The gray sleeves are back, folks.
playoff threads #gobucks pic.twitter.com/nmhhOnueep
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 15, 2022
Those threads are b-e-a-ufitful. Now, please, Ohio State – please, please, please... please – make these a part of the permanent uniforms for both the scarlet and gray jerseys. The school's colors are scarlet and gray, so let's act that way.
I conclude my brief but necessary rant.
Let's have a good Friday, shall we?
FIND A BRICK WALL. On Thursday, I came across a trailer for the battle between Ohio State vs. Georgia in the Peach Bowl created by Buckeye Productions and good gracious, good heavens, great googly moogly – whatever other phrases I can use to explain my astonishment – it is phenomenal.
Find a brick wall. You'll need to run through it as soon as the trailer ends.
The Peach Bowl is 15 days away. An official trailer will be released by the Ohio State football media team on one of those days. However, until that trailer is released (and maybe after that point), I will be watching the Buckeye Productions video on repeat until Dec. 31 arrives.
New Year's Eve can't come soon enough.
JIMMY SMITH. As I said at the start of Thursday's Skull Session, Brian Hartline is an animal, constantly exceeding the already-large expectations Buckeye Nation has for wide receiver recruiting and adding yet another five-star wideout on Wednesday.
However, what I did not say Thursday is that Hartline is also an incredible troll, something I learned a few hours after the Skully posted yesterday.
A few minutes after Hartline snatched now-Ohio State commit Jeremiah Smith from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Opa Locka, Florida, on Wednesday, a distraught commenter on a Miami (FL) message board was beside themselves that Hartline could come into south Florida and snatch Smith desire the 2024 prospect attending high school in the Hurricanes' backyard.
The following morning, Hartline had a perfect response for the Miami commenter, but of course, it wasn't on the message boards. Hartline sent his message on Twitter in the most Twitter way possible: a subtweet.
— Brian Hartline (@brianhartline) December 15, 2022
Just an incredible showing from Hartline. First, he secures a five-star receiver from South Florida that was heavily recruited by Miami and its offensive coordinator Josh Gattis –Michigan's former OC that called Ohio State soft in 2021. Second, he won Twitter for the day with an incredible subtweet of a saddened Hurricanes fan.
It was a great day to be the wide receiver coach at The Ohio State University, and it may be even greater to be a fan of the Buckeyes as they will see a flurry of top receiver commits come to Columbus over the next two years:
| NAME | YEAR | HT | WT | STARS | RATING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEREMIAH SMITH | 2024 | 6-3 | 185 | FIVE | 0.9982 |
| BRANDON INNISS | 2023 | 6-0 | 190 | FIVE | 0.9859 |
| NOAH ROGERS | 2023 | 6-2 | 195 | FOUR | 0.9799 |
| CARNELL TATE | 2023 | 6-2 | 180 | FOUR | 0.9717 |
| BRYSON RODGERS | 2023 | 6-0 | 175 | FOUR | 0.9011 |
That's what I call an embarrassment of riches.
It doesn't get any better than this, folks.
HATE TO SEE THAT. After Michigan's 45-23 win over Ohio State in The Game this season, a few players for the Wolverines ran around the turf at the Horseshoe with a maize and blue flag flying through the wind. They even planted it on the scarlet Block O at the 50-yard line.
It looked a little something like this:
Flag planted. pic.twitter.com/vBHd0ICliQ
— Jordan Strack (@JordanStrack) November 26, 2022
And now, the Michigan football program has added pictures of that moment to the Schembechler Hall practice facility in Ann Arbor. It looks a little something like this:
New artwork at Schembechler Hall pic.twitter.com/ajcb4gl5yo
— Larry Lage (@LarryLage) December 15, 2022
Look, I know Michigan has won the last two meetings in the rivalry, and I don't have much room to comment on the stuff the Wolverines do these days because of that fact, but it's pretty funny to me how quickly they put up a mural of their win in Ohio Stadium and their win last year in the Big House.
It appears that is what a program does after being dominated for two decades. But what do I know? I'm countin' down the days until Nov. 25, 2023, because I neeeeeeeeed to see the Buckeyes back on top in The Game. I also wouldn't mind seeing The Rematch in the national championship, but that's just me.
ALL-AMERICAN MEN. Ohio State is America's team. That's a claim I think most readers at Eleven Warriors would agree with, or maybe not. I don't know. I also don't think that claim would go over too well outside of Buckeye Country.
However, I can make this claim comfortably: Ohio State was led by its All-Americans to be one of the best teams in America this year. Here are all of the All-American awards the Buckeyes have received after the regular season:
- C.J. Stroud: Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBS Sports, AFCA (second team)
- Marvin Harrison Jr.: AP, Walter Camp Football Foundation, PFF, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, FWAA, Sporting News, AFCA (first team)
- Emeka Egbuka: PFF (third team)
- Paris Johnson Jr.: Walter Camp Football Foundation, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, FWAA, AFCA (first team); CBS Sports, AP (second team); PFF (honorable mention)
- Dawand Jones: PFF and CBS Sports (first team); AP, Sporting News (second team)
- Luke Wypler: PFF (third team)
- Tommy Eichenberg: PFF, Bleacher Report (first team); Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBS Sports, FWAA, AP, Sporting News (second team)
- Ronnie Hickman: PFF, AP (second team)
As far as the Associated Press All-American honors are concerned – and, to be honest, that's kind of the only All-American awards that matter to me, I don't know why and I won't be taking questions at this time – the Buckeyes lead the way with five recipients: Harrison, Johnson, Jones, Eichenberg and Hickman.
@OhioStateFB leads the way with 5 AP All-Americans on their roster!
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 15, 2022
Which team on this list is the most surprising? pic.twitter.com/YcIohzPsjd
If Ohio State wants to move past Georgia and accomplish its goal of winning a national championship, those five Buckeyes, and players like C.J. Stroud, Miyan Williams, JT Tuimoloau and Zach Harrison, among many others, will need to be at the top of their games.
Actually, everyone will need to be at the top of their games. But I expect these Ohio State players to be at the forefront.
Let's ride, Buckeye Nation. Bring on the Bulldogs. Ohio Against the World.
SONG OF THE DAY. “She's A Rainbow” by The Rolling Stones.
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