Buckeye Talk: Ohio State podcast by cleveland.com - Podcast Rankings and reviews

BuckeyeTalk has been a daily listen of mine for years, starting in the early days of the B.A.D. Podcast. The current trio of Doug, Stephen, and Nathan balance each other well and offer different perspectives and rationales for their discussions.

Doug is an excellent host, and has incredible passion for topics that is palpable. From ranting about Kirk Ferentz, to coaching standards at OSU, to the quality of questions asked at OSU media events - he’s clearly the OG of OSU coverage and it shows. I don’t always agree with his rants and there’s times I think he’s lost the plot, but I never question his passion or integrity on a topic - even if I’m shouting at my podcast while cutting the lawn.

Nathan is a great balance to Doug. A bit more reserved and has the least OSU connection of the trio. I do love his dry sense of humor and as he’s gotten more comfortable on the pod he is an insightful and measured observer of the team.

Stephen has immeasurably matured as a writer and sports journalist since he joined BuckeyeTalk. It’s honestly been amazing to watch as he’s come into his own on such a high profile beat and program to cover. I also enjoy when he smacks the table while speaking because you know he’s getting fired up. As the youngest member of the trio he also brings a different perspective than Doug and Nathan which was needed. Also, Stephen, excellent job on the recent solo-recruiting pod.

All-in-all BuckeyeTalk is the best listen for OSU fans. You will not always agree with them, sometimes they’ll frustrate you, they’re not fans - and that’s a good thing. But the quality of the discussion, production, and content is unrivaled amongst a sea of OSU podcasts.

Doug and the boys do such a great job of really getting into the weeds of Buckeye football. I never knew that I could listen to an hour plus podcast on Buckeye football, five times a week. These guys make it super fun and I always feel a little bit smarter when it’s done. Thanks for all the hard work and keep doing what you do.

I’ve been listening to Buckeye talk since the beginning and the thing that has always set it apart is that the hosts have always been journalists first. This approach to the podcast provides the best analysis and understanding of my favorite team and where they fit into the college football landscape.

Stephen, Nathan, and now Andrew, carry on that tradition and are delivering great analysis while avoiding the “fan boy turned podcaster” model that all of the other podcasts seem to follow.

Over the past couple of years, Doug elevated his craft to become one of the best interviewers and podcasters in the business. I definitely miss him on Buckeye Talk, but I think the new team is off to a good start.

Have been a loyal listener for years.
In my opinion, since Doug left the pod, some loyal BuckeyeTalk listeners probably wish for the ‘good ‘ol days when Bill Landis and Tim (and Ari) were all contributing. I always enjoyed the friendly and sometimes sarcastic banter and rabbit trails the three happened upon along with very insightful and inspired analysis- I listen while driving and probably made other drivers wonder what I was laughing at.
So change has come and I have still been a loyal listener and “five-star fan” but want to share some honest feedback. I don’t laugh much anymore while listening. It may have been the familiarity the three had with each other but some of the spontaneity and light-hearted banter is gone.
This group is speaking to die hard Buckeye fans many of whom are Alum like me, and the negativity is palpable. The keen analysis all but disappeared and there is very little lightheartedness. Sometimes it is downright painful to listen to the endless hypothetical scenarios of potential Buckeye self-destruction.

Lately, it seems that no one pays attention to the task of editing the broadcast. Almost every episode has repeated portions. I hate to say it, but I am beginning to think of it as a waste of time to listen. Sorry gentlemen, I’m sure you are fine, intelligent people with bright futures in journalism but your podcast skills need some honing and you need to listen and learn your audience’s perspective. I’m not asking for homers who say what fans want to hear, but Doug was not that!
I miss Doug’s quick wit, his insights on this and other teams along with the historical perspective he brought. Maybe what this podcast needs is another smart, contentious, and self-deprecating robophob like Doug Lesmerises.

Sorry guys, I think it’s time for this fan to take my fandom to another broadcast.
I’ll check in from time to time hoping you will get more ‘ruthless’ in fine-tuning and returning to the hilarious and friendly exchanges that made me a loyal follower.
I Know you are working hard to inform and entertain Buckeye Nation but I suggest cutting the pod back to one or two each week and returning to excellence in reporting and in-depth analysis with some lighthearted banter. You can do it!

What was once the best podcast in my rotation is now excruciating to listen to. Doug Lesmerises remains one of the very best in the business. I could listen to him talk to himself. Or his daughters pretending to be Ari and Bill. In fact I would prefer that to the current setup. I blame the Plain Dealer for letting the Athletic come in and poach 2 excellent writers in Bill Landis and Ari Wasserman. They replaced Ari with Tim Beilik who was very short lived on the podcast (thankfully). Now Bill Landis has been replaced with Stephen Means. Stephen is so far out of his league when discussing College football and Ohio state football that I won’t even start on that. What has really made the show unlistenable is the man can’t stop repeating points over and over. He can’t stay on topic with Doug. He can’t stop repeating the obvious like it’s some profound conclusion. He can’t stop telling us he’s going to be honest. He can’t hold this audience of educated football fans (in many ways thanks to his co-host). I am done. 2 stars because I enjoy Doug so much. Minus 1 because Stephen isn’t good. Minus 2 to Cleveland.com for ruining something I loved.

Edit- Doug is gone and the worst writer/podcaster on the beat, Stephen Means is now hosting. 1 star, unsubscribing.

This show has really fallen back to the pack. It used to be out in front of trends with the texts, drafts, etc but now it’s just like every other OSU pod. They talk about the same thing every day and wait too long to talk about new relevant information. For now it’s just another buckeye podcast. Needs an injection of new original ideas like back when Doug was the lead. A lack of news isn’t an excuse to do a different roster draft in a slightly different way for 6 months.