Colin: So much has changed since we last checked in with you. Before diving into all of that, let's start with some straight football questions. What are reasonable expectations for Ohio State for the 2022 season and what needs to happen for them to be achieved? 

Baver: I’d say 11 or 12 wins in the regular season with a win over Michigan. Let’s face it; we all took those things for granted last year, and got smacked in the face. To do more than that, I think Stroud and Smith-Njigba need to stay relatively healthy; knock on wood. That would be on top of what goes without saying…that the defense obviously has to take a step forward. They don’t have to play like Georgia’s 2021 D, but they have to be better. The Buckeye offense can only take this team so far.

Colin: What areas of the squad concerns you? 

Baver: While OSU has their best-looking set of DEs since Chase Young was wreaking havoc in 2019, the guys on the interior of that D-line need to step up. It’s now or never for former 5-star recruit Taron Vincent at the 3-technique spot. Hopefully his career-high 6 tackles in the Rose Bowl are a sign of things to come. Tyleik Williams has big upside, but probably needs to keep the weight off that he lost in the off-season. Ty Hamilton and Michael Hall are guys with some upside as well. Seeing one of those two take that next step would certainly help this defensive line.

With the one-two punch of TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams, it’s hard to call the running back position an area of concern. But with Evan Pryor going down, you no longer have a pair and a spare (as they say) in the backfield. He has a very different skill set than TreVeyon and Miyan, and would have been used in multiple ways this fall after having a huge spring.

Colin: OSU-Notre Dame game will certainly draw huge TV numbers. In related news, Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren just inked a new media rights package that seemingly blew the doors off the competition. What are your thoughts on that subject? 

Baver: It’s mind boggling. 7 billion dollars? While I’m no fan of Kevin Warren, ESPN is getting left in dust, and that brings a smile to my face.

Colin: What effect will the CFP expansion to 12 teams have on the value of the regular season and will rivalry games like OSU v Michigan fade in importance in this new era?

Baver: That’s just it. You water down the regular season and the Michigan rivalry. CFB separates itself from other sports because of its fall Saturday do-or-die matchups. I was fine with expanding to 6, maybe 8…but 12 is way too many, in my not so humble opinion.

Colin: Give us your Final Four for the 2022 season and maybe a couple of dark horses to keep our eyes on. 

Baver: It’s damn near impossible to go against Bama, Ohio State and Georgia. On paper, it’s a major drop-off after those three teams. After those three, there is little separating #4 through (say) #20. I guess I’ll take Utah for that 4th spot, but the Utes may drop their opener in Gainesville today. That would mean they would need to win-out thereafter.

I honestly don’t think there are many sleepers out there this year. A&M I think is going to be feast or famine. I guess, though, people will consider NC State a sleeper, and they certainly have shot. I don’t know what to think about Clemson. That offense looks bad again, but they are stacked on D. I don’t think USC’s defense holds up. So, I am going to take a pass on that hype train. And I am not sure how the Venables hire will work out in Norman, Oklahoma, but tend to think that will end up being one extreme or the other.

Colin: Is #5 Notre Dame coming to the Shoe for a night game the biggest home opener in team history? 

Baver: I think the only game that comes close was OSU’s opener again Penn St in 1978, which matched #7 Ohio St vs #3 Penn St. That wasn’t one of my fondest, early memories of games I have been to in the ‘Shoe. OSU lost that one 19-0, with Art Schlichter tossing 5 picks in his debut. (At least that didn’t end up being the low point of Schlichter’s life.)  

Colin: How do you see this game playing out? 

Baver: You’ll probably see a higher scoring game, unless Notre Dame makes a conscious effort to limit Ohio State’s possessions, while sustaining multiple long drives. I expect Ryan Day to mix things up well. If there are some growing pains with the Buckeye’s revamped O-line, maybe new Irish D-coordinator Al Golden has success keeping OSU’s running game in check. But I expect the Stroud-to-Njigba combo to again be lethal, with other Buckeye pass catchers also taking advantage of a Notre Dame back-7 that can be had.

Notre Dame’s offense is far from elite and is dealing with some injuries. Still, I expect them to have some success tonight. We’ll see what kind of blitz packages new DC Jim Knowles has planned for Irish QB Tyler Buchner, who is making his first start for ND. But Knowles is installing a rather complex defense, and regardless of what he is saying publicly, there is no way that we will see Knowles’ full-blown defensive scheme this early. And in terms of the parts of the scheme that Knowles will have installed, I think you’ll see some breakdowns tonight.

Regardless, I expect that Marcus Freeman will have wished he sucked some of his words back down his throat. (See what I did there with the Watershed reference?) What was he thinking with all these shots he’s taken at his alma mater? You got me, but I’ve got this one Ohio State 45 Notre Dame 26 (a la 1995).

Go Bucks….let’s get this thing on.