called for, you know, the only guy on the field who was worthy of being called for holding on Ohio State last week. And it was a joke. It wasn't holding. We got a little bit, Spencer. I know you were missing today because you're very ailment. But, yes, Tully Williams knows that no holding calls have been called against the defensive front all year from the standpoint of the offense. And we saw chokeholds. I guess a chokehold is not a hold. It's a chokehold. It's no surprise that you had the Ohio Bobcats erasure there, Tim. No, but really, I'll get us back on what a joke that was, right? Yeah, exactly. Tully Williams was right, though. They have been, there have been some holds. It's not just that the team... You mean every day? Or you mean... Well, here's my thing, Tim. Defensive lineman think they're held on every play. I don't think there's holding on every play against this team. I think there are some obvious holds that do not get called. But when nothing is getting called, you start to point it out on every play, if that makes sense. And it's not just that this team can't buy a holding call. It's that it's actually impossible to go through an entire... And I will use the word impossible. It's impossible that this team has gone the entire season without getting a holding call. They haven't gotten one since September. Jack Sawyer, number 33, if in case you weren't aware, hasn't had a holding called, has not had his jersey held, apparently, or allegedly, since September of 2021. I don't know what it is about this group. They can't get one. And you watch back the Oregon game. Again, I don't think there's one on every play, but then when you start to say like, "Hey, there was a holding there. Hey, that could have been called holding." It does start to seem like there's one on every play. I don't know. I thought Tyler Williams' answers were pretty interesting because he clearly didn't want to make that an excuse. No, we're stating fact. That's not an excuse. It's a fact. And it's not that they want one on every play. Although they are a defensive lineman, so maybe they do. But it's just like one. They just want one. They just want to feel seen, Tim. They just want to know the officials are watching. And it doesn't seem like anybody cares about those holdings. That's what Tyler Williams said. It's crazy. It's crazy. I don't know what I would attribute that to now. Let's face it. I thought the officials were pretty liberal for both sides for the most part in the Rose Bowl. I'm not going to -- it's just amazing when you look at it and you watch the replays, how often it has happened, though. How if it happens on almost every possession by the opposing offense and none of them merit the flag coming out. You understand what I'm saying? And some of them, when you've got a chokehold on a guy, when you've got your arm around him by the neck, that's a hole. I don't care what level of football you're playing on. So that's the big beef. And it's not really -- it's more us making the point than any of the players. Tyler Williams was just stating fact. And it, you know, it's unfair, but it is what it is. And as he said, nobody cares. Well, here, Tim, I'll get us to our final point. But real quick, it's like I would rather see officials let these guys play, which the Rose Bowl officials to their credit, they let them play. So there was some good hand fighting from receivers and corners. No reason to be thrown flags. There's some good stuff going on on the interior. No reason to be thrown flags. But there are some moments, you know, like you said, like a chokehold, like Jack Sawyer having, you know, an entire arm wrapped around his throat, and he's got his arm up. Like, there's no way the official doesn't see that. That's a hole. That's a textbook holding. Yes. So it's just kind of wild that there hasn't been one, but that's neither here nor there. Maybe the ACC crew that did the Ohio State Tennessee game will see them. For either side on Ohio State or Texas here in the Cotton Bowl coming up here later on this week, Friday night. It's, can't believe it's already five, only five days until then. Last thing, two leaks left. So there's two leaks in your drawer. I think Notre Dame usually uses officials from the big 10. I may be wrong for their home game. So there's two big 10 teams Notre Dame, which should be in the big 10 and a, and a team from the lowly Southeastern Conference, the meat mild Southeastern Conference left. You know, ACC big 12. You got to figure that's where the pool is coming from for these two playoffs. Yeah, you would think so. You might get an SEC crew for the title game. If Ohio State beats Texas, we'll see. We'll see. I don't know. That might already be decided. We'll have to check in on that. Last thing from me, Tim, and then we can get out of here. I absolutely adore when Caleb Downs gets up to the podium because if you ask him kind of a nonchalant question, he's going to give you a nonchalant answer. If you take your time and ask him a question that that, you know, he can appreciate as a student of this game as a very serious human being, he'll give you a good answer. And I think it's pretty easy to tell when he likes a question when he doesn't. I just appreciate talking to