Skull Session: Ryan Day Chases Alabama, Garrett Wilson Discusses the Four Quarterbacks, and Zach Harrison Doesn't Repeat Outfits

If you're feeling frisky today, you can go ahead and reserve your College Football Playoff tickets.

Commit to your team on its path to the #CFBPlayoff #NationalChampionship! @CFPRSVP lets you reserve face-value tickets now and throughout the season. If your team advances to #2022Indy, you can join them - guaranteed.

Secure your spot now https://t.co/hivwLfYtj2 pic.twitter.com/3A40Illpok
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) August 18, 2021

I'll see you in Indy.

Word of the Day: Fealty.

THE RUNDOWN. Who better to give us a thorough breakdown of all four Ohio State quarterbacks than one of the guys catching balls from them every day?

Garrett Wilson went on BTN yesterday to discuss the upcoming season, and naturally, the topic turned to the four fellows throwing the ball. And he was happy to give his assessment.

"I say with C.J., he really drops the ball in there. The best way to put it is like Russell Wilson, the ball, it falls on you. So it makes it really easy to catch the deep ball.

"Kyle, he’s the hardest-working quarterback I’ve met. From the day he walked in, he’s had a huge impact on getting us all out to the field, getting us to go throw, and that’s something that can’t be understated because Kyle’s my guy, I love him.

"And then Jack, he’s the dude that’s always out there keeping the energy high, always gonna keep you laughing. Throwing dots and stuff like that. So we all love three of the quarterbacks.

"And then Quinn just got here, I think two days ago we saw him for the first time, and he’s still trying to figure things out. He’s a little more quiet on the sidelines, but in the locker room, he’s a real cool dude. We’re all getting to know him. He’s going to be great."

Also, what a curious, "totally random" order he chose to go in, starting with the guy who's the decided frontrunner and ending with the guy who has been there for less than a week and should be in high school that everyone knows is No. 4 on the depth chart right now.

It sure makes you think about the order in which he put the other two!

WE WANT BAMA. It may not be explicit, but there's no secret at all as to who Ohio State is chasing these days. No, it's not the team that the Buckeyes punked 49-28 a year after a semifinal win was stolen from them by officiating (Ryan Day should be a breezy 2-0 against Clemson; Dabo ain't shit).

Ohio State's chasing Bama. And Day's recruiting and hiring at a level to make sure the Buckeyes close that gap.

There's no actual signs in OSU’s facility related to chasing Alabama. The stated goals on the local signage remain playing for the Big Ten title and beating the so-called Team Up North. Day is consistently understated and non-controversial, so he’s unlikely to give any buzzy sound bites.

But the actions tell all – the juggernaut recruiting, the hiring and the subtle shifts toward the highest levels. How close are the Buckeyes to Bama? It's a fascinating question after a four-touchdown loss.

“I think we’re close,” says long-time strength coach Mickey Marotti, who saw Saban build the Bama machine first-hand while at Florida.

...

“This is the most talented freshman class we’ve ever had,” Mark Pantoni, Ohio State’s long-time director of player personnel, said in his typical understated tone.

...

Marotti summed up the uniqueness of the class this way: “I just think it’s the number of guys.” In other words, it’s the quantity of the quality that’s standing out.

...

Day’s former defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, observed the moves this way from afar, saying they are part of Day trying to “lay his identity” in the post-Meyer era. “He's got an unbelievable identity, he has a team where he wants them, he won the Big Ten, he won the Big Ten [again], [he’s saying] now I gotta win a national championship,” Hafley said. “And when you look over at the Alabama sideline, you see ex-head coaches, which is awesome for them, right? So it's what resources do we need, maybe, that we're not using? And we have the means to get them, let's go get them.”

I guess it might be fair to start calling them That Team Down South, cause lord knows Michigan hasn't done anything the past two decades to earn that sort of he-who-shall-not-be-named respect.

FASHION-FORWARD. Zach Harrison is a lot of things, but he wants to make damn sure that everybody knows "outfit repeater" is not one of them.

@zacharrison_ insisted on changing @OhioStateFB hoodies before his interview so no one would call him out for being an Outfit Repeater@RIP_JEP agreed with the fashion choice for the cameras pic.twitter.com/fCDI6Xos1d
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) August 18, 2021

Hey, I get it. He's just trying to avoid looking like a cartoon character with one set of clothes.

It's also totally on-brand that Mr. Most Likely to be Featured in GQ Magazine, Joshua Perry, was the one to totally support his wardrobe switch.

PATRIOT LEGEND, AND TOM BRADY. Mike Vrabel is out here making sure everyone knows who the real GOAT is.

Jack Brady talking with his favorite former Patriot. Also pictured, Tom Brady pic.twitter.com/ndJSht1xE0
— Mike Vrabel (@CoachVrabel50) August 18, 2021

Hey, only one of these guys has ever played both sides of the ball in a Super Bowl. Makes you think.

SONG OF THE DAY. "The Beat Goes On" by Sonny and Cher.