Ohio State’s seniors got the spotlight at the Buckeyes’ final Skull Session of the 2023 season.
In their speeches inside St. John Arena on Saturday afternoon, Ryan Day and Brian Hartline both expressed gratitude to Ohio State’s seniors, with Day asking them to step forward to be recognized by the crowd.
Both Day and Hartline also stressed the importance of making sure the Buckeyes finish the season the right way to send those seniors out as winners.
“The truth is, we‘re all gonna be remembered, seniors included, by how we finish. That’s just how it goes around here,” Day said. “So we all gotta do our part that this last time in the Shoe is memorable. We all have to do our part. And we have to finish this thing the right way. We have to be playing our best football right now. And the only way to do that is as hard as you possibly can, fighting for every yard, with great energy and great passion.”
Hartline commended the sacrifices the seniors have made for their team throughout their Ohio State careers.
“This group of men has sacrificed a lot for a lot of people other than themselves. They’ve sacrificed for their family. They have sacrificed for this team, this great university. And they’ve sacrificed for their brothers, their teammates, at all costs,” Hartline said. “We thank you, seniors, for all that you’ve brought us. So we’re gonna make sure today, we send you out the right way.”
One of those seniors, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, also spoke to the crowd at Skull Session. While it’s questionable whether Eichenberg will play against Minnesota due to an arm injury, he expects the Buckeyes to take care of business regardless of whether he plays.
“The love and the brotherhood of this team and we’re gonna be able to do something special, but the goal today is to go 1-0. So I know when my brothers when these warriors right behind me take the field, they‘re gonna give the Gophers hell all day long,” Eichenberg said.