him. I think he's really fascinating. Obviously one of the best players in college football. I think he's the best offensive player in the country. You know, so I think somebody asked him about, you know, the Thorpe award and how Jada Baron won it and he didn't and he kind of brushes that off. Then he's talking about preparing for this and his preparation, his mindset, his attitude, his maturity. Always so impressed with, but especially now the way he's playing as that third safety, kind of like that in the box, but also playing safety kind of player. So impressed with what he's doing on the field right now. And then you see him at the podium. You're impressed by that too. Yeah. You know, Thorpe award, he was asked about the young man who won it and basically said he really doesn't know him and kind of moved on from there. And, you know, those are popularity contests. And I don't know if popularity contests. I don't know. Like we said, I still can't remember. I know the kid's name, but it never quickly comes to mind. The kid who was named freshman of the year for Texas instead of Jeremiah, freshman of the year nationally instead of Jeremiah Smith, you know, he fits a van to his name, you know his name. But the bottom line is, you know, it is what it is at that point. You know, of course I wanted to, I just wanted to pick his mind again because I like to see how he thinks I mean I'm watching him live in the Rose Bowl. And I'm watching him see stuff and immediately alerting the other guys about what he's seeing, preach now. And to me, it's uncanny. The way this guy does sex a football game. And you're saying, well, safety, you're supposed to kind of do that. I mean, he's, he's like the middle linebackers of old, of your, you know, who saw things before they happened. I mean, you're just filming used to know plays, it seemed like he was two plays ahead on how a team not only, what were they were showing him, but what they probably going to come back with when that one didn't work because of him, you know. Caleb Downs is a special, and there are kinds of physical things you can point to watch him react but he, he seems to, he reminds me of a center fielder that the crack of the bat knows exactly where the ball is going. Those guys aren't born every day. And it's a joy to watch those guys run down line drives in the gap and flies to the gap, or back over their head. And Caleb Downs, you know, I think it would have made a hell of a center fielder, because he just, he can see, he's watched so much video. It's clicking in his head well it's got to be one of these two or three things, you know, hey bubble block a Jordan bubble block. Nathan, you know, whatever he calls them, you know, their nicknames their code names, you know, with secrecy going but yes, and now comes another test against one of the really great offensive minds in terms of calling a game. Now, I'm talking about Steve Sarkeesian, Texas head coach now, they have not been great by any stretch on offense. The last several games I'm talking about Texas from a standpoint of just you going wow, you know, but you know the possibility is there with him calling place from yours. So this will be another great test for our Caleb Downs and company. Yeah, the last time I have stayed face Sark in an important game, who was the 2020 national championship game and he cooked up some stuff that was so good that the Heisman Trophy winner was being guarded by tough more than 40 yards down the field so right, you know, and that was a game where three or four Ohio State key guys had COVID on the defense side of the ball so, you know, this will be a little more of a fair fight in all kinds of ways. We, you and I both knew that if I say it was going to win that game, it had to win a scoring contest and it did not. Yeah well, and Sark had it dialed up there and that was obviously against a way different Ohio State defense. I mean, yes, this Ohio State defense is one of the country, pre Jim knows defense. Yeah, that was, it was bad is what we'll say. I don't think Sark will have as easy of a time scheming something up in this game than he did the last time he played Ohio State, but a lot to know a ton to learn from this we also they also. Excuse me, I can't talk the book guys also talked a lot about Queen yours on Sunday will have that coverage at Letterman row.com we have a lot of like I said I've already wrote about will Howard it's up on the site now. Go to Letterman row.com right now it's $1 for your first seven days if you're not subscribed that gets you all the way through the cotton bowl then you have all of that coverage for just $1. Then after that you're going to want to subscribe anyway so just go over to Letterman row.com right now become a member today we'd love to have you for $1 over there for the next week. I'm Tim May the 41 year bet on just Spencer Holberg I should be feeling better tomorrow we got open practice we'll see the Buckeyes in action for about 15 to 20 minutes there at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center until then just go over to Letterman row.com like the video below subscribe to YouTube channel we'll see you guys back here for another video we'll see you over at Letterman row.com [BLANK_AUDIO]