Ohio State’s Big Offseason Continues with Additions of Caleb Downs, Julian Sayin and Bill O’Brien

Real Pod Wednesdays

Ohio State’s big start to the offseason got even bigger over the past week.

The Buckeyes added the best safety in the country to their roster with the transfer of former Alabama safety Caleb Downs. They added the top quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class with the transfer of former Alabama quarterback Julian Sayin. And they added an offensive coordinator with impressive qualifications in Bill O’Brien.

All of that speaks to the sense of urgency Ryan Day and Ohio State are feeling as the Buckeyes load up for a 2024 season in which winning the national championship will be not just the goal but an expectation.

We talk about all of that on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays as well as our biggest takeaways from Ross Bjork’s introductory press conference and Ohio State women’s basketball’s spectacular win over Iowa on Sunday.

The rundown:

• 0:16: It was a great week throughout the Ohio State athletic department
• 1:00: Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin are two massive transfer portal wins for Ohio State
• 6:27: Ohio State couldn’t pass up a second chance to land a QB prospect as good as Sayin
• 9:08: Ohio State was ready to attack the transfer portal and use NIL to its advantage
• 10:41: Ryan Day owed it to the returning seniors to build the best possible team around them
• 13:34: Another transfer offensive lineman, defensive staff hire still on Ohio State’s to-do list
• 14:56: Ohio State’s 2024 defense is LOADED
• 17:06: Moving Sonny Styles to Will linebacker seems like an obvious move now
• 20:16: Ohio State’s second-team defense is full of players who could be starters this year
• 23:42: How Ohio State manages quarterback reps will be a fascinating spring storyline
• 26:50: Some transfer QB attrition seems inevitable, but Ohio State must try to limit it
• 31:36: All five quarterbacks must now impress a new quarterbacks coach in Bill O’Brien
• 34:46: Delegating offensive play-calling should lead to better in-game management from Day
• 37:13: O’Brien’s head coach and OC experience, track record with quarterbacks all pluses
• 45:12: It doesn’t hurt that O’Brien can tell recruits he coached Tom Brady (and a Heisman winner)
• 46:28: Tim Walton continues to prove he’s an elite recruiter by leading charge for Downs
• 47:58: Staff changes bring balance, alignment to offensive and defensive staff
• 51:50: Cotton Bowl loss may have been blessing in disguise by sparking aggressive offseason
• 53:49: This year’s spring game should generate more excitement than usual
• 54:24: Ross Bjork sounds more committed to Ryan Day than Chris Holtmann
• 59:11: We hope Ohio State can keep all 36 sports, but the math could get difficult
• 1:04:37: Ohio State women’s basketball gave record crowd its money’s worth in win over Iowa
• 1:06:43: Caitlin Clark collision, silly conspiracy theories shouldn’t overshadow a great game