It's only a workout video. It's only a workout video. It's only a workout video.
But no. It's more than that. Sonny Styles looks like the truth.
all business @sonnystyles_ pic.twitter.com/ct7V47AZo2
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 16, 2023
Let's have a good Friday, shall we?
"MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY... MONEY!" For the second day in a row, I have the distinct pleasure of talking about money to start the Skull Session. This time, however, the topic does not regard Ohio State football but rather a massive donation from a family of university alumni that will fund entrepreneurship and advanced education for students.
Ohio State announced Thursday that the Timashev Family Foundation donated $110 million to launch a Center for Software Innovation at the university. The family's donation was the largest single gift in school history.
A $110 million gift from the Timashev Family Foundation, the largest single gift in @OhioStates history, will establish the Center for Software Innovation, bringing @OSUEngineering, @FisherOSU & other partners together in creative new ways. https://t.co/CNBNgGBAOh
— Ohio State News (@OhioStateNews) February 16, 2023
The Center for Software Innovation will bring together the College of Engineering, Fisher College of Business and several other partners to create endowed professorships, cutting-edge academic offerings and hands-on industry experience for students – opportunities the Timashevs believed will be a tremendous benefit for Ohio State in the future.
From Ohio State's press release:
“It is my privilege to give back to the Buckeye community, which has played a tremendous role throughout my life and career,” Ratmir Timashev said. “Bringing together the best of academia and startup innovation will empower the dreams of future generations of students, and I look forward to helping bring this vision to reality for Ohio State and Columbus.”
You have probably asked yourself, what does this have to do with Ohio State sports? Well, nothing per se. However, the record-breaking donation did make me hopeful that there will be a Mr. and/or Mrs. Money Bags who will step forward and make the historic gift for the Buckeyes’ collectives and make Ohio State the No. 1 destination for name, image and likeness in football, basketball and every other sport.
I don't think the Money Bagses will now knock down the door of Ohio State's collectives to donate more than the Timashevs. But I believe the family’s donation could inspire alums that possess that kind of financial capital to invest some of it into the future of Ohio State athletics.
The collectives have made it known that they need more money, and future donors could fill that need with green dollar bills and numbers of banking statements. Do the green dollar bills and numbers need to equate to $110 million for a single gift? No, but at this point, anything would help.
WAIT... WHAT'S UP? Earlier this week, I included a clip in the Skull Session of Eddie George ranking the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry ahead of the Yankees-Red Sox and other historic rivalries in sports (Duh) while on a show with Shannon Sharpe.
I thought that was all George had to say about Ohio State while speaking with Sharpe, but I was misinformed and misguided in that belief. As it turns out, the Heisman Trophy winner had two more topics to discuss regarding the Buckeyes.
The first was the story of George's recruitment to play for the Buckeyes, where the Philadelphia native explains he wanted to go to Penn State over Ohio State. That was until a former Fork Union Military Academy member pitched the idea of wearing the scarlet and gray to him. Oh, and the legendary Horseshoe may have played a role, too.
The second topic was a story of George's time at Ohio State. It was a tenure that ended almost as quickly as it started, with George almost choosing to transfer before his breakout junior and senior seasons as a Buckeye. The unanimous All-American and winner of the Doak Walker, Maxwell and Walter Camp awards almost never had the historic Ohio State career that we all reflect on fondly today.
It's hard to imagine a reality where Ohio State never had Steady Eddie. It's a good thing I don't have to for very long, as the reality was that George stayed with the Buckeyes until he graduated and went on to dominate the NFL for years to come. I like that reality better.
FIRST-ROUND DAWAND. Dawand Jones came to Ohio State as a three-star in the 247Sports composite for the class of 2020. He was the No. 86 offensive tackle prospect and ranked outside the top 1,000 overall when it came to the top recruits in the country. Four years later, Jones could be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
In fact, after a stellar performance (albeit in only one practice) and insane physical measurements at the Reese's Senior Bowl earlier this month, Jones' destiny as one of the first 31 players selected (the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick) in late April feels more likely than ever before.
With 7-foot-5 reach & light feet like this, how are rushers supposed to get around Ohio States Dawand Jones? Weve had numerous NFL scouts tell us hes a better version of Chiefs 4x Pro Bowler Orlando Brown Jr. (and we agree). Sounds like 1st rounder.#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/vfS3zlhVvS
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 16, 2023
Jones' comparison to Orlando Brown Jr. should come as no surprise. The former Oklahoma Sooner and current Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman is 6-foot-8, 340 pounds – the ideal size for Jones at the next level.
As Nagy mentioned in his tweet, Brown is a four-time Pro Bowler across five seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and Chiefs. On top of that, he is now a Super Bowl champion, as Kansas City took home the Lombardi Trophy in 2023. So, if Jones is really “a better version” of Brown, there's no question he should be a first-round pick.
That said, Big Thanos needs to stay the course, which means continuing to train hard in the coming weeks and performing well at the NFL Scouting Combine and Ohio State's Pro Day in March. If he can do those things, there’s a good chance we’ll hear “... selects Dawand Jones of The Ohio State University” on the first night of the draft on April 27.
BACK IN THE DAY. On Thursday, I discovered that an Ohio State football fan built a model of Ohio Stadium on the "Roller Coaster Tycoon" video game...
And, man, did that unlock some memories of the good old days, sitting at my family's computer and building an amusement park empire at Dynamite Dunes back in the early 2000s.
Life seemed simpler back then. Middle of the summer, I would wake up, eat breakfast with my parents, play outside with my friends, eat lunch, play outside with my friends and then end the night playing Roller Coaster Tycoon. That is, if my sisters weren't already on the computer playing the game. Then, of course, we would fight about who could play the game and keep building their park.
These days, I have to work all the time. There's rarely any time to eat food, play outside or play Roller Coaster Tycoon. That sucks. Nobody said being an adult would be so dull. Back then, all I wanted to do was grow up. Now, I want to go back to the good old days. Funny how that works.
But I digress. I'll save the rest of my rambling for my therapist.
Ohio Stadium in Roller Coaster Tycoon looks pretty cool, doesn't it?
SONG OF THE DAY. "Money" by Pink Floyd.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Lonely tunes: Humpback whales wail less as population grows... Fowl-free: McDonald’s debuts plant-based McNuggets... How a mafia man turned on the family business... What is sugar alcohol? The reduced-calorie sweetener you might not recognize... Pig that 'looked cold' gets a ride home in Alaska police cruiser.
