Welcome to what we like to call the Ruckus, but only because this segment of the site leads to lively discussion and debate, not because anyone is trying to shake up the world. And unlike the protests on Wall Street, no one is going to get cuffed and hauled away for disturbing the peace.

In this installment, editor Jeff Rapp and Dave Maetzold carry on the conversation they just had on air during a segment of the WTVN radio (610 AM) “Buckeye Rewind” show that recaps Ohio State football each Monday night.

The hot topic seemed to be OSU tailback Daniel “Boom” Herron, who had just spurred the Buckeyes to a 17-7 upset of Illinois in his return to the lineup. Herron, who served a five-game suspension to begin the season then a one-game suspension because of a separate off-field incident, immediately found himself at tailback and taking handoffs from Braxton Miller.

The senior ended up with 23 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown, his fourth 100-yard rushing performance as a Buckeye.

Maetzold was not in favor of coach Luke Fickell returning him to the field so abruptly; Rapp wasn’t as sure.

Maetzold is the host of “Buckeye Rewind” and WTVN’s Sunday morning program as well as the pregame show that kicks off the station’s “Best Buckeye Coverage” on game day. He also is a former sports anchor at WCMH-TV (Ch. 4) in Columbus and still has daytime duties with that station as well as a serving as an analyst for FOX Sports Ohio as a key part of that station’s coverage of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Maetzold has been prominent in the Columbus market since the mid-1990s and has covered Ohio State football for more than 15 years.

We pick up his conversation with Rapp right after the two have signed off from the airwaves:

Rapp: Well, we just did our show and you’re still hepped out about the Boom Herron story.

Maetzold: From the moment he walked out onto the field, I was saying to myself, “What the hell are they doing? Why’s he starting?” Not this game; not with everything he’s done to get the program in hot water, including getting the last additional game added to his suspension.

OK, here he is, he’s one the big stage for the first time since it’s all happened. There’s 55,000 people in the stands, there are people watching on TV. Now is the time to say, “Wait a minute, Boom. Come here. You stand by me for a couple of plays. We’re going to let those two guys carry the ball for the first couple of series.” That’s what I would have done.

Rapp: So you think they just made him look like a mercenary, or whatever the word is, in your mind? I mean, what would have placated you on how long he sat out?

Maetzold: I’ll tell you what, something that would say, “Hey, look, we understand you’re eligible now, but you’re not eligible until I say you’re eligible” from Luke Fickell. “You’re not going out there until I say you’re eligible and, OK, now you can go.” You’re not just automatically turned loose.

I wouldn’t even have had such a big problem with it had it been after a five-game suspension, had there not been the extra game tacked on. But there was something about that extra punishment, that “Oh, yeah, I had this job and I took a little bit of extra money, maybe a little bit more than I should have and, OK, I guess I’ve got to be suspended one more game.” To me, that was a real kick in the gut to Ohio State fans and for the team. So if I’m the coach I’m going to say, “Hey, hang on. Just wait one second before you trot out there.”

Rapp: Well, let me not defend this but play a little bit of devil’s advocate and say that because Ohio State and the head coach specifically had to tighten the ranks so much through all this turmoil that they’re now at the point where they don’t give a damn what anybody thinks and how things look. Not that they want to be classless or anything like that.

But we hear all the time and I think we saw this, too, in the preseason how Boom looked terrific, it looked like guys responded to him, that he was a vocal leader – something the coaches talked about all season as something they need and want and this team’s got to have. We’ll get Luke Fickell’s version soon enough, but do you think that was it? That they feel like, “Hey, this guy has served his time. We need him out there leading and we need our best players.”

That still doesn’t sit well with you.

Maetzold: Well, two answers to that. Number one, had it just been the five games, that would have been fine. I read the thing that the Dispatch put in their little sports magazine. It talked about how remorseful he was …

Rapp: I saw that, too.

Maetzold: They called his dad and he said he thought he screwed up and all that kind of stuff. And after I read that, I was kind of swayed. I was like, “You know what? That kid really has paid his dues. Let him go out there.” But then the other thing happened, and that to me is what the deciding factor was.

