In the lead-up to Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl clash against the Missouri Tigers, starting center Carson Hinzman made headlines with his eye-opening comments on “The B&B Podcast.”
The podcast episode, in which Hinzman spoke candidly about failings within the Buckeyes program, was abruptly deleted, raising even more eyebrows among fans.
On the podcast, Hinzman disclosed several sensitive issues that Ohio State would have likely preferred to keep behind closed doors.
He alleged that the team had fewer practices leading up to the Cotton Bowl compared to the previous season, with “light workouts” replacing traditional sessions.
Hinzman also claimed that the Miami Hurricanes enticed former Ohio State commits Justin Scott and Jordan Lyle with substantial amounts of money to switch their commitments – and claimed that Ohio State is extremely hesitant to spend big NIL money on offensive lineman.
Comparisons between the coaching styles of current head coach Ryan Day and his legendary predecessor Urban Meyer were also drawn by Hinzman.
He suggested that Meyer’s practices were more physically demanding, pointing out the disparities in intensity and the current lack of satisfaction with strength and conditioning goals … (Meyer’s practices were famously intense and competitive.)
The plot thickened when Ohio State finally faced Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, and Hinzman, who had started all 12 regular-season games, did not play a single snap.
Carson Hinzman getting benched for the podcast would be an all time hilarious move
— MCondon (@Marc_Condon) December 30, 2023
Matt Jones, the former starting right guard, assumed the center position for the game, with senior Enokk Vimahi taking over at right guard.
Ryan Day has to fucking answer why Carson Hinzman did not play in this game
— Terry T (@CFB_Stop) December 30, 2023
Day addressed Hinzman’s absence after the game, attributing it to the player’s recent struggles in practice rather than a punishment for his comments on the podcast.
“Carson was having a tough time the last couple weeks of practice, and we felt this was the right thing to do at the time,” Day said.
The Bucknuts 247 podcast are saying Ryan Day suspended our starting Center, Carson Hinzman because of an interview?! They’re saying Carson didn’t even say anything controversial. That’s why our starting O-line got shuffled around right before a bowl game. WTF 😬
— Robin Bowyer (@BowyerRobin) December 30, 2023
While Hinzman’s struggles had been evident throughout the season, his benching after the controversial podcast raises questions about the timing and whether the outspoken interview played a role in the decision.
Now there’s reports that Alabama center Seth McLaughlin, who certainly had troubles of his own during the Rose Bowl, is set to visit Ohio State this weekend … Possibly to replace Hinzman.
This because of the Carson Hinzman interview? https://t.co/nExqz4OXlj
— Jeremy Hill (@Hilljr37) January 4, 2024
Marvin Harrison Jr. opting out and an early injury to quarterback Devin Brown didn’t help, but the lifeless performance the Buckeyes put out in their 14-3 loss against Missouri was the worst we’ve seen in a long time.
Former Ohio State safety Tyvis Powell was especially disgusted with the product he saw from his alma mater.
Appearing on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, Powell said: “I’ve never seen the product look that bad … It was horrible. I’ve watched the Buckeyes go 6-7 in a season and that 6-7 team would smoke them. That’s how I feel right now about them.”
Are we sure that Ryan Day is the right man to be in charge at Ohio State?
His overall record is phenomenal, but losing three straight to Michigan and failing to win a national championship are things that can’t be ignored … No, it may not be fair, but it’s reality.
It’s clear that he’s not going anywhere … But are Buckeye fans wishing they still had Urban Meyer in charge???