And the other part of that answer is, look you’ve got two guys who were doing fine. Jordan Hall was doing well early in the year and Carlos Hyde has really come on toward the middle part of the season. He’s earned it. Carlos Hyde has earned the opportunity to start because he has kept his nose clean, he’s worked hard, he’s made incremental improvements. He’s earned the opportunity to be out there and to start.

So that’s the other side of who should have been out there. Give it to the guy who’s earned it the first six games.

Rapp: For the record, I would have had no problem with (Herron) waiting a series or two or whatever. I will say this, though, to people who are trying to justify Carlos Hyde should now play over him because he’s been there – which there is some merit to that – or because he’s faster or that he has some advantage metrically or because of certain measurements. I’m not swallowing that because I think he’s their best tailback.

Maetzold: Boom.

Rapp: Yeah. I think that part of it is arguable but you’re not going to sway me. I think he’s their best tailback. That touchdown he ran on the first touch of the second half, that was a thing of beauty. As he put it, he sunk in, kind of tightened the linebacker to the middle of the field, and then he knew where the blocks were going to be and he knew he could get to the outside. Frankly, he got there easily and allowed (Reid) Fragel, a tight end, and Zach Boren, a fullback, to make their blocks.

That’s why he’s out there.

Maetzold: Yes, and I don’t take any of that away from him. He had another run like that. I believe it was late in the second quarter right after a punt where he saw the field better than any tailback had seen the field this year, cut back to the inside and cut back outside. He was making those lateral moves that make you go, “Wow, this guy’s really impressive.”

So I don’t take any of that away from him. But I think to start the game was not the right move. And I think to keep Carlos Hyde on the bench until mop-up time, I still don’t get that one.

Rapp: Did they make a mistake based on how the kid has reacted?

Maetzold: They might have. They might have. Because you know Carlos Hyde has his supporters. That’s the way those things work, that there are any number of kids who get behind one guy or the other, be it a quarterback or whoever. We’ll see how that affects the whole chemistry thing.

And I don’t know where Carlos Hyde’s head is at right now. Somebody ought to take his Twitter away from him, I guarantee you that.

(both laugh)

Rapp: Well, I’ll make this point again. The kid runs hard and when he gets in the clear he’s faster than you think and I like that he’s learning on the job and giving effort, but I don’t think he’s got the vision and obviously not the experience that Boom Herron has. And if this team is going to go anywhere and have any chance to beat a Wisconsin, they’re going to need a lot of Boom Herron.

That doesn’t mean that Carlos Hyde should be shoved back to third or fourth string. Interestingly, the same week when all of this broke, the rumor was that Rod Smith was working out at linebacker and he even repped before the game there. So let me throw that at you. What do you think about that?

Maetzold: Well, if you can’t keep the ball firmly in your grasp, they’re going to look at you for something other than tailback, and he obviously had two huge fumbles early in the year against inferior opponents that I think hurt him and have really hurt his playing time. The thing is, as we sat through the whole Rod Smith ordeal last year – first of all, waiting for him to be cleared and to get to Ohio State then waiting for him to get on the football field this year – all we heard was that this guy could be the guy.

Rapp: Yep.

Maetzold: He’s got size, he’s got speed, he could be the guy. So what a disappointment if he winds up not only not being the guy, but tried at linebacker or tight end or, who knows, someplace else. And his talent may really lie there, so who knows.

Rapp: It’s funny, I had almost forgotten about that entire ordeal with him because of everything else that has happened lately. There’s a lot of baggage in this program right now.

Maetzold: (laughs)

Rapp: Especially at the tailback position.

Maetzold: There is a little bit of baggage. If we can get through this week without a BB gun going off or some guy having some sort of medical breakdown that causes him to attack other students then we should consider ourselves lucky, And, oh, by the way, Lord knows when the memo is going to come down from the NCAA. That could be the final straw, too.

Rapp: Amen